Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Mission River at Refugio

Highest listed crest 38.25 ftFlood stage 23.0 ft51 crests since 1914

The Mission River at Refugio crested at major flood stage 8 times among the 51 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1914 to 2021. The highest, 38.25 ft on September 12, 1971, was major flooding, 15.25 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
38.25 ft
September 12, 1971; 79,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
23.0 ft
Major flooding from 30.0 ft
Crests at major
8
81st of 370 gauges in Texas
Most recent flood crest
October 16, 2021
23.21 ft, minor flooding
Location
Refugio County
Texas

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Mission River at Refugio
Action stage20.012Jul 18, 2018The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)23.013Oct 16, 2021Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage26.08Jun 22, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage30.08Jul 11, 2021Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

51 crests from 1914 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Mission River at Refugio, 1914 to 2021 010203040ft Flood stage 23.0 ftMajor 30.0 ft Aug 1, 1914: 32.30 ft, major floodingMay 17, 1938: 32.30 ft, major floodingJul 7, 1942: 33.30 ft, major floodingApr 26, 1966: 21.36 ft, action stage; 4,060 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1966: 27.61 ft, moderate flooding; 8,400 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 1967: 36.50 ft, major flooding; 116,000 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 1971: 38.25 ft, major flooding; 79,000 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 1981: 25.33 ft, minor flooding; 6,040 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1981: 25.89 ft, minor flooding; 6,530 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1981: 26.53 ft, moderate flooding; 7,290 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 1981: 24.95 ft, minor flooding; 5,750 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1985: 24.16 ft, minor flooding; 5,280 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 1985: 17.47 ft, below flood stage; 2,320 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1987: 22.96 ft, action stage; 4,920 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 1990: 34.85 ft, major flooding; 44,600 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1991: 17.10 ft, below flood stage; 2,610 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1992: 22.38 ft, action stage; 4,610 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1992: 22.90 ft, action stage; 4,890 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1992: 24.80 ft, minor flooding; 6,090 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1992: 23.09 ft, minor flooding; 4,990 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 1992: 29.10 ft, moderate flooding; 13,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 1993: 24.93 ft, minor flooding; 6,180 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1993: 20.24 ft, action stage; 3,690 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1993: 20.45 ft, action stage; 3,770 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1993: 25.86 ft, minor flooding; 6,920 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1997: 25.22 ft, minor flooding; 5,680 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1997: 28.18 ft, moderate flooding; 8,870 cubic feet per secondOct 19, 1998: 30.80 ft, major floodingJul 7, 2002: 10.33 ft, below flood stageJul 18, 2002: 21.67 ft, action stage; 4,263 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 2002: 20.25 ft, action stage; 3,696 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2004: 28.38 ft, moderate floodingMay 15, 2004: 28.52 ft, moderate floodingJul 6, 2007: 29.95 ft, moderate flooding; 13,540 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 2010: 22.39 ft, action stage; 4,168 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 2010: 25.07 ft, minor flooding; 6,285 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2015: 12.97 ft, below flood stage; 1,714 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 2015: 20.10 ft, action stage; 3,638 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 2015: 20.85 ft, action stage; 2,856 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2016: 18.58 ft, below flood stage; 3,096 cubic feet per secondDec 6, 2016: 8.26 ft, below flood stage; 714 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2017: 25.42 ft, minor flooding; 6,547 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 2018: 28.04 ft, moderate flooding; 10,356 cubic feet per secondJul 18, 2018: 21.55 ft, action stage; 4,050 cubic feet per secondDec 10, 2018: 24.51 ft, minor flooding; 4,455 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2020: 5.01 ft, below flood stage; 309 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2021: 19.60 ft, below flood stage; 2,677 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2021: 14.57 ft, below flood stage; 1,522 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 2021: 31.24 ft, major flooding; 19,636 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 2021: 7.84 ft, below flood stage; 532 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 2021: 23.21 ft, minor flooding; 4,132 cubic feet per second Highest, 38.25 ft, Sep 12, 1971 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Mission River at Refugio 1910s: 1 1920s: 0 1930s: 1 1940s: 1 1950s: 0 1960s: 2 1970s: 1 1980s: 5 1990s: 9 9 2000s: 3 2010s: 4 2020s: 2 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 51 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Mission River at Refugio
1Sep 12, 197138.25+15.25Major79,000
2Sep 21, 196736.50+13.50Major116,000
3Jul 1, 199034.85+11.85Major44,600
4Jul 7, 194233.30+10.30Major—
5Aug 1, 191432.30+9.30Major—
6May 17, 193832.30+9.30Major—
7Jul 11, 202131.24+8.24Major19,636
8Oct 19, 199830.80+7.80Major—
9Jul 6, 200729.95+6.95Moderate13,540
10Dec 23, 199229.10+6.10Moderate13,100
11May 15, 200428.52+5.52Moderate—
12Apr 8, 200428.38+5.38Moderate—
13Apr 5, 199728.18+5.18Moderate8,870
14Jun 22, 201828.04+5.04Moderate10,356
15May 7, 196627.61+4.61Moderate8,400
16Jun 18, 198126.53+3.53Moderate7,290
17Jun 14, 198125.89+2.89Minor6,530
18Jun 23, 199325.86+2.86Minor6,920
19Aug 28, 201725.42+2.42Minor6,547
20May 5, 198125.33+2.33Minor6,040
21Mar 20, 199725.22+2.22Minor5,680
22Sep 21, 201025.07+2.07Minor6,285
23Jul 8, 198124.95+1.95Minor5,750
24Feb 11, 199324.93+1.93Minor6,180
25Apr 19, 199224.80+1.80Minor6,090
26Dec 10, 201824.51+1.51Minor4,455
27Apr 12, 198524.16+1.16Minor5,280
28Oct 16, 202123.21+0.21Minor4,132
29Jun 8, 199223.09+0.09Minor4,990
30Jun 6, 198722.96−0.04Action4,920
31Feb 26, 199222.90−0.10Action4,890
32Jan 17, 201022.39−0.61Action4,168
33Jan 28, 199222.38−0.62Action4,610
34Jul 18, 200221.67−1.33Action4,263
35Jul 18, 201821.55−1.45Action4,050
36Apr 26, 196621.36−1.64Action4,060
37Jun 19, 201520.85−2.15Action2,856
38May 25, 199320.45−2.55Action3,770
39Sep 10, 200220.25−2.75Action3,696
40Mar 13, 199320.24−2.76Action3,690
41Mar 20, 201520.10−2.90Action3,638
42May 21, 202119.60−3.40Below flood stage2,677
43Mar 11, 201618.58−4.42Below flood stage3,096
44Oct 1, 198517.47−5.53Below flood stage2,320
45Apr 7, 199117.10−5.90Below flood stage2,610
46Jun 5, 202114.57−8.43Below flood stage1,522
47Mar 11, 201512.97−10.03Below flood stage1,714
48Jul 7, 200210.33−12.67Below flood stage—
49Dec 6, 20168.26−14.74Below flood stage714
50Aug 5, 20217.84−15.16Below flood stage532

Other gauges in Refugio County

Flood gauges in Refugio County
Refugio12.021.00 ft, Sep 12, 19715

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge REFT2, 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.