TornadoLiveMap

Elkhorn River at Waterloo — water level right now

Douglas County, Nebraska · NWS gauge WTRN1
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
14
minor flood stage
 
24.68
record crest
set 2019-03-16
–
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 · 12
minor · 14
moderate · 18
major · 21
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage21extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage18some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage14low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage12water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
124.682019-03-16+10.68 above
219.121962-03-29+5.12 above
319.111960-04-02+5.11 above
418.772010-06-14+4.77 above
518.221971-02-22+4.22 above
618.121984-06-18+4.12 above
717.81967-06-16+3.8 above
817.441978-03-21+3.44 above
917.31990-06-19+3.3 above
1017.051940-06-07+3.05 above
1116.531996-08-07+2.53 above
1216.31965-03-01+2.3 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

West Papillion Creek at Elkhorn 2 mi away · loading… Platte River near Leshara 6 mi away · loading… Platte River near Venice 7 mi away · loading… West Papillion Creek at Pacific Street at Omaha 7 mi away · loading… Big Papillion Creek near Bennington 8 mi away · loading… Lake Zorinsky 8 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDWTRN1
USGS site06800500
CountyDouglas
StateNebraska
NWS forecast officeValley
River forecast centerMissouri Basin River Forecast Center
Coordinates41.293, -96.284
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 Elkhorn River at Waterloo

Is Elkhorn River at Waterloo 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 14 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Elkhorn River at Waterloo?

major flood stage 21 ft, moderate flood stage 18 ft, minor flood stage 14 ft, action stage 12 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Elkhorn River at Waterloo?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 24.68 ft, reached on 2019-03-16 — that is 10.68 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 Valley and local emergency management.