Red River of the North at Drayton, ND
River level and flood forecast · Pembina County
Normal13.0 ftas of Mon 2:45 PM
The river is 19.0 ft below flood stage (32 ft).
Flow: 2,740 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Sun, Dec 31, 6 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 42 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 38 ft |
| Flood stage | 32 ft |
| Action stage | 28 ft |
| Record crest (April 24, 1997) | 45.55 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 47.2 ftHighway ND 66 and MN 11 bridge approaches overtopped.
- 42 ftMAJOR FLOOD. General urban flood damage to the city of Drayton.
- 41.3 ftMN 175 bridge (north of Drayton and south of Pembina) approaches flood (MN DOT).
- 39 ftRural road damages begin.
- 38 ftMODERATE FLOOD.
- 32 ftMINOR FLOOD. Agricultural damage begins.
- 28 ftACTION STAGE/FORECAST SERVICE STAGE.
Highest crests on record
- 45.55 ft — April 24, 1997
- 43.82 ft — April 6, 2009
- 43.66 ft — April 28, 1979
- 43.33 ft — April 15, 2020
- 43.19 ft — May 4, 2022
Recent crests: 29.57 ft (April 17, 2026) · 16.93 ft (May 28, 2025) · 26.66 ft (July 7, 2024) · 40.4 ft (May 1, 2023) · 43.19 ft (May 4, 2022)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (DRTN8); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.