Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Brazos River at Richmond

Highest listed crest 55.19 ftFlood stage 45.0 ft45 crests since 1940

The Brazos River at Richmond crested at major flood stage 6 times among the 45 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1940 to 2024. The highest, 55.19 ft on September 1, 2017, was major flooding, 10.19 feet above flood stage. 4 other gauges on the Brazos River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 3 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
55.19 ft
September 1, 2017; 122,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
45.0 ft
Major flooding from 50.0 ft
Crests at major
6
111th of 370 gauges in Texas
Most recent flood crest
May 22, 2024
45.78 ft, minor flooding
Location
Fort Bend County
Near Richmond (0.2 mi), Rosenberg (4.4 mi), Sugar Land (7.5 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Brazos River at Richmond
Action stage20.023Mar 17, 2016The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)45.013May 22, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage48.02Apr 21, 2016Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage50.06Sep 1, 2017Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

45 crests from 1940 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Brazos River at Richmond, 1940 to 2024 102030405060ft Flood stage 45.0 ftMajor 50.0 ft Nov 28, 1940: 51.40 ft, major flooding; 117,000 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 1942: 45.42 ft, minor flooding; 79,400 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1944: 47.70 ft, minor flooding; 93,800 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1945: 45.60 ft, minor flooding; 85,000 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 1946: 43.10 ft, action stage; 82,500 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1953: 42.86 ft, action stage; 83,100 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 1957: 50.13 ft, major flooding; 119,000 cubic feet per secondOct 20, 1957: 44.90 ft, action stage; 87,600 cubic feet per secondOct 9, 1959: 38.00 ft, action stage; 60,300 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1961: 42.66 ft, action stage; 78,800 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1965: 47.72 ft, minor flooding; 98,800 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1966: 41.60 ft, action stage; 74,400 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1968: 45.43 ft, minor flooding; 89,600 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1973: 44.62 ft, action stage; 72,500 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1975: 39.51 ft, action stage; 64,000 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1977: 44.05 ft, action stage; 80,500 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1979: 45.29 ft, minor flooding; 88,100 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1981: 39.67 ft, action stage; 64,700 cubic feet per secondNov 2, 1981: 38.08 ft, action stage; 61,300 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1987: 42.18 ft, action stage; 67,800 cubic feet per secondNov 10, 1988: 21.53 ft, action stage; 229 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1989: 34.07 ft, action stage; 43,800 cubic feet per secondOct 21, 1989: 12.29 ft, below flood stage; 602 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1990: 38.75 ft, action stage; 55,800 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1991: 37.53 ft, action stage; 51,400 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1992: 49.68 ft, moderate flooding; 94,000 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1993: 40.15 ft, action stage; 60,100 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1994: 30.15 ft, action stage; 34,000 cubic feet per secondOct 21, 1994: 50.30 ft, major flooding; 88,100 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 1996: 26.85 ft, action stage; 24,700 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1997: 40.93 ft, action stage; 61,200 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 1998: 38.10 ft, action stage; 53,000 cubic feet per secondOct 22, 1998: 47.08 ft, minor flooding; 80,300 cubic feet per secondNov 7, 2002: 45.22 ft, minor flooding; 74,800 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 2004: 43.10 ft, action stage; 68,300 cubic feet per secondNov 29, 2004: 45.84 ft, minor flooding; 76,700 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 2007: 45.04 ft, minor flooding; 72,100 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 2015: 50.01 ft, major flooding; 72,900 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2016: 44.46 ft, action stage; 57,800 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 2016: 49.67 ft, moderate flooding; 78,800 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2016: 54.74 ft, major flooding; 102,000 cubic feet per secondSep 1, 2017: 55.19 ft, major flooding; 122,000 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2019: 46.59 ft, minor flooding; 66,900 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2024: 45.92 ft, minor flooding; 68,800 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2024: 45.78 ft, minor flooding; 68,300 cubic feet per second Highest, 55.19 ft, Sep 1, 2017 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Brazos River at Richmond 1940s: 4 1950s: 1 1960s: 2 1970s: 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 3 2000s: 3 2010s: 5 5 2020s: 2 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Brazos River at Richmond
1Sep 1, 201755.19+10.19Major122,000
2Jun 2, 201654.74+9.74Major102,000
3Nov 28, 194051.40+6.40Major117,000
4Oct 21, 199450.30+5.30Major88,100
5May 5, 195750.13+5.13Major119,000
6Jun 3, 201550.01+5.01Major72,900
7Jan 1, 199249.68+4.68Moderate94,000
8Apr 21, 201649.67+4.67Moderate78,800
9May 25, 196547.72+2.72Minor98,800
10May 8, 194447.70+2.70Minor93,800
11Oct 22, 199847.08+2.08Minor80,300
12Jan 10, 201946.59+1.59Minor66,900
13May 12, 202445.92+0.92Minor68,800
14Nov 29, 200445.84+0.84Minor76,700
15May 22, 202445.78+0.78Minor68,300
16Apr 27, 194545.60+0.60Minor85,000
17May 14, 196845.43+0.43Minor89,600
18May 1, 194245.42+0.42Minor79,400
19Jun 8, 197945.29+0.29Minor88,100
20Nov 7, 200245.22+0.22Minor74,800
21Jul 20, 200745.04+0.04Minor72,100
22Oct 20, 195744.90−0.10Action87,600
23Jun 15, 197344.62−0.38Action72,500
24Mar 17, 201644.46−0.54Action57,800
25Apr 22, 197744.05−0.95Action80,500
26May 20, 194643.10−1.90Action82,500
27Jul 2, 200443.10−1.90Action68,300
28May 19, 195342.86−2.14Action83,100
29Jan 16, 196142.66−2.34Action78,800
30Jun 17, 198742.18−2.82Action67,800
31Apr 30, 196641.60−3.40Action74,400
32Mar 14, 199740.93−4.07Action61,200
33Jun 23, 199340.15−4.85Action60,100
34Jun 14, 198139.67−5.33Action64,700
35May 29, 197539.51−5.49Action64,000
36May 8, 199038.75−6.25Action55,800
37Jan 11, 199838.10−6.90Action53,000
38Nov 2, 198138.08−6.92Action61,300
39Oct 9, 195938.00−7.00Action60,300
40Jan 20, 199137.53−7.47Action51,400
41May 22, 198934.07−10.93Action43,800
42May 17, 199430.15−14.85Action34,000
43Sep 23, 199626.85−18.15Action24,700
44Nov 10, 198821.53−23.47Action229
45Oct 21, 198912.29−32.71Below flood stage602

