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Nueces River at Mathis

Highest listed crest 48.70 ftFlood stage 25.0 ft49 crests since 1919

The Nueces River at Mathis crested at major flood stage 21 times among the 49 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1919 to 2021. The highest, 48.70 ft on September 24, 1967, was major flooding, 23.70 feet above flood stage. 4 other gauges on the Nueces River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 3 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
48.70 ft
September 24, 1967; 138,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
25.0 ft
Major flooding from 28.0 ft
Crests at major
21
11th of 370 gauges in Texas
Most recent flood crest
November 1, 2018
28.09 ft, major flooding
Location
Jim Wells County
Texas

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Nueces River at Mathis
Action stage16.04Oct 12, 2017The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)25.04Jun 9, 2015Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage26.07Jun 18, 2015Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage28.021Nov 1, 2018Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

49 crests from 1919 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Nueces River at Mathis, 1919 to 2021 01020304050ft Flood stage 25.0 ftMajor 28.0 ft Sep 20, 1919: 41.00 ft, major flooding; 59,000 cubic feet per secondNov 23, 1930: 35.10 ft, major flooding; 37,000 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 1932: 35.30 ft, major flooding; 38,000 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1935: 37.00 ft, major flooding; 44,000 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 1941: 33.04 ft, major flooding; 29,600 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 1942: 38.38 ft, major flooding; 49,400 cubic feet per secondSep 4, 1946: 30.05 ft, major flooding; 20,800 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1949: 30.67 ft, major flooding; 23,000 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1958: 33.06 ft, major flooding; 31,400 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 1967: 48.70 ft, major flooding; 138,000 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1968: 33.80 ft, major flooding; 33,500 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 1981: 30.20 ft, major flooding; 18,600 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1982: 24.85 ft, action stage; 8,010 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1983: 3.56 ft, below flood stage; 433 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1985: 21.47 ft, action stage; 5,300 cubic feet per secondNov 2, 1985: 22.15 ft, action stage; 5,630 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1987: 29.34 ft, major flooding; 12,300 cubic feet per secondJul 22, 1990: 26.85 ft, moderate flooding; 8,770 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1991: 7.74 ft, below flood stage; 1,070 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 1992: 26.53 ft, moderate flooding; 8,130 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 1993: 25.47 ft, minor flooding; 7,230 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1994: 9.56 ft, below flood stage; 1,440 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1995: 5.16 ft, below flood stage; 616 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 1996: 4.40 ft, below flood stage; 473 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1997: 25.85 ft, minor flooding; 7,400 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 2002: 29.55 ft, major flooding; 13,969 cubic feet per secondJul 17, 2002: 38.12 ft, major flooding; 50,696 cubic feet per secondSep 16, 2002: 39.03 ft, major flooding; 56,120 cubic feet per secondOct 23, 2003: 29.33 ft, major floodingApr 29, 2004: 25.05 ft, minor floodingMay 14, 2004: 27.98 ft, moderate floodingJul 12, 2004: 26.28 ft, moderate flooding; 7,887 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 2007: 27.17 ft, moderate flooding; 9,014 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 2007: 32.14 ft, major flooding; 21,990 cubic feet per secondJul 31, 2007: 29.75 ft, major flooding; 14,485 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 2015: 3.45 ft, below flood stage; 410 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2015: 3.25 ft, below flood stage; 382 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2015: 29.44 ft, major flooding; 11,300 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2015: 27.13 ft, moderate flooding; 7,928 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2015: 25.15 ft, minor flooding; 6,206 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2015: 26.21 ft, moderate flooding; 6,935 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 2016: 5.59 ft, below flood stage; 736 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 2017: 6.32 ft, below flood stage; 857 cubic feet per secondOct 12, 2017: 19.45 ft, action stage; 4,000 cubic feet per secondNov 1, 2018: 28.09 ft, major flooding; 9,357 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 2020: 4.56 ft, below flood stage; 593 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 2021: 7.49 ft, below flood stage; 1,063 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 2021: 12.47 ft, below flood stage; 2,209 cubic feet per secondOct 2, 2021: 5.88 ft, below flood stage; 789 cubic feet per second Highest, 48.70 ft, Sep 24, 1967 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Nueces River at Mathis 1910s: 1 1920s: 0 1930s: 3 1940s: 4 1950s: 1 1960s: 2 1970s: 0 1980s: 2 1990s: 4 2000s: 10 10 2010s: 5 2020s: 0 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

