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South Platte River at North Platte

Highest listed crest 14.54 ftFlood stage 13.0 ft94 crests since 1914

The South Platte River at North Platte crested above flood stage 3 times among the 94 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1914 to 2024. The highest, 14.54 ft on September 23, 2013, was moderate flooding, 1.54 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the South Platte River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 3 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
14.54 ft
September 23, 2013; 20,900 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
13.0 ft
Major flooding from 15.0 ft
Crests at major
0
3 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
May 20, 2015
14.09 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Lincoln County
Near North Platte (1.3 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, South Platte River at North Platte
Action stage10.026Jun 29, 2023The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)13.00—Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage14.03May 20, 2015Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage15.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

94 crests from 1914 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the South Platte River at North Platte, 1914 to 2024 05101520ft Flood stage 13.0 ftMajor 15.0 ft Jun 10, 1914: 5.55 ft, below flood stage; 11,800 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1915: 5.40 ft, below flood stage; 11,400 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1922: 3.60 ft, below flood stage; 4,660 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1923: 5.60 ft, below flood stage; 21,800 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1924: 5.00 ft, below flood stage; 11,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 1925: 3.50 ft, below flood stage; 1,320 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1926: 3.90 ft, below flood stage; 5,600 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1927: 3.25 ft, below flood stage; 2,540 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1928: 11.87 ft, action stage; 4,210 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1929: 11.07 ft, action stage; 1,690 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1930: 11.02 ft, action stage; 1,830 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1931: 10.82 ft, action stage; 1,600 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1932: 10.42 ft, action stage; 1,020 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1933: 10.52 ft, action stage; 1,060 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1934: 10.57 ft, action stage; 1,060 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1935: 14.02 ft, moderate flooding; 37,100 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1936: 9.77 ft, below flood stage; 942 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1937: 10.08 ft, action stage; 530 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 1938: 11.95 ft, action stage; 4,980 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1939: 12.11 ft, action stage; 7,460 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 1940: 9.68 ft, below flood stage; 712 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1941: 8.66 ft, below flood stage; 384 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1942: 12.72 ft, action stage; 14,700 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1943: 9.08 ft, below flood stage; 1,840 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1944: 9.31 ft, below flood stage; 2,600 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 1945: 7.91 ft, below flood stage; 1,250 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 1946: 8.19 ft, below flood stage; 1,470 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1947: 11.75 ft, action stage; 12,000 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1948: 8.64 ft, below flood stage; 2,580 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1949: 11.48 ft, action stage; 16,200 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1950: 6.52 ft, below flood stage; 569 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1951: 7.41 ft, below flood stage; 1,700 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1952: 7.21 ft, below flood stage; 2,240 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1954: 3.52 ft, below flood stage; 239 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1955: 3.20 ft, below flood stage; 471 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1956: 4.00 ft, below flood stage; 575 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1957: 7.63 ft, below flood stage; 8,620 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1958: 7.51 ft, below flood stage; 6,400 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1959: 4.30 ft, below flood stage; 529 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1960: 5.02 ft, below flood stage; 1,380 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1961: 6.44 ft, below flood stage; 4,750 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 1962: 4.87 ft, below flood stage; 1,710 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 1963: 4.06 ft, below flood stage; 640 cubic feet per secondOct 4, 1963: 3.58 ft, below flood stage; 336 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1965: 10.43 ft, action stage; 22,200 cubic feet per secondOct 4, 1965: 4.31 ft, below flood stage; 1,230 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 1967: 3.60 ft, below flood stage; 1,530 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 1968: 5.05 ft, below flood stage; 4,680 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1969: 5.83 ft, below flood stage; 6,490 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1970: 5.83 ft, below flood stage; 6,510 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1971: 4.94 ft, below flood stage; 4,160 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1972: 4.13 ft, below flood stageFeb 21, 1972: 3.00 ft, below flood stage; 1,170 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1973: 12.64 ft, action stage; 20,900 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1974: 7.92 ft, below flood stage; 1,800 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 1975: 7.98 ft, below flood stage; 1,940 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1976: 7.85 ft, below flood stage; 387 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1977: 8.29 ft, below flood stage; 2,090 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 1978: 6.60 ft, below flood stage; 274 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1979: 9.86 ft, below flood stage; 7,330 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1980: 11.43 ft, action stage; 13,500 cubic feet per secondJul 26, 1981: 6.56 ft, below flood stage; 500 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1983: 8.90 ft, below flood stage; 14,900 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1984: 7.13 ft, below flood stage; 7,260 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 1984: 5.55 ft, below flood stage; 3,570 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1986: 6.58 ft, below flood stage; 6,850 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1987: 6.03 ft, below flood stage; 5,280 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 1988: 4.53 ft, below flood stage; 2,230 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1989: 3.89 ft, below flood stage; 1,610 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1990: 2.99 ft, below flood stage; 592 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1991: 3.34 ft, below flood stage; 1,400 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1992: 2.98 ft, below flood stage; 983 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1993: 3.73 ft, below flood stage; 1,550 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 1994: 7.57 ft, below flood stage; 760 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1995: 12.99 ft, action stage; 13,900 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 1996: 8.04 ft, below flood stage; 2,580 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1997: 11.33 ft, action stage; 10,100 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 1998: 12.43 ft, action stageJun 11, 1998: 7.70 ft, below flood stage; 1,660 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1999: 12.34 ft, action stage; 15,900 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2010: 11.52 ft, action stage; 9,120 cubic feet per secondJul 23, 2011: 10.69 ft, action stage; 6,967 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 2012: 7.75 ft, below flood stage; 1,450 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 2013: 14.54 ft, moderate flooding; 20,900 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2014: 11.06 ft, action stage; 8,350 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2015: 14.09 ft, moderate flooding; 19,000 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2016: 10.74 ft, action stage; 5,360 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2017: 10.04 ft, action stage; 3,800 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2018: 8.59 ft, below flood stage; 1,580 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 2019: 8.75 ft, below flood stage; 1,970 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 2020: 7.88 ft, below flood stage; 854 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2022: 7.38 ft, below flood stage; 517 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 2023: 11.79 ft, action stage; 8,290 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2024: 8.08 ft, below flood stage; 1,360 cubic feet per second Highest, 14.54 ft, Sep 23, 2013 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, South Platte River at North Platte 1910s: 0 1920s: 0 1930s: 1 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 2 2 2020s: 0 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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

