Rio Grande at Laredo

1. 63.00 ftor 19.2 meters, water rises to the CPL plant slab elevation. Extensive flooding occurs.
2. 62.50 ftor 19.05 meters, three quarters of the business district are under water.
3. 61.35 ftor 18.70 meters, this is the flood of record, occurring on June 30 1954.
4. 60.48 ftOr 18.44 meteres, 202 blocks, or about one fifth of the laredo business district and 170 blocks of Neuvo Laredo are under water.
5. 58.50 ftor 17.83 meters, the backwater up Zacate Creek cuts Laredo in half.
6. 54.00 ftor 16.50 meters, the water plant and U.S. Highway 81 are flooded.
7. 52.00 ftor 15.85 meters, all bridges on Zacate Creek are closed.
8. 47.50 ftor 14.48 meters, the flow reaches Matamoros Street Bridge over Zacte Creek.
9. 44.00 ftor 13.4 meters, massive residential and commercial flooding occurs. Near the river, and along Chacon and Zacate Creeks, flooding can be life threatening, as the Rio Grande River backs them up. The sewage plant is under several feet of water. The International Bridge floor floods, and livestock are cut off and potentially drowned in the flood plain, above Eagle Pass to Falcon Reservoir.
10. 42.45 ftor 12.9 meters, water floods homes several feet deep along Los Martinez Drive in the Seven Lights Subdivision. Markley Lane, Marco Drive and Anna Avenue are completely flooded and closed. McNaboe Park is completely submerged with only the skate park visible. Water reaches the waterfront homes along Allen Drive in the Quail Creek Subdivision. Water reaches the base of the International Bridge. Water street is flooded in downtown Laredo from south Main Avenue eastward to Business 35 and enters the mall.
11. 40.50 ftor 12.3 meters, hundreds of homes along Zacate and Chacon Creeks and near the Rio Grande flood. Many businesses flood near the river. Flow is over the low steel of the International Bridge and within three feet of the bridge floor. Water is to the sewage plant.
12. 38.00 ftor 11.6 meters, numerous homes flood along Chacon and Zacate Creeks, as the Rio Grande backs up them. Businesses in lower areas near the river flood, as well as streets, roads, and parking areas near the river. Flow is to the low steel of the International Bridge and within two feet of the sewage plant.
13. 37.00 ftor 11.3 meters, the lowest businesses near the river are flooded. Flow is to the low steel of the International Bridge. Flow is also within a foot of homes along Chacon and Zacate Creeks, as the Rio Grande backs up near them. Any runoff down these creeks will flood these creeks. Numerous roads and bridges in the flood plain below Eagle Pass to Falcon Dam are flooded and dangerous.
14. 32.00 ftor 9.8 meters, the lowest businesses near the river flood in downtown Laredo. Runoff down from Chacon and Zacate Creeks add to the Rio Grande backflow, and can flood homes along these creeks. Streets and bridges are flooded and are extremely dangerous to traffic.
15. 30.00 ftor 9.1 meters, major flooding occurs. The flow approaches businesses near the mall, and backs up Chacon and Zacate Creeks. Additional heavy rain and runoff down these creeks threatens homes along their banks. Streets and roads near the river and creeks flood, and are very dangerous to auto traffic.
16. 27.00 ftor 8.2 meters, water continues to back up in Zacate and Chicon Creeks. Water begins to approach streets and roads near the creeks, with water approaching Water Street. Most of south Main Avenue is under water.
17. 24.00 ftor 7.3 meters, several feet of water are covering Los Dos Laredos Park, as well as Pedergal and Ventura streets. Water flows well back into Zacate Creek.
18. 20.00 ftor 6.1 meters moderate lowland flooding occurs. Water is several feet deep over most of the mall and customs parking lots. The lowest residences are threatened and roads and low bridges become very dangerous.
19. 16.00 ftor 4.9 meters, water flows into the Los Dos Laredos Park and covers portions of Pedegal Street near the park. Water approaches and moves into portions of Ventura Street near the bridge.
20. 13.00 ftor 4.0 meters, autos and trucks flood in the lower sections of the mall parking lot. Water is several feet deep in the lower sections of the customs parking lot.
21. 8.00 ftor 2.4 meters, minor lowland flooding occurs. Flow reaches the lower sections of the customs parking lot in Laredo.
22. 7.00 ftor 2.1 meters, overbank conditions occur.

Most recent crests

• July 19, 2026: 18.07 ft
• August 6, 2021: 6.55 ft
• July 6, 2021: 5.96 ft
• June 2, 2021: 4.53 ft
• June 7, 2019: 9.71 ft
• May 3, 2019: 8.39 ft
• September 23, 2018: 9.86 ft
• September 10, 2018: 14.76 ft
• September 28, 2017: 22.70 ft
• May 22, 2017: 9.26 ft

• UpstreamRio Grande at Columbia Bridge
• DownstreamRio Grande at Pipeline Crossing
• Zacate Creek at Laredo
• Zacate Creek at Jacaman Road
• Manadas Creek at Laredo
• Manadas Creek at Bristol Road nr Laredo
• Rio Grande at World Trade Bridge
• San Casimiro Creek at Freer

Forecasts by the West Gulf 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 24 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time.

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.