Platte River near Kearney, NE

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

What floods at each level

From the National Weather Service, highest first.

• 7.5 ftWater will surround homes and may begin to impact lowest sub-floors in the Sweetwater neighborhoods both north and south of Interstate 80. There will also be extensive flooding at the Nebraska Youth Camp located off of Sweetwater Avenue cutting off access to the camp, but most of the structures will be just above the flood water. Interstate 80 is at a high enough elevation that it will not be impacted.
• 7 ftAn access road to a small housing subdivision located directly south of Gibbon, on the south side of Interstate 80, at the northeast corner of Lowell Road and 24th Road, including Woodland Road, will begin to flood.
• 6 ftMinor flooding of rural lowlands occur.

Highest crests on record

1. 8.62 ft — February 24, 1994
2. 7.95 ft — May 26, 2008
3. 7.6 ft — July 10, 2019
4. 7.43 ft — June 11, 1995
5. 7.42 ft — June 29, 1983

Recent crests: 4.99 ft (February 25, 2025) · 5.13 ft (January 11, 2024) · 5.43 ft (February 16, 2023) · 4.3 ft (January 26, 2022) · 4.89 ft (January 27, 2021)

Up and down the river, and nearby

• DownstreamPlatte River near Grand Island, NE
• Elm Creek (trib. to Platte River) near Elm Creek, NE
• Buffalo Creek near Overton, NE
• Platte River near Overton, NE
• Spring Creek near Overton, NE
• South Loup River at St. Michael, NE
• Wood River at Grand Island Diversion, NE
• Republican River near Orleans, NE
• Sappa Creek near Stamford, NE