Highest listed crests, Nueces River at Mathis
1Sep 24, 196748.70+23.70Major138,000
2Sep 20, 191941.00+16.00Major59,000
3Sep 16, 200239.03+14.03Major56,120
4Jul 12, 194238.38+13.38Major49,400
5Jul 17, 200238.12+13.12Major50,696
6Jun 18, 193537.00+12.00Major44,000
7Jul 12, 193235.30+10.30Major38,000
8Nov 23, 193035.10+10.10Major37,000
9Jan 24, 196833.80+8.80Major33,500
10Mar 1, 195833.06+8.06Major31,400
11May 3, 194133.04+8.04Major29,600
12Jul 13, 200732.14+7.14Major21,990
13Apr 30, 194930.67+5.67Major23,000
14Jun 27, 198130.20+5.20Major18,600
15Sep 4, 194630.05+5.05Major20,800
16Jul 31, 200729.75+4.75Major14,485
17Jul 10, 200229.55+4.55Major13,969
18May 21, 201529.44+4.44Major11,300
19Jun 23, 198729.34+4.34Major12,300
20Oct 23, 200329.33+4.33Major—
21Nov 1, 201828.09+3.09Major9,357
22May 14, 200427.98+2.98Moderate—
23Jul 2, 200727.17+2.17Moderate9,014
24Jun 2, 201527.13+2.13Moderate7,928
25Jul 22, 199026.85+1.85Moderate8,770
26Feb 7, 199226.53+1.53Moderate8,130
27Jul 12, 200426.28+1.28Moderate7,887
28Jun 18, 201526.21+1.21Moderate6,935
29Jun 24, 199725.85+0.85Minor7,400
30Jul 1, 199325.47+0.47Minor7,230
31Jun 9, 201525.15+0.15Minor6,206
32Apr 29, 200425.05+0.05Minor—
33May 27, 198224.85−0.15Action8,010
34Nov 2, 198522.15−2.85Action5,630
35Apr 10, 198521.47−3.53Action5,300
36Oct 12, 201719.45−5.55Action4,000
37Jul 9, 202112.47−12.53Below flood stage2,209
38Apr 30, 19949.56−15.44Below flood stage1,440
39May 17, 19917.74−17.26Below flood stage1,070
40Jun 4, 20217.49−17.51Below flood stage1,063
41Jan 22, 20176.32−18.68Below flood stage857
42Oct 2, 20215.88−19.12Below flood stage789
43Sep 30, 20165.59−19.41Below flood stage736
44Jun 24, 19955.16−19.84Below flood stage616
45Sep 10, 20204.56−20.44Below flood stage593
46Oct 1, 19964.40−20.60Below flood stage473
47Jun 6, 19833.56−21.44Below flood stage433
48Mar 18, 20153.45−21.55Below flood stage410
49Mar 22, 20153.25−21.75Below flood stage382

The worst floods along the Nueces River

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

September 24, 1967: 48.70 ft here, major flooding

  • Three RiversTX · Sep 23, 1967 · 49.21 ft · Major · its highest
  • TildenTX · Sep 24, 1967 · 26.57 ft · Major · its highest
  • CalallenTX · Sep 24, 1967 · 16.00 ft · Major · its highest
  • CotullaTX · Sep 25, 1967 · 16.61 ft · Moderate

September 16, 2002: 39.03 ft here, major flooding

  • Three RiversTX · Sep 12, 2002 · 44.44 ft · Major
  • BluntzerTX · Sep 16, 2002 · 32.22 ft · Major · its highest
  • TildenTX · Sep 18, 2002 · 23.14 ft · Major
  • CalallenTX · Sep 15, 2002 · 12.97 ft · Major

July 12, 1942: 38.38 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Nueces River

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

Flood gauges on the Nueces River
LagunaTX10.029.95 ft, Sep 24, 19558
UvaldeTX11.028.01 ft, Jul 17, 20267
AshertonTX20.033.00 ft, Jun 30, 191314
CotullaTX15.032.40 ft, Jun 18, 193516
TildenTX14.026.57 ft, Sep 24, 196721
Three RiversTX25.049.21 ft, Sep 23, 196720
Mathis this gaugeTX25.048.70 ft, Sep 24, 196721
BluntzerTX18.032.22 ft, Sep 16, 200215
CalallenTX7.016.00 ft, Sep 24, 196711

Other gauges in Jim Wells County

Flood gauges in Jim Wells County
Falfurrias11.015.00 ft, Sep 13, 19512
Alice11.017.70 ft, Oct 17, 19712
Alice12.016.51 ft, Sep 12, 19714

Jim Wells County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Texas

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MTBT2, 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.