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Rio Grande at Falcon Lake

Highest listed crest 309.31 ftFlood stage 301.2 ft12 crests since 1954

The Rio Grande at Falcon Lake crested above flood stage 6 times among the 12 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1954 to 2010. The highest, 309.31 ft on July 17, 2010, was moderate flooding, 8.11 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Rio Grande crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
309.31 ft
July 17, 2010
Flood stage
301.2 ft
Major flooding from 314.2 ft
Crests at major
0
6 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
September 29, 2010
304.66 ft, minor flooding
Location
Starr County
Near Roma (14.2 mi)
Identifiers
NWS FALT2
No USGS station

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Rio Grande at Falcon Lake
Action stage299.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)301.24Sep 29, 2010Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage306.72Jul 17, 2010Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage314.20—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

12 crests from 1954 to 2010. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Rio Grande at Falcon Lake, 1954 to 2010 240260280300320ft Flood stage 301.2 ftMajor 314.2 ft Jun 16, 1954: 252.11 ft, below flood stage; 377,700 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1954: 279.27 ft, below flood stage; 1,336,300 cubic feet per secondJul 18, 1954: 292.94 ft, below flood stage; 2,179,300 cubic feet per secondOct 19, 1958: 308.10 ft, moderate floodingFeb 10, 1990: 276.93 ft, below flood stageAug 2, 1996: 249.82 ft, below flood stageMay 1, 1998: 249.80 ft, below flood stageDec 10, 2008: 303.73 ft, minor floodingJul 17, 2010: 309.31 ft, moderate floodingAug 20, 2010: 301.20 ft, minor floodingSep 7, 2010: 304.43 ft, minor floodingSep 29, 2010: 304.66 ft, minor flooding Highest, 309.31 ft, Jul 17, 2010 196019701980199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Rio Grande at Falcon Lake 1950s: 1 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 1 2010s: 4 4 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Rio Grande at Falcon Lake
1Jul 17, 2010309.31+8.11Moderate—
2Oct 19, 1958308.10+6.90Moderate—
3Sep 29, 2010304.66+3.46Minor—
4Sep 7, 2010304.43+3.23Minor—
5Dec 10, 2008303.73+2.53Minor—
6Aug 20, 2010301.200.00Minor—
7Jul 18, 1954292.94−8.26Below flood stage2,179,300
8Jun 30, 1954279.27−21.93Below flood stage1,336,300
9Feb 10, 1990276.93−24.27Below flood stage—
10Jun 16, 1954252.11−49.09Below flood stage377,700
11Aug 2, 1996249.82−51.38Below flood stage—
12May 1, 1998249.80−51.40Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Rio Grande

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

July 17, 2010: 309.31 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Rio Grande

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

Flood gauges on the Rio Grande
Columbia BridgeTX18.049.42 ft, Jul 8, 20102
Falcon Lake this gaugeTX301.2309.31 ft, Jul 17, 20100
LaredoTX8.061.35 ft, Jun 30, 19547
Lower BrownsvilleTX27.031.48 ft, Oct 8, 19456
Rio Grande CityTX50.065.78 ft, Sep 27, 19723
San BenitoTX55.061.06 ft, Sep 29, 19671

Other gauges in Starr County

Flood gauges in Starr County
Rio Grande City50.065.78 ft, Sep 27, 19723

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge FALT2, 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.