The 50 highest of 94 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, South Platte River at North Platte
1Sep 23, 201314.54+1.54Moderate20,900
2May 20, 201514.09+1.09Moderate19,000
3Jun 3, 193514.02+1.02Moderate37,100
4Jun 7, 199512.99−0.01Action13,900
5May 7, 194212.72−0.28Action14,700
6May 13, 197312.64−0.36Action20,900
7Jan 11, 199812.43−0.57Action—
8May 8, 199912.34−0.66Action15,900
9Mar 16, 193912.11−0.89Action7,460
10Sep 13, 193811.95−1.05Action4,980
11Jun 10, 192811.87−1.13Action4,210
12Jun 29, 202311.79−1.21Action8,290
13Jun 30, 194711.75−1.25Action12,000
14Jun 24, 201011.52−1.48Action9,120
15Jun 21, 194911.48−1.52Action16,200
16May 22, 198011.43−1.57Action13,500
17Jun 20, 199711.33−1.67Action10,100
18Apr 29, 192911.07−1.93Action1,690
19Jun 12, 201411.06−1.94Action8,350
20May 12, 193011.02−1.98Action1,830
21Apr 4, 193110.82−2.18Action1,600
22Jun 1, 201610.74−2.26Action5,360
23Jul 23, 201110.69−2.31Action6,967
24Jun 22, 193410.57−2.43Action1,060
25Apr 20, 193310.52−2.48Action1,060
26Jun 22, 196510.43−2.57Action22,200
27Mar 17, 193210.42−2.58Action1,020
28Mar 6, 193710.08−2.92Action530
29Jun 2, 201710.04−2.96Action3,800
30Jun 17, 19799.86−3.14Below flood stage7,330
31Mar 4, 19369.77−3.23Below flood stage942
32Feb 12, 19409.68−3.32Below flood stage712
33May 17, 19449.31−3.69Below flood stage2,600
34Jun 14, 19439.08−3.92Below flood stage1,840
35Jun 19, 19838.90−4.10Below flood stage14,900
36Jun 29, 20198.75−4.25Below flood stage1,970
37Apr 4, 19418.66−4.34Below flood stage384
38Mar 18, 19488.64−4.36Below flood stage2,580
39May 28, 20188.59−4.41Below flood stage1,580
40May 31, 19778.29−4.71Below flood stage2,090
41Jan 7, 19468.19−4.81Below flood stage1,470
42May 6, 20248.08−4.92Below flood stage1,360
43Sep 21, 19968.04−4.96Below flood stage2,580
44Jun 26, 19757.98−5.02Below flood stage1,940
45Jan 26, 19747.92−5.08Below flood stage1,800
46Aug 28, 19457.91−5.09Below flood stage1,250
47Feb 26, 20207.88−5.12Below flood stage854
48Jan 21, 19767.85−5.15Below flood stage387
49Jan 23, 20127.75−5.25Below flood stage1,450
50Jun 11, 19987.70−5.30Below flood stage1,660

The worst floods along the South Platte River

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

September 23, 2013: 14.54 ft here, moderate flooding

  • RoscoeNE · Sep 21, 2013 · 12.21 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • CrookCO · Sep 17, 2013 · 10.13 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • JulesburgCO · Sep 18, 2013 · 10.74 ft · Minor · its highest

May 20, 2015: 14.09 ft here, moderate flooding

  • RoscoeNE · May 16, 2015 · 11.09 ft · Moderate
  • BalzacCO · May 13, 2015 · 10.39 ft · Minor

Gauges on the South Platte River

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

Flood gauges on the South Platte River
AtwoodCO11.515.52 ft, Sep 15, 20131
DenverCO11.018.66 ft, Jun 17, 19651
Fort MorganCO17.525.73 ft, Sep 15, 20131
HendersonCO11.017.67 ft, May 6, 19732
North Platte this gaugeNE13.014.54 ft, Sep 23, 20130
RoscoeNE9.012.21 ft, Sep 21, 20130
South PlatteCO7.011.20 ft, Jul 12, 19961
WatertonCO5.55.68 ft, Apr 23, 19420
Cheesman ReservoirCO7.013.40 ft, Apr 29, 19701
BalzacCO10.013.71 ft, Sep 15, 20131
CrookCO9.810.13 ft, Sep 17, 20130
JulesburgCO10.010.74 ft, Sep 18, 20130
KerseyCO10.015.09 ft, Sep 14, 20131
Lake GeorgeCO7.08.34 ft, Apr 28, 19700
WeldonaCO10.019.20 ft, Sep 14, 20131

Other gauges in Lincoln County

Flood gauges in Lincoln County
North Platte6.07.73 ft, Jun 21, 20111
Sutherland6.57.11 ft, Jun 21, 20110
Brady7.59.80 ft, Sep 23, 20130
Maxwell9.010.79 ft, Sep 23, 20130

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge NPSN1, 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.