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Lavaca River at Hallettsville

Highest listed crest 41.10 ftFlood stage 27.0 ft33 crests since 1940

The Lavaca River at Hallettsville crested at major flood stage 7 times among the 33 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1940 to 2017. The highest, 41.10 ft on August 31, 1981, was major flooding, 14.10 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Lavaca River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
41.10 ft
August 31, 1981; 99,500 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
27.0 ft
Major flooding from 29.0 ft
Crests at major
7
90th of 370 gauges in Texas
Most recent flood crest
October 18, 1998
28.53 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Lavaca County
Texas

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Lavaca River at Hallettsville
Action stage20.016Aug 28, 2017The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)27.02Jun 4, 1987Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage28.08Oct 18, 1998Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage29.07May 13, 1982Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

33 crests from 1940 to 2017. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Lavaca River at Hallettsville, 1940 to 2017 202530354045ft Flood stage 27.0 ftMajor 29.0 ft Jun 30, 1940: 40.60 ft, major flooding; 93,100 cubic feet per secondNov 24, 1940: 29.36 ft, major flooding; 17,000 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1942: 28.43 ft, moderate flooding; 14,500 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1944: 26.61 ft, action stage; 11,000 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1952: 26.94 ft, action stage; 11,400 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1955: 27.18 ft, minor flooding; 10,800 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1957: 26.15 ft, action stage; 9,460 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 1957: 30.55 ft, major flooding; 20,600 cubic feet per secondOct 18, 1960: 28.40 ft, moderate flooding; 29,500 cubic feet per secondNov 4, 1965: 28.83 ft, moderate flooding; 30,200 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 1967: 26.44 ft, action stage; 14,700 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1968: 24.44 ft, action stage; 6,590 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 1969: 28.14 ft, moderate flooding; 25,700 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 1971: 24.69 ft, action stage; 10,400 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1972: 28.78 ft, moderate flooding; 18,900 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1973: 30.52 ft, major flooding; 23,200 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 1974: 30.16 ft, major flooding; 20,500 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1975: 24.27 ft, action stage; 7,780 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1977: 26.98 ft, action stage; 13,200 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1978: 24.60 ft, action stage; 9,030 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1979: 28.50 ft, moderate flooding; 16,500 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1980: 23.00 ft, action stage; 6,880 cubic feet per secondAug 31, 1981: 41.10 ft, major flooding; 99,500 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1982: 32.16 ft, major flooding; 28,400 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1983: 22.67 ft, action stage; 5,950 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1987: 27.11 ft, minor flooding; 35,900 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1992: 23.85 ft, action stage; 21,200 cubic feet per secondOct 18, 1994: 22.64 ft, action stage; 11,200 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1997: 28.25 ft, moderate flooding; 21,600 cubic feet per secondOct 18, 1998: 28.53 ft, moderate flooding; 22,300 cubic feet per secondNov 5, 2002: 20.83 ft, action stageJun 10, 2004: 20.66 ft, action stageAug 28, 2017: 25.30 ft, action stage; 14,400 cubic feet per second Highest, 41.10 ft, Aug 31, 1981 19401950196019701980199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Lavaca River at Hallettsville 1940s: 3 1950s: 2 1960s: 3 1970s: 4 4 1980s: 3 1990s: 2 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 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, Lavaca River at Hallettsville
1Aug 31, 198141.10+14.10Major99,500
2Jun 30, 194040.60+13.60Major93,100
3May 13, 198232.16+5.16Major28,400
4Oct 15, 195730.55+3.55Major20,600
5Jun 13, 197330.52+3.52Major23,200
6Sep 13, 197430.16+3.16Major20,500
7Nov 24, 194029.36+2.36Major17,000
8Nov 4, 196528.83+1.83Moderate30,200
9May 12, 197228.78+1.78Moderate18,900
10Oct 18, 199828.53+1.53Moderate22,300
11May 12, 197928.50+1.50Moderate16,500
12Apr 8, 194228.43+1.43Moderate14,500
13Oct 18, 196028.40+1.40Moderate29,500
14Apr 11, 199728.25+1.25Moderate21,600
15May 1, 196928.14+1.14Moderate25,700
16May 18, 195527.18+0.18Minor10,800
17Jun 4, 198727.11+0.11Minor35,900
18Apr 20, 197726.98−0.02Action13,200
19May 27, 195226.94−0.06Action11,400
20Mar 15, 194426.61−0.39Action11,000
21Sep 21, 196726.44−0.56Action14,700
22Apr 29, 195726.15−0.85Action9,460
23Aug 28, 201725.30−1.70Action14,400
24Sep 10, 197124.69−2.31Action10,400
25Jun 7, 197824.60−2.40Action9,030
26Jun 24, 196824.44−2.56Action6,590
27May 24, 197524.27−2.73Action7,780
28Jun 2, 199223.85−3.15Action21,200
29May 21, 198023.00−4.00Action6,880
30May 21, 198322.67−4.33Action5,950
31Oct 18, 199422.64−4.36Action11,200
32Nov 5, 200220.83−6.17Action—
33Jun 10, 200420.66−6.34Action—

The worst floods along the Lavaca River

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

August 31, 1981: 41.10 ft here, major flooding

  • EdnaTX · Sep 2, 1981 · 28.57 ft · Major

June 30, 1940: 40.60 ft here, major flooding

  • EdnaTX · Jul 1, 1940 · 32.51 ft · Major

October 15, 1957: 30.55 ft here, major flooding

  • EdnaTX · Oct 17, 1957 · 26.66 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Lavaca River

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

Flood gauges on the Lavaca River
Hallettsville this gaugeTX27.041.10 ft, Aug 31, 19817
KomenskyTX25.025.94 ft, May 26, 20150
EdnaTX21.035.49 ft, Oct 19, 199412

Other gauges in Lavaca County

Flood gauges in Lavaca County
Komensky25.025.94 ft, May 26, 20150
Sublime24.040.00 ft, Jun 1, 194037
Speaks24.032.79 ft, Aug 29, 20172

Lavaca County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Texas

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge HTST2, 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.