Rivers in Iowa
Mississippi River at Keokuk
Below flood stage
10.56ftStage
Observed Mon, Sep 21, 10:40 PM CDT
- Flood stage
- 16.00 ft
- Forecast crest
- 13.80 ftThu, Sep 24, 7:00 AM CDT
- Record crest
- 27.58 ft1993
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 19.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 17.50 ft |
| Minor flood | 16.00 ft |
| Action | 14.00 ft |
- 30.00 ftWater reaches the top of the Keokuk city levee that protects industrial area along Mississippi Drive south of Victory Park.
- 27.00 ftWater affects residences in Nauvoo and reaches the top of the levee protecting the historical Nauvoo House.
- 25.50 ftWater affects the railroad tracks in downtown Keokuk.
- 24.00 ftWater affects low lying buildings in Hamilton and affects U.S. Highway 136 near the Mississippi River bridge. Water also affects Keokuks sewage treatment plant.
- 23.00 ftWater affects Illinois Highway 96 between Nauvoo and Hamilton.
- 22.00 ftWater affects the Warsaw water treatment plant.
- 21.20 ftLock and Dam 19 is closed.
- 21.00 ftWater affects Keokuks Victory Drive.
- 20.00 ftWater affects the industrial area in Keokuk south of the city levee and affects the parking lot at Victory Park as well as much of the park. In Alexandria, water affects U.S. Highway 61 in several places.
- 19.50 ftWater reaches critical stage for Des Moines and Mississippi Levee District Number 1.
- 19.00 ftWater affects low lying buildings in Warsaw and affects County Road 12.
- 18.40 ftU.S. Highway 61 closes at the bridge over the Des Moines River between Alexandria and Keokuk.
- 16.00 ftWater affects low lying buildings in rural areas. Water affects the railroad tracks in Alexandria.
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 August 28, 2026.
Crest history
69 crests on NOAA’s list since 1851.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 10, 1993 | 27.58 ft |
| 2 | June 17, 2008 | 26.95 ft |
| 3 | May 30, 2019 | 25.60 ft |
| 4 | April 23, 1973 | 23.50 ft |
| 5 | May 2, 2019 | 23.50 ft |
| 6 | July 7, 2014 | 23.38 ft |
| 7 | May 14, 2001 | 22.94 ft |
| 8 | April 20, 2013 | 22.20 ft |
| 9 | May 1, 1965 | 22.14 ft |
| 10 | April 4, 1960 | 21.83 ft |
| 11 | June 6, 1851 | 21.00 ft |
| 12 | May 27, 1944 | 20.85 ft |
| 13 | April 26, 1993 | 20.60 ft |
| 14 | June 20, 1947 | 20.20 ft |
| 15 | May 12, 1951 | 20.15 ft |
| 16 | May 3, 2008 | 19.80 ft |
| 17 | April 11, 2019 | 19.78 ft |
| 18 | May 16, 1888 | 19.65 ft |
| 19 | June 5, 1903 | 19.60 ft |
| 20 | March 23, 1929 | 19.30 ft |
| 21 | April 15, 1998 | 19.29 ft |
| 22 | October 5, 1986 | 19.27 ft |
| 23 | June 30, 1892 | 19.25 ft |
| 24 | May 21, 1974 | 19.14 ft |
| 25 | April 23, 2011 | 18.98 ft |
Most recent crests
- July 8, 2024: 18.18 ft
- May 5, 2023: 17.71 ft
- May 30, 2019: 25.60 ft
- May 2, 2019: 23.50 ft
- April 11, 2019: 19.78 ft
- September 11, 2018: 16.91 ft
- June 2, 2017: 16.19 ft
- December 28, 2015: 16.84 ft
- June 27, 2015: 16.50 ft
- July 7, 2014: 23.38 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
What this means
Forecasts by the North Central 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.
Sources
Stage, flood stages, impacts and crest history from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service.