West Nishnabotna River near Hancock, IA
River level and flood forecast · Pottawattamie County
Normal4.0 ftas of Mon 2 PM
The river is 10.0 ft below flood stage (14 ft).
Flow: 757 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Thu, Oct 1, 8:47 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 23 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 19 ft |
| Flood stage | 14 ft |
| Action stage | 12 ft |
| Record crest (July 10, 1993) | 23.52 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 29 ftWater reaches the bottom of the bridge deck at the gage site.
- 24 ftPortions of Hancock west of the railroad tracks begin to flood. In addition, the top of the berm protecting the lagoons for the City of Hancock are overtopped.
- 22 ftThe lowland areas of Avoca begin to flood. The degree of flooding also depends on how high the water is on the West Branch which flows along the east side of town.
- 21 ftG30 road begins to flood west of Hancock.
- 19 ftThe lowland areas in Oakland, generally west of Highway 59, begin to flood.
- 18 ftThough low-lying areas of the park have already flooded, at this level the majority of the park is underwater.
- 17 ftThe paved road leading from G30 to Botna Bend Park is flooded.
- 15.5 ftThe bathroom facility at Botna Bend Park floods.
- 14 ftLow-lying areas of Botna Bend Park in Hancock begin to flood. In addition, lowland flooding along the river begins.
Highest crests on record
- 23.52 ft — July 10, 1993
- 22.36 ft — March 14, 2019
- 22.12 ft — September 13, 1972
- 20.53 ft — May 6, 2007
- 20.44 ft — March 1, 1965
Recent crests: 5.4 ft (July 12, 2025) · 13.03 ft (May 21, 2024) · 11.39 ft (February 27, 2023) · 5.46 ft (June 16, 2022) · 4.42 ft (March 4, 2021)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (HNKI4); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.