Current River at Van Buren, MO
River level and flood forecast · Carter County
Normal2.5 ftas of Mon 1:30 PM
The river is 17.5 ft below flood stage (20 ft).
Forecast to hold near 2.5 ft through Sat, Oct 17, 7 AM.
Flow: 744 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 10:17 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 27 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 23 ft |
| Flood stage | 20 ft |
| Action stage | 10 ft |
| Record crest (May 1, 2017) | 37.2 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 29 ftLarge amounts of property damage can be expected. Evacuation of many homes and businesses becomes necessary. The courthouse yard floods.
- 23 ftSome flooding in low sections in town begins.
- 20 ftMinor flooding occurs affecting mainly bottomland and surrounding low lying areas.
- 18 ftThe parking lot floods at WaterCress.
- 14.5 ftWater flows over Spring Branch Bridge.
- 10 ftThe gravel bar at The Landing floods.
- 9 ftWater overflows the boat access at Big Springs.
- 8 ftCurrent river closed to non-motorized traffic.
Highest crests on record
- 37.2 ft — May 1, 2017
- 29 ft — March 26, 1904
- 27.39 ft — November 15, 1993
- 26.53 ft — November 19, 1985
- 25.9 ft — August 21, 1915
Recent crests: 21 ft (April 6, 2025) · 22.08 ft (November 6, 2024) · 37.2 ft (May 1, 2017) · 23.12 ft (December 29, 2015) · 21.14 ft (April 26, 2011)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- UpstreamCurrent River at Akers, MO
- DownstreamCurrent River at Doniphan, MO
- Big Spring River above Big Spring near Van Buren, MO
- Current River above Powder Mill, MO
- Black River above Leeper, MO
- Jacks Fork at Eminence, MO
- Black River above Williamsville, MO
- Greer Spring near Greer, MO
- Eleven Point River near Bardley, MO
- Jacks Fork at Alley Spring, MO
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (VNBM7); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.