Rivers in Indiana
Wabash River at Montezuma
Below flood stage
8.94ftStage
Observed Mon, Sep 21, 11:45 PM EDT
- Flood stage
- 14.00 ft
- Forecast crest
- 10.90 ftWed, Sep 23, 2:00 PM EDT
- Record crest
- 34.00 ft1913
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 31.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 24.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 14.00 ft |
| Action | 10.00 ft |
- 34.00 ftA record flood is in progress. Many evacuations in southern Montezuma are necessary. High water in southern Montezuma is 4 to 6 feet deep. Flood waters are at the edge of Hillsdale.
- 31.00 ftMajor flooding is in progress. Extensive flooding in southern portion of Montezuma. The town of Mecca is cut into two parts by backwater from the Wabash River up Raccoon Creek.
- 30.50 ftA dangerous flood is in progress. Water backs in old Wabash-Erie canal and begins to flood southeast part of Montezuma. Residents on Water Street must evacuate. Streets near park begin to flood.
- 29.00 ftExtensive flooding is in progress. Sandbagging begins in the town of Montezuma.
- 28.00 ftFlooding affects residential and commercial property in lowest areas along Water Street and in southern Montezuma. County Road 725 south of Hillsdale begins to flood.
- 27.00 ftExtensive agricultural flooding is in progress. State Road 234 near Lodi may have as much as one foot of water on it. Several county roads extensively flooded in Vermillion...Fountain and Parke Counties.
- 26.00 ftExtensive lowland flooding in progress. Flood waters at the edge of SR 234 near Lodi just west of the bridge over the Wabash River. Several county roads in Fountain, Parke and Vermillion counties are flooded, some by more than 2 feet of water.
- 25.50 ftExtensive lowland flooding in progress. The eastern most part of Vermillion CR 600 S impassable just north of U.S. 36. The lowest portions of Wabash Road west of Parke CR 600 W begin to flood. Montezuma Public Access Site and low portions of Montezuma Park under water.
- 24.00 ftFloodwater is near the top of all agricultural levees. Some county roads are impassable. High water isolates a few rural residents. Basement flooding begins along Water Street in Montezuma. Medusa Aggregates Company Plant Number 9 begins to flood.
- 20.00 ftPark in southern Montezuma begins to flood. Higher bottomlands begin to flood. Water backs up most local tributaries. River water is at the top of some private levees. Lowest county roads begin to flood. Parke CR 75 W begins to flood.
- 18.00 ftMontezuma agricultural levee is overtopped. Fourteen hundred acres of low bottomlands flood.
- 14.00 ftSeveral hundred acres of bottomlands along the right bank from the mouth of Sugar Creek to northern edge of Montezuma begin to flood.
- 10.00 ftWater level prevents bottomlands protected by levees from draining.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 71% |
| Moderate flooding | Under 5% |
| Major flooding | Under 5% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 15, 2026.
Crest history
324 crests on NOAA’s list since 1913.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 27, 1913 | 34.00 ft |
| 2 | May 20, 1943 | 32.83 ft |
| 3 | June 15, 1958 | 32.06 ft |
| 4 | January 15, 2005 | 31.97 ft |
| 5 | April 21, 2013 | 31.90 ft |
| 6 | February 26, 1985 | 30.89 ft |
| 7 | July 12, 2003 | 30.43 ft |
| 8 | December 31, 2015 | 30.10 ft |
| 9 | February 9, 2008 | 29.99 ft |
| 10 | January 1, 1991 | 29.98 ft |
| 11 | April 15, 1994 | 29.81 ft |
| 12 | February 24, 2018 | 29.72 ft |
| 13 | January 7, 1950 | 29.57 ft |
| 14 | February 14, 1959 | 29.31 ft |
| 15 | April 29, 2011 | 29.25 ft |
| 16 | January 16, 1950 | 29.10 ft |
| 17 | February 1, 1969 | 28.99 ft |
| 18 | February 4, 1968 | 28.30 ft |
| 19 | May 14, 1933 | 28.19 ft |
| 20 | June 16, 1998 | 27.80 ft |
| 21 | February 29, 1936 | 27.60 ft |
| 22 | March 15, 1939 | 27.52 ft |
| 23 | January 24, 1974 | 27.52 ft |
| 24 | January 8, 1993 | 27.41 ft |
| 25 | May 5, 1983 | 27.37 ft |
Most recent crests
- August 18, 2026: 26.44 ft
- June 20, 2026: 19.04 ft
- May 7, 2026: 14.55 ft
- April 30, 2026: 17.52 ft
- April 6, 2026: 20.99 ft
- June 9, 2025: 15.57 ft
- April 7, 2025: 23.32 ft
- January 2, 2025: 14.66 ft
- July 13, 2024: 16.12 ft
- May 1, 2024: 16.13 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
What this means
Forecasts by the Ohio River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued as needed during times of high water, but are not routinely available. Gauge reading may be affected by ice. Forecast flows are unadjusted for ice.
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.