Missouri River at Rulo, NE
River level and flood forecast · Richardson County
Normal8.6 ftas of Mon 1:30 PM
The river is 8.4 ft below flood stage (17 ft).
Forecast to fall to 8.2 ft by Sat, Oct 17, 7 AM.
Flow: 40,700 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 9:24 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 26 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 21 ft |
| Flood stage | 17 ft |
| Action stage | 16 ft |
| Record crest (March 20, 2019) | 28.13 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 30 ftWidespread flooding ensues as federal levees begin to be overtopped.
- 27.26 ftSignificant flooding will encompass a very large area similar to what was experienced in 2011.
- 26 ftAt this level the levee protecting Big Lake may be overtopped. In addition, Highway 159 in Missouri may begin to flood.
- 21 ftSeveral riverfront cabins along the Nebraska side begin to flood.
- 20 ftThe Rulo boat ramp begins to flood.
- 16 ftAgricultural lowlands along the river begin to flood.
Highest crests on record
- 28.13 ft — March 20, 2019
- 27.26 ft — June 27, 2011
- 26.63 ft — June 23, 2010
- 25.6 ft — April 22, 1952
- 25.37 ft — July 24, 1993
Recent crests: 14.95 ft (June 28, 2025) · 24.01 ft (July 2, 2024) · 10.21 ft (March 2, 2023) · 13.63 ft (May 26, 2022) · 16.35 ft (June 25, 2021)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- UpstreamMissouri River at Brownville, NE
- DownstreamMissouri River at St. Joseph, MO
- Big Nemaha River at Falls City, NE
- Tarkio River near Fairfax, MO
- North Fork Big Nemaha River at Humboldt, NE
- Little Nemaha River near Auburn, NE
- Nodaway River near Burlington Junction, MO
- Delaware River (KS) near Muscotah, KS
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (RULN1); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.