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Little River near Idabel

Highest listed crest 39.70 ftFlood stage 30.0 ft49 crests since 1938

The Little River near Idabel crested at major flood stage 18 times among the 49 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1938 to 2021. The highest, 39.70 ft on February 18, 1938, was major flooding, 9.70 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Little River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
39.70 ft
February 18, 1938; 86,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
30.0 ft
Major flooding from 34.0 ft
Crests at major
18
11th of 92 gauges in Oklahoma
Most recent flood crest
June 9, 2021
35.27 ft, major flooding
Location
McCurtain County
Oklahoma

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Little River near Idabel
Action stage29.02Jan 15, 1995The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)30.010Mar 2, 2018Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage32.017Feb 23, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage34.018Jun 9, 2021Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

49 crests from 1938 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Little River near Idabel, 1938 to 2021 25303540ft Flood stage 30.0 ftMajor 34.0 ft Feb 18, 1938: 39.70 ft, major flooding; 86,000 cubic feet per secondNov 8, 1946: 31.10 ft, minor floodingDec 13, 1946: 36.35 ft, major floodingApr 30, 1947: 32.80 ft, moderate floodingMay 15, 1947: 32.60 ft, moderate floodingJan 3, 1948: 32.80 ft, moderate floodingJan 26, 1949: 39.22 ft, major floodingMay 3, 1949: 35.00 ft, major floodingJan 15, 1950: 34.01 ft, major floodingFeb 3, 1950: 32.12 ft, moderate floodingFeb 13, 1950: 37.00 ft, major floodingSep 17, 1950: 37.30 ft, major floodingJun 14, 1951: 33.51 ft, moderate floodingJul 3, 1951: 34.08 ft, major floodingApr 23, 1952: 35.04 ft, major floodingMay 14, 1952: 32.46 ft, moderate floodingApr 30, 1953: 34.00 ft, major floodingMay 14, 1953: 32.88 ft, moderate floodingJul 22, 1953: 34.07 ft, major floodingApr 26, 1957: 33.34 ft, moderate floodingMay 27, 1957: 32.97 ft, moderate floodingMay 4, 1958: 35.01 ft, major floodingMay 21, 1960: 36.65 ft, major floodingMay 7, 1961: 36.30 ft, major floodingFeb 11, 1965: 32.70 ft, moderate floodingMay 17, 1968: 32.95 ft, moderate floodingJan 31, 1969: 32.64 ft, moderate floodingDec 10, 1971: 39.39 ft, major flooding; 103,000 cubic feet per secondNov 1, 1972: 32.46 ft, moderate floodingDec 5, 1982: 30.50 ft, minor floodingDec 28, 1987: 29.30 ft, action stageApr 15, 1991: 31.60 ft, minor flooding; 13,500 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 1992: 30.68 ft, minor flooding; 16,300 cubic feet per secondDec 4, 1993: 30.85 ft, minor flooding; 17,900 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 1995: 29.48 ft, action stage; 17,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1997: 31.94 ft, minor flooding; 24,600 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 1998: 26.61 ft, below flood stage; 12,600 cubic feet per secondOct 8, 1998: 28.11 ft, below flood stage; 14,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 2001: 31.87 ft, minor flooding; 20,800 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2001: 34.36 ft, major flooding; 31,800 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2002: 32.10 ft, moderate floodingMay 11, 2015: 31.82 ft, minor flooding; 18,600 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2015: 32.36 ft, moderate flooding; 20,000 cubic feet per secondNov 29, 2015: 33.43 ft, moderate flooding; 42,600 cubic feet per secondDec 15, 2015: 31.97 ft, minor flooding; 20,000 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2015: 36.25 ft, major flooding; 96,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 2018: 32.55 ft, moderate flooding; 30,700 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 2018: 30.42 ft, minor flooding; 15,500 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2021: 35.27 ft, major flooding; 45,500 cubic feet per second Highest, 39.70 ft, Feb 18, 1938 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Little River near Idabel 1930s: 1 1940s: 7 1950s: 14 14 1960s: 5 1970s: 2 1980s: 1 1990s: 4 2000s: 3 2010s: 7 2020s: 1 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Little River near Idabel
1Feb 18, 193839.70+9.70Major86,000
2Dec 10, 197139.39+9.39Major103,000
3Jan 26, 194939.22+9.22Major—
4Sep 17, 195037.30+7.30Major—
5Feb 13, 195037.00+7.00Major—
6May 21, 196036.65+6.65Major—
7Dec 13, 194636.35+6.35Major—
8May 7, 196136.30+6.30Major—
9Dec 28, 201536.25+6.25Major96,000
10Jun 9, 202135.27+5.27Major45,500
11Apr 23, 195235.04+5.04Major—
12May 4, 195835.01+5.01Major—
13May 3, 194935.00+5.00Major—
14Dec 18, 200134.36+4.36Major31,800
15Jul 3, 195134.08+4.08Major—
16Jul 22, 195334.07+4.07Major—
17Jan 15, 195034.01+4.01Major—
18Apr 30, 195334.00+4.00Major—
19Jun 14, 195133.51+3.51Moderate—
20Nov 29, 201533.43+3.43Moderate42,600
21Apr 26, 195733.34+3.34Moderate—
22May 27, 195732.97+2.97Moderate—
23May 17, 196832.95+2.95Moderate—
24May 14, 195332.88+2.88Moderate—
25Apr 30, 194732.80+2.80Moderate—
26Jan 3, 194832.80+2.80Moderate—
27Feb 11, 196532.70+2.70Moderate—
28Jan 31, 196932.64+2.64Moderate—
29May 15, 194732.60+2.60Moderate—
30Feb 23, 201832.55+2.55Moderate30,700
31May 14, 195232.46+2.46Moderate—
32Nov 1, 197232.46+2.46Moderate—
33May 26, 201532.36+2.36Moderate20,000
34Feb 3, 195032.12+2.12Moderate—
35Mar 21, 200232.10+2.10Moderate—
36Dec 15, 201531.97+1.97Minor20,000
37Feb 22, 199731.94+1.94Minor24,600
38Feb 17, 200131.87+1.87Minor20,800
39May 11, 201531.82+1.82Minor18,600
40Apr 15, 199131.60+1.60Minor13,500
41Nov 8, 194631.10+1.10Minor—
42Dec 4, 199330.85+0.85Minor17,900
43Dec 17, 199230.68+0.68Minor16,300
44Dec 5, 198230.50+0.50Minor—
45Mar 2, 201830.42+0.42Minor15,500
46Jan 15, 199529.48−0.52Action17,000
47Dec 28, 198729.30−0.70Action—
48Oct 8, 199828.11−1.89Below flood stage14,600
49Jan 7, 199826.61−3.39Below flood stage12,600

The worst floods along the Little River

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

February 18, 1938: 39.70 ft here, major flooding

  • HoratioAR · Feb 19, 1938 · 36.48 ft · Major

December 10, 1971: 39.39 ft here, major flooding

  • HoratioAR · Dec 10, 1971 · 32.85 ft · Major

January 26, 1949: 39.22 ft here, major flooding

  • HoratioAR · Jan 27, 1949 · 35.58 ft · Major

Gauges on the Little River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Little River
Idabel this gaugeOK30.039.70 ft, Feb 18, 193818
HoratioAR27.038.00 ft, Aug 21, 191552

Other gauges in McCurtain County

Flood gauges in McCurtain County
Glover16.029.72 ft, Dec 10, 197111
Eagletown11.026.73 ft, May 20, 196027

McCurtain County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Oklahoma

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge IDBO2, 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.