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South Loup River at Ravenna

Highest listed crest 12.60 ftFlood stage 5.5 ft33 crests since 1941

The South Loup River at Ravenna crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 33 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1941 to 2019. The highest, 12.60 ft on June 22, 1947, was major flooding, 7.10 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
12.60 ft
June 22, 1947; 41,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
5.5 ft
Major flooding from 9.5 ft
Crests at major
2
23rd of 187 gauges in Nebraska
Most recent flood crest
March 15, 2019
7.80 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Buffalo County
Nebraska
Identifiers
NWS RVNN1
No USGS station

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, South Loup River at Ravenna
Action stage4.516Jun 9, 1974The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)5.59Jun 22, 1975Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage7.54Mar 15, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage9.52Jun 24, 1968Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

33 crests from 1941 to 2019. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the South Loup River at Ravenna, 1941 to 2019 468101214ft Flood stage 5.5 ftMajor 9.5 ft Jun 2, 1941: 5.06 ft, action stage; 3,050 cubic feet per secondSep 3, 1942: 5.70 ft, minor flooding; 4,810 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1943: 7.66 ft, moderate flooding; 8,600 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 1944: 4.90 ft, action stage; 2,930 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1945: 7.68 ft, moderate flooding; 10,000 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1946: 4.80 ft, action stage; 2,010 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1947: 12.60 ft, major flooding; 41,000 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1948: 6.38 ft, minor flooding; 7,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1949: 5.98 ft, minor floodingJun 9, 1949: 5.40 ft, action stage; 5,550 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1950: 4.90 ft, action stageJul 9, 1950: 4.88 ft, action stage; 2,160 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1951: 4.65 ft, action stage; 2,210 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1952: 5.18 ft, action stageMay 27, 1952: 4.65 ft, action stage; 1,900 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1953: 5.25 ft, action stage; 3,150 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1954: 7.12 ft, minor flooding; 11,200 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1955: 4.93 ft, action stageMay 25, 1955: 4.66 ft, action stage; 1,460 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1956: 5.07 ft, action stage; 2,010 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1957: 6.71 ft, minor flooding; 6,580 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 1958: 7.80 ft, moderate flooding; 7,590 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1968: 10.32 ft, major flooding; 17,100 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1969: 7.33 ft, minor floodingJan 30, 1970: 4.68 ft, action stageJun 14, 1970: 4.02 ft, below flood stage; 730 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1971: 5.31 ft, action stageJun 30, 1971: 4.31 ft, below flood stage; 960 cubic feet per secondJul 26, 1972: 7.41 ft, minor flooding; 6,660 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 1973: 6.65 ft, minor flooding; 4,190 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1974: 5.05 ft, action stage; 1,770 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1975: 5.50 ft, minor flooding; 2,510 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2019: 7.80 ft, moderate flooding Highest, 12.60 ft, Jun 22, 1947 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, South Loup River at Ravenna 1940s: 6 6 1950s: 3 1960s: 2 1970s: 3 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 1 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, South Loup River at Ravenna
1Jun 22, 194712.60+7.10Major41,000
2Jun 24, 196810.32+4.82Major17,100
3Jul 19, 19587.80+2.30Moderate7,590
4Mar 15, 20197.80+2.30Moderate—
5Jun 9, 19457.68+2.18Moderate10,000
6Jun 14, 19437.66+2.16Moderate8,600
7Jul 26, 19727.41+1.91Minor6,660
8Mar 18, 19697.33+1.83Minor—
9Jun 17, 19547.12+1.62Minor11,200
10Jun 16, 19576.71+1.21Minor6,580
11Jul 24, 19736.65+1.15Minor4,190
12Mar 15, 19486.38+0.88Minor7,200
13Feb 25, 19495.98+0.48Minor—
14Sep 3, 19425.70+0.20Minor4,810
15Jun 22, 19755.500.00Minor2,510
16Jun 9, 19495.40−0.10Action5,550
17Feb 19, 19715.31−0.19Action—
18May 27, 19535.25−0.25Action3,150
19Jan 20, 19525.18−0.32Action—
20Jun 18, 19565.07−0.43Action2,010
21Jun 2, 19415.06−0.44Action3,050
22Jun 9, 19745.05−0.45Action1,770
23Mar 3, 19554.93−0.57Action—
24May 2, 19444.90−0.60Action2,930
25Feb 18, 19504.90−0.60Action—
26Jul 9, 19504.88−0.62Action2,160
27Jun 18, 19464.80−0.70Action2,010
28Jan 30, 19704.68−0.82Action—
29May 25, 19554.66−0.84Action1,460
30May 31, 19514.65−0.85Action2,210
31May 27, 19524.65−0.85Action1,900
32Jun 30, 19714.31−1.19Below flood stage960
33Jun 14, 19704.02−1.48Below flood stage730

The worst floods along the South Loup River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the South Loup River that crested above flood stage within a week.

June 24, 1968: 10.32 ft here, major flooding

July 19, 1958: 7.80 ft here, moderate flooding

March 15, 2019: 7.80 ft here, moderate flooding

  • St. MichaelNE · Mar 15, 2019 · 12.19 ft · Minor
  • ArnoldNE · Mar 13, 2019 · 9.92 ft · Minor · its highest
  • PresseyNE · Mar 14, 2019 · 9.59 ft · Minor · its highest

Gauges on the South Loup River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the South Loup River
ArnoldNE8.09.92 ft, Mar 13, 20190
PresseyNE9.09.59 ft, Mar 14, 20190
Ravenna this gaugeNE5.512.60 ft, Jun 22, 19472
St. MichaelNE9.515.15 ft, Mar 16, 19780

Other gauges in Buffalo County

Flood gauges in Buffalo County
Elm Creek9.510.73 ft, Mar 13, 20190
Sweetwater16.523.20 ft, Jun 22, 19472
Kearney7.08.62 ft, Feb 24, 19940
Odessa7.08.27 ft, Jul 9, 20190
St. Michael9.515.15 ft, Mar 16, 19780
Gibbon15.017.40 ft, Mar 14, 20193
Riverdale11.019.75 ft, Jun 22, 19470

Buffalo County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Nebraska

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge RVNN1, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.