The worst floods along the Brazos River

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

September 1, 2017: 55.19 ft here, major flooding

  • RosharonTX · Aug 29, 2017 · 52.65 ft · Major · its highest
  • West ColumbiaTX · Sep 3, 2017 · 30.73 ft · Major · its highest
  • San FelipeTX · Aug 29, 2017 · 129.00 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • HempsteadTX · Aug 28, 2017 · 51.24 ft · Minor

June 2, 2016: 54.74 ft here, major flooding

  • RosharonTX · Jun 4, 2016 · 52.56 ft · Major
  • Glen RoseTX · Jun 3, 2016 · 35.17 ft · Major
  • West ColumbiaTX · Jun 8, 2016 · 30.22 ft · Major
  • San FelipeTX · May 28, 2016 · 128.85 ft · Moderate
  • HempsteadTX · May 27, 2016 · 54.89 ft · Moderate
  • DennisTX · Jun 2, 2016 · 26.53 ft · Moderate
  • Palo PintoTX · Jun 1, 2016 · 21.09 ft · Moderate
  • South BendTX · Jun 7, 2016 · 26.34 ft · Minor

November 28, 1940: 51.40 ft here, major flooding

  • HempsteadTX · Nov 30, 1940 · 54.04 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Brazos River

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

Flood gauges on the Brazos River
Lubbock 4ESETX11.014.99 ft, Sep 15, 20230
JusticeburgTX19.025.80 ft, Jan 1, 19140
Aspermont 10STX21.029.50 ft, Sep 26, 19550
SeymourTX12.023.00 ft, Sep 28, 19551
South BendTX21.041.50 ft, Aug 6, 19784
Palo PintoTX16.030.00 ft, Jun 16, 19306
DennisTX21.031.88 ft, Oct 14, 19816
Glen RoseTX29.035.76 ft, Apr 28, 19904
AquillaTX29.045.00 ft, May 9, 19221
WacoTX19.040.90 ft, Sep 27, 193615
HighbankTX35.042.00 ft, Dec 1, 19132
HempsteadTX50.066.10 ft, Dec 8, 19132
San FelipeTX122.5129.00 ft, Aug 29, 20170
Richmond this gaugeTX45.055.19 ft, Sep 1, 20176
US 59TX66.567.69 ft, May 12, 20240
RosharonTX43.052.65 ft, Aug 29, 20177
West ColumbiaTX26.030.73 ft, Sep 3, 20173

Other gauges in Fort Bend County

Flood gauges in Fort Bend County
Needville19.024.37 ft, Nov 11, 19854
US 5966.567.69 ft, May 12, 20240

Fort Bend County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Texas

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge RMOT2, 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.