Missouri River at St. Joseph, MO
River level and flood forecast · Buchanan County
Normal8.1 ftas of Mon 1:35 PM
The river is 8.9 ft below flood stage (17 ft).
Forecast to rise to 8.6 ft Thu 7 AM, below the 17 ft flood stage.
Flow: 43,800 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 9:25 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 27 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 21 ft |
| Flood stage | 17 ft |
| Action stage | 14 ft |
| Record crest (March 22, 2019) | 32.07 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 31.5 ftThe levee system will likely be overtopped, causing flooding in the town of Elwood and the eastern edge of Wathena.
- 30 ftSt. Joseph public works building on 3rd Street floods.
- 24 ftA residential area in northwest St. Joseph begins to flood.
- 21 ftRiverfront Park in St. Joseph begins to flood.
- 19 ftBackwater from the Missouri River floods property along the Nodaway river at Nodaway, Missouri.
- 17 ftLowland flooding upstream and downstream from St. Joseph occurs.
Highest crests on record
- 32.07 ft — March 22, 2019
- 32.07 ft — July 26, 1993
- 29.97 ft — June 28, 2011
- 27.2 ft — April 29, 1881
- 26.82 ft — April 22, 1952
Recent crests: 19.48 ft (June 5, 2026) · 18.52 ft (May 19, 2026) · 23.45 ft (July 4, 2024) · 18.65 ft (May 23, 2024) · 17.26 ft (May 7, 2024)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (SJSM7); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.