TornadoLiveMap

James River near Columbia — water level right now

Brown County, South Dakota · NWS gauge CMBS2
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
13
minor flood stage
 
19.81
record crest
set 2011-07-16
–
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 · 13
moderate · 16
major · 18
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage18extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage16some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage13low-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
119.812011-07-16+6.81 above
219.732009-04-24+6.73 above
319.081997-04-18+6.08 above
419.052010-04-02+6.05 above
518.962019-04-21+5.96 above
618.752019-11-12+5.75 above
718.572022-05-31+5.57 above
818.032023-05-14+5.03 above
917.832001-04-23+4.83 above
1017.11999-05-31+4.1 above
1116.951995-05-22+3.95 above
1216.891996-04-30+3.89 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

Elm River at Ordway 6 mi away · loading… Elm River near Westport 10 mi away · loading… Moccasin Creek at Aberdeen 12 mi away · loading… Foot Creek near Aberdeen 14 mi away · loading… James River near Hecla 24 mi away · loading… Maple River near Frederick 24 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDCMBS2
USGS site06471000
CountyBrown
StateSouth Dakota
NWS forecast officeAberdeen
River forecast centerMissouri Basin River Forecast Center
Coordinates45.604, -98.31
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 James River near Columbia

Is James River near Columbia 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 13 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for James River near Columbia?

major flood stage 18 ft, moderate flood stage 16 ft, minor flood stage 13 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 James River near Columbia?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 19.81 ft, reached on 2011-07-16 — that is 6.81 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 Aberdeen and local emergency management.