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Little Platte River at Smithville — water level right now

Clay County, Missouri · NWS gauge SMHM7
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
27
minor flood stage
 
46.49
record crest
set 1965-07-20
–
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 · 21
minor · 27
moderate · 30.5
major · 35
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage35extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage30.5some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage27low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage21water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
146.491965-07-20+19.49 above
239.721974-05-18+12.72 above
337.381947-06-01+10.38 above
436.441982-08-13+9.44 above
536.391973-10-11+9.39 above
634.871981-07-27+7.87 above
734.121975-04-24+7.12 above
834.062017-08-22+7.06 above
933.741977-09-13+6.74 above
1033.732016-05-26+6.73 above
1133.311970-09-22+6.31 above
1232.91998-10-05+5.9 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

Platte River at Sharps Station 8 mi away · loading… Platte River near Platte City 11 mi away · loading… Missouri River above Parkville 17 mi away · loading… Missouri River at Kansas City 19 mi away · loading… Blue River at 12th Street 21 mi away · loading… Platte River near Agency 22 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDSMHM7
USGS site06821150
CountyClay
StateMissouri
NWS forecast officePleasant Hill
River forecast centerMissouri Basin River Forecast Center
Coordinates39.388, -94.579
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 Little Platte River at Smithville

Is Little Platte River at Smithville 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 27 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Little Platte River at Smithville?

major flood stage 35 ft, moderate flood stage 30.5 ft, minor flood stage 27 ft, action stage 21 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Little Platte River at Smithville?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 46.49 ft, reached on 1965-07-20 — that is 19.49 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 Pleasant Hill and local emergency management.