Missouri River at Sioux City
Observed Thu, Sep 24, 3:00 PM CDT
- Flood stage
- 30.00 ft
- Forecast crest
- 10.80 ftThu, Sep 24, 7:00 PM CDT
- Record crest
- 35.25 ft2011
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 36.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 33.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 30.00 ft |
| Action | 25.00 ft |
- 39.00 ftWater reaches portions of 4th St in South Sioux City near the gauge location under the Hwy 20 bridge.
- 36.00 ftExtensive urban flooding in lower lying portions of Sioux City begins.
- 35.00 ftThe levee protecting various structures in parks and memorials on the Iowa side of the river is overtopped.
- 33.00 ftAdditional recreational areas and some pasture land along the river begin to flood.
- 32.00 ftHamilton Blvd under I-29 is flooded.
- 31.00 ftThe baseball fields at Scenic Park are flooded.
- 30.00 ftSome of the boat docks and marinas along the river begin to flood. The levee at the Scenic Park campground is overtopped and flooding may impact the parking lot at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center if the levee is breached.
- 29.00 ftThe parking lots of baseball fields at Scenic Park begin to flood on the Nebraska side of the river. The lowest portions near the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and Flight 232 Memorial begin to flood.
- 25.00 ftLower Scenic Park campground in South Sioux City may begin to be affected by flooding.
- 4.00 ftThe power and industrial plants around Sioux City may begin to encounter challenges as the water levels fall below what is needed for the cooling intake valves.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | Under 5% |
| Moderate flooding | Under 5% |
| Major flooding | Under 5% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 23, 2026.
Crest history
75 crests on NOAA’s list since 1953.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 21, 2011 | 35.25 ft |
| 2 | June 24, 2024 | 32.23 ft |
| 3 | June 25, 1984 | 30.77 ft |
| 4 | February 19, 1971 | 30.65 ft |
| 5 | April 3, 1960 | 30.52 ft |
| 6 | June 1, 2019 | 30.27 ft |
| 7 | March 17, 2019 | 29.78 ft |
| 8 | June 25, 1953 | 29.19 ft |
| 9 | March 28, 1962 | 28.60 ft |
| 10 | April 10, 1969 | 27.58 ft |
| 11 | July 17, 1996 | 27.55 ft |
| 12 | July 15, 1993 | 27.33 ft |
| 13 | July 2, 1958 | 27.28 ft |
| 14 | August 18, 1956 | 27.10 ft |
| 15 | June 21, 1954 | 26.83 ft |
| 16 | August 26, 1975 | 26.66 ft |
| 17 | May 31, 1959 | 26.50 ft |
| 18 | June 25, 1957 | 26.43 ft |
| 19 | August 6, 1964 | 26.26 ft |
| 20 | July 10, 1955 | 26.19 ft |
| 21 | June 2, 1963 | 26.00 ft |
| 22 | July 27, 1966 | 26.00 ft |
| 23 | October 21, 2019 | 25.92 ft |
| 24 | June 26, 2018 | 25.91 ft |
| 25 | April 8, 1997 | 25.83 ft |
Most recent crests
- February 24, 2025: 14.16 ft
- June 24, 2024: 32.23 ft
- September 21, 2023: 13.76 ft
- August 16, 2022: 12.87 ft
- April 1, 2020: 18.12 ft
- October 21, 2019: 25.92 ft
- June 1, 2019: 30.27 ft
- March 17, 2019: 29.78 ft
- September 22, 2018: 25.69 ft
- June 26, 2018: 25.91 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
What this means
Forecasts by the Missouri Basin River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued routinely year-round. River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 48 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time. River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 24 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time. Gauge reading affected by reservoir operations.
Sources
Stage, flood stages, impacts and crest history from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service. Streamflow and the daily record from the U.S. Geological Survey.