TornadoLiveMap

James River near Hecla — water level right now

Brown County, South Dakota · NWS gauge JSLS2
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
93
minor flood stage
 
98.04
record crest
set 1997-04-01
–
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 · 92
minor · 93
moderate · 94.5
major · 96
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage96extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage94.5some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage93low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage92water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
198.041997-04-01+5.04 above
296.352009-04-18+3.35 above
395.712019-11-04+2.71 above
495.512010-03-27+2.51 above
595.382011-04-12+2.38 above
694.332023-04-25+1.33 above
793.392013-06-28+0.39 above
893.391993-08-03+0.39 above
992.932007-06-260.07 below
1092.742018-04-260.26 below
1192.72025-08-170.3 below
1292.52005-06-210.5 below

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

Maple River near Frederick 13 mi away · loading… James River near Columbia 24 mi away · loading… Elm River near Westport 25 mi away · loading… Elm River near Frederick 26 mi away · loading… Elm River at Ordway 28 mi away · loading… Foot Creek near Aberdeen 35 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDJSLS2
USGS site06470878
CountyBrown
StateSouth Dakota
NWS forecast officeAberdeen
River forecast centerMissouri Basin River Forecast Center
Coordinates45.936, -98.174
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 Hecla

Is James River near Hecla 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 93 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 Hecla?

major flood stage 96 ft, moderate flood stage 94.5 ft, minor flood stage 93 ft, action stage 92 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 Hecla?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 98.04 ft, reached on 1997-04-01 — that is 5.04 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.