North Loup River near St. Paul, NE
River level and flood forecast · Howard County
Normal2.8 ftas of Mon 3:15 PM
The river is 4.3 ft below flood stage (7 ft).
Flow: 934 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 | 12 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 10 ft |
| Flood stage | 7 ft |
| Action stage | 6 ft |
| Record crest (March 14, 2019) | 11.49 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 14.5 ftWater will reach the bottom of the Highway 281 bridge.
- 12 ftNumerous homes within the Lake of the Woods Residential Area would be inundated by flood waters. This is more than 2 feet above the historical record crest of 9.6 feet set in 1947.
- 10 ftOutbuildings within the Lake of the Woods Residential Area may be impacted by flooding.
- 8.5 ftThe North Loup State Recreation Area will experience significant flooding.
- 7 ftFlooding occurs in lowland and wooded areas adjacent to the river. In addition, the North Loup State Recreation Area will begin to be impacted by flood waters.
Highest crests on record
- 11.49 ft — March 14, 2019
- 9.6 ft — June 22, 1947
- 8.85 ft — March 7, 1993
- 8.26 ft — February 22, 1982
- 8.13 ft — March 15, 1979
Recent crests: 4.95 ft (February 19, 2025) · 4.89 ft (June 22, 2024) · 6.57 ft (February 15, 2023) · 4.9 ft (March 1, 2022) · 6.57 ft (February 8, 2021)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- DownstreamLoup River near Genoa, NE
- Middle Loup River near St. Paul, NE
- South Loup River at St. Michael, NE
- Warm Slough near Central City, NE
- Cedar River near Fullerton, NE
- Wood River at Grand Island Diversion, NE
- Platte River near Grand Island, NE
- Loup River Power Canal near Genoa, NE
- Silver Creek near Silver Creek, NE
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (SPUN1); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.