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Union Creek at Madison

Highest listed crest 25.72 ftFlood stage 20.0 ft45 crests since 1979

The Union Creek at Madison crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 45 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1979 to 2024. The highest, 25.72 ft on June 16, 1990, was major flooding, 5.72 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
25.72 ft
June 16, 1990; 15,100 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
20.0 ft
Major flooding from 25.0 ft
Crests at major
2
23rd of 187 gauges in Nebraska
Most recent flood crest
March 13, 2019
24.41 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Madison County
Near Norfolk (13.7 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Union Creek at Madison
Action stage18.04May 30, 2008The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)20.08Jun 26, 2018Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage23.05Mar 13, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage25.02Jul 9, 1993Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

45 crests from 1979 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Union Creek at Madison, 1979 to 2024 1015202530ft Flood stage 20.0 ftMajor 25.0 ft Mar 18, 1979: 12.62 ft, below flood stage; 589 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1980: 14.64 ft, below flood stage; 1,100 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1981: 17.26 ft, below flood stage; 1,800 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1982: 21.15 ft, minor flooding; 5,540 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 1983: 19.22 ft, action stage; 2,680 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1984: 22.90 ft, minor flooding; 7,630 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1985: 16.44 ft, below flood stage; 1,500 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1986: 19.72 ft, action stage; 2,470 cubic feet per secondSep 15, 1987: 20.82 ft, minor flooding; 3,440 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1988: 11.51 ft, below flood stage; 365 cubic feet per secondSep 4, 1989: 16.11 ft, below flood stage; 1,240 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1990: 25.72 ft, major flooding; 15,100 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1991: 21.29 ft, minor flooding; 5,000 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1992: 15.19 ft, below flood stage; 1,010 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 1993: 25.27 ft, major flooding; 13,700 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 1994: 19.94 ft, action stage; 2,290 cubic feet per secondAug 23, 1995: 23.07 ft, moderate flooding; 4,490 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 1996: 16.64 ft, below flood stage; 1,380 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1997: 14.69 ft, below flood stage; 913 cubic feet per secondAug 21, 1998: 20.81 ft, minor flooding; 3,580 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1999: 23.20 ft, moderate flooding; 8,290 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 2000: 23.23 ft, moderate flooding; 6,550 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2001: 17.77 ft, below flood stage; 2,800 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2003: 17.43 ft, below flood stage; 2,280 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2004: 21.52 ft, minor flooding; 4,520 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2005: 14.07 ft, below flood stage; 771 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 2006: 13.43 ft, below flood stage; 650 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2007: 23.26 ft, moderate flooding; 6,630 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2008: 19.87 ft, action stage; 2,170 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2009: 14.66 ft, below flood stage; 893 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2010: 22.91 ft, minor floodingMay 26, 2011: 14.15 ft, below flood stageMay 28, 2012: 15.41 ft, below flood stageAug 6, 2013: 15.99 ft, below flood stage; 1,010 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2014: 14.93 ft, below flood stageJun 12, 2015: 14.10 ft, below flood stage; 519 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 2016: 14.49 ft, below flood stage; 652 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2017: 15.63 ft, below flood stage; 823 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2018: 20.30 ft, minor flooding; 2,920 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2019: 24.41 ft, moderate flooding; 11,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 2020: 13.57 ft, below flood stageJun 26, 2021: 14.58 ft, below flood stage; 696 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2022: 17.93 ft, below flood stage; 1,730 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 2023: 11.93 ft, below flood stageJun 3, 2024: 16.52 ft, below flood stage Highest, 25.72 ft, Jun 16, 1990 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Union Creek at Madison 1970s: 0 1980s: 3 1990s: 6 6 2000s: 3 2010s: 3 2020s: 0 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Union Creek at Madison
1Jun 16, 199025.72+5.72Major15,100
2Jul 9, 199325.27+5.27Major13,700
3Mar 13, 201924.41+4.41Moderate11,800
4May 30, 200723.26+3.26Moderate6,630
5Jul 6, 200023.23+3.23Moderate6,550
6Jun 4, 199923.20+3.20Moderate8,290
7Aug 23, 199523.07+3.07Moderate4,490
8Jun 10, 201022.91+2.91Minor—
9Jun 17, 198422.90+2.90Minor7,630
10May 22, 200421.52+1.52Minor4,520
11Jun 4, 199121.29+1.29Minor5,000
12May 19, 198221.15+1.15Minor5,540
13Sep 15, 198720.82+0.82Minor3,440
14Aug 21, 199820.81+0.81Minor3,580
15Jun 26, 201820.30+0.30Minor2,920
16Jul 6, 199419.94−0.06Action2,290
17May 30, 200819.87−0.13Action2,170
18Jun 30, 198619.72−0.28Action2,470
19Jun 29, 198319.22−0.78Action2,680
20Apr 29, 202217.93−2.07Below flood stage1,730
21Mar 15, 200117.77−2.23Below flood stage2,800
22Apr 30, 200317.43−2.57Below flood stage2,280
23Jun 30, 198117.26−2.74Below flood stage1,800
24Aug 5, 199616.64−3.36Below flood stage1,380
25Jun 3, 202416.52−3.48Below flood stage—
26Apr 26, 198516.44−3.56Below flood stage1,500
27Sep 4, 198916.11−3.89Below flood stage1,240
28Aug 6, 201315.99−4.01Below flood stage1,010
29May 17, 201715.63−4.37Below flood stage823
30May 28, 201215.41−4.59Below flood stage—
31May 17, 199215.19−4.81Below flood stage1,010
32Jun 7, 201414.93−5.07Below flood stage—
33Feb 18, 199714.69−5.31Below flood stage913
34Jun 16, 200914.66−5.34Below flood stage893
35Jun 12, 198014.64−5.36Below flood stage1,100
36Jun 26, 202114.58−5.42Below flood stage696
37Jun 19, 201614.49−5.51Below flood stage652
38May 26, 201114.15−5.85Below flood stage—
39Jun 12, 201514.10−5.90Below flood stage519
40Feb 14, 200514.07−5.93Below flood stage771
41Feb 2, 202013.57−6.43Below flood stage—
42Sep 11, 200613.43−6.57Below flood stage650
43Mar 18, 197912.62−7.38Below flood stage589
44Feb 27, 202311.93−8.07Below flood stage—
45Feb 18, 198811.51−8.49Below flood stage365

Other gauges in Madison County

Flood gauges in Madison County
Norfolk12.017.22 ft, Jun 15, 20101
Tilden15.016.14 ft, Jun 14, 20100
Norfolk1,506.01,513.95 ft, Mar 14, 20190

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MSON1, 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.