Wood River at Grand Island Diversion, NE
River level and flood forecast · Hall County
Normal11.3 ftas of Mon 2 PM
The river is 8.2 ft below flood stage (19.5 ft).
Flow: 3 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 | 21.5 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 20.5 ft |
| Flood stage | 19.5 ft |
| Action stage | 18 ft |
| Record crest (March 17, 2019) | 18.13 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 22.5 ftWater reaches the bottom of the Highway 281 bridge.
- 21.5 ftThe Wood River Diversion Levee will be topped in several locations with flood waters spilling over into businesses located along the levee especially along the south side of the river. Major property damage is expected if the levee were to fail.
- 20 ftThe Wood River will be within 1.5 feet of topping the levee at the Wood River Diversion on the south side of Grand Island. Damage to the levee and some flooding along the levee will be possible.
- 19.4 ftWater reaches the bottom of the railroad bridge downstream of Highway 281 resulting in backwater rises on the west side of the railroad bridge. The rising backwater will quickly begin flowing through the low point in the levee on the north side of the railroad bridge unless this low spot has been previously sandbagged.
- 18 ftThe water level will be within 1.5 feet of reaching the bottom of the downstream train bridge. Once the water level reaches the bottom of the train bridge there will be increasing backwater just upstream of the train bridge and water will quickly reach the low spot in the levee near the train bridge. Sandbagging of the low spot in the levee near the train bridge will be required prior to reaching a stage of 19.5 feet to protect the levee.
Highest crests on record
- 18.13 ft — March 17, 2019
- 17.1 ft — June 8, 2008
- 16.77 ft — May 27, 2020
- 15.85 ft — March 3, 2007
- 15.6 ft — June 26, 2025
Recent crests: 15.6 ft (June 26, 2025) · 13.68 ft (July 8, 2024) · 10.62 ft (June 10, 2023) · 11.25 ft (June 16, 2022) · 14.21 ft (March 25, 2021)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (GIDN1); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.