TornadoLiveMap

Brazos River at Waco — water level right now

McLennan County, Texas · NWS gauge WBAT2
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
19
minor flood stage
 
40.9
record crest
set 1936-09-27
–
flood status
official NWS category
Official NOAA forecast → USGS data → Full US flood map →

Flood stages at this gauge

Where the water stands right now against the four official thresholds:

action · 10
minor · 19
moderate · 22
major · 27
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage27extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage22some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage19low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage10water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
140.91936-09-27+21.9 above
239.71913-12-03+20.7 above
336.71945-04-22+17.7 above
436.71908-05-25+17.7 above
536.61944-05-02+17.6 above
636.41918-11-09+17.4 above
735.91922-05-10+16.9 above
835.71942-04-25+16.7 above
934.91935-05-19+15.9 above
1034.381899-06-30+15.38 above
1133.81916-04-02+14.8 above
12331922-04-04+14 above

Historic crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service — the 12 highest on file.

Where this gauge is

The marker is this gauge; nearby gauges load live and are clickable.

Nearby river gauges

Hog Creek near Crawford 17 mi away · loading… Middle Bosque River near McGregor 17 mi away · loading… Brazos River near Aquilla 23 mi away · loading… North Bosque River at Valley Mills 25 mi away · loading… Brazos River near Highbank 31 mi away · loading… Navasota River above Groesbeck 33 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDWBAT2
USGS site08096500
CountyMcLennan
StateTexas
NWS forecast officeFort Worth
River forecast centerWest Gulf River Forecast Center
Coordinates31.536, -97.073
Time zoneCST6CDT
Turn Around, Don't Drown. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet and twelve inches can float a car. Never drive around barricades or into water of unknown depth — most flood deaths happen in vehicles.

Questions about Brazos River at Waco

Is Brazos River at Waco flooding right now?

The live reading at the top of this page answers that: the gauge is compared against its official NWS flood stages every 15 minutes. Minor flooding at this gauge begins at 19 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Brazos River at Waco?

major flood stage 27 ft, moderate flood stage 22 ft, minor flood stage 19 ft, action stage 10 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Brazos River at Waco?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 40.9 ft, reached on 1936-09-27 — that is 21.9 ft above minor flood stage. The full list of the highest crests is in the table on this page.

Where does this data come from?

From the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, the official U.S. river gauge network — a U.S. government work in the public domain. Live stage is refreshed every 15 minutes; flood thresholds and historic crests are refreshed monthly. For life-safety decisions follow NWS Fort Worth and local emergency management.