Cedar River at Waterloo
Observed Mon, Sep 21, 4:00 AM CDT
- Flood stage
- 13.00 ft
- Forecast crest
- 9.90 ftWed, Sep 23, 7:00 AM CDT
- Record crest
- 27.01 ft2008
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 21.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 19.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 13.00 ft |
| Action | 8.50 ft |
- 30.00 ftThis is the height of the Waterloo levee design protection.
- 26.00 ftSandbagging is necessary at Fairview Cemetery.
- 25.00 ftThe 18th St bridge is closed. Levee gates are also closed throughout the downtown area of Waterloo.
- 24.00 ftThe following bridges are closed...Westfield Ave...E 6th St and W 6th St railroad...11th St as well as Park Ave.
- 18.00 ftThe access road to wastewater treatment plant is closed.
- 17.00 ftMany storm sewers are closed along the Cedar River.
- 16.00 ftThe Riverview Recreation Area is closed.
- 13.00 ftMany storm sewers are closed along Black Hawk Creek and the Cedar River. The Fletcher Ave levee gates are closed.
- 10.00 ftStorm sewers are closed behind the Cattle Congress.
Flood outlook
Significant river flooding is possible here through September 26.
Weather conditions indicate that significant flooding could occur; it is neither certain nor imminent.
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 10% |
| Moderate flooding | Under 5% |
| Major flooding | Under 5% |
The five-day outlook is from the Weather Prediction Center with the River Forecast Centers. The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued August 28, 2026.
Crest history
90 crests on NOAA’s list since 1929.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | June 11, 2008 | 27.01 ft |
| 2 | September 24, 2016 | 22.95 ft |
| 3 | March 29, 1961 | 21.86 ft |
| 4 | April 8, 1965 | 21.67 ft |
| 5 | July 23, 1999 | 20.78 ft |
| 6 | April 2, 1993 | 20.60 ft |
| 7 | June 29, 1969 | 20.15 ft |
| 8 | March 16, 1929 | 20.00 ft |
| 9 | April 2, 1933 | 19.50 ft |
| 10 | May 25, 2004 | 19.32 ft |
| 11 | March 31, 1962 | 19.26 ft |
| 12 | September 23, 2018 | 18.96 ft |
| 13 | April 9, 1951 | 18.83 ft |
| 14 | March 17, 2019 | 18.83 ft |
| 15 | June 13, 1947 | 18.70 ft |
| 16 | May 31, 2013 | 18.59 ft |
| 17 | June 23, 1954 | 18.40 ft |
| 18 | June 22, 2014 | 18.39 ft |
| 19 | March 17, 1945 | 18.38 ft |
| 20 | March 31, 1960 | 18.10 ft |
| 21 | May 21, 1991 | 17.73 ft |
| 22 | July 30, 1990 | 17.38 ft |
| 23 | March 15, 2010 | 16.86 ft |
| 24 | April 15, 2001 | 16.59 ft |
| 25 | April 18, 1973 | 16.18 ft |
Most recent crests
- July 13, 2026: 12.90 ft
- August 2, 2025: 12.51 ft
- June 26, 2024: 15.69 ft
- March 2, 2023: 11.64 ft
- June 18, 2022: 9.14 ft
- August 31, 2021: 12.47 ft
- June 24, 2020: 14.54 ft
- March 17, 2019: 18.83 ft
- September 23, 2018: 18.96 ft
- October 1, 2016: 11.74 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
What this means
Forecasts by the North Central River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued as needed during times of high water, but are not routinely available.
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.