Elm River near Westport, SD
River level and flood forecast · Brown County
Normal4.1 ftas of Mon 2 PM
The river is 9.9 ft below flood stage (14 ft).
Flow: 5 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 | 19 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 16 ft |
| Flood stage | 14 ft |
| Action stage | 12 ft |
| Record crest (March 25, 2009) | 22.63 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 22.5 ftThe bridge 2 miles south and 1 mile east of Westport will be overtopped
- 22 ftLarge portions of Westport will have water 2 to 3 feet deep
- 21 ftThe bridge on Brown County Road 10a is overtopped
- 20.5 ftThe water will reach the bottom of the bridge 2 miles south and 1 mile east of Westport. The bridge east of Westport will be overtopped
- 19 ftThe community of Westport begins to flood
- 18.5 ftThe water will reach the bottom of the bridge east of Westport
- 17.5 ftWater reaches the bottom of the bridge north of Westport
- 16 ftSeveral gravel roads along the river begin to flood
- 14.5 ftThe bridge northwest of Kruse Dam will be overtopped
- 14 ftThe county road east of Westport becomes impassable
- 12.5 ftThe water will reach the bottom of the bridge north of Kruse Dam
Highest crests on record
- 22.63 ft — March 25, 2009
- 22.11 ft — April 10, 1969
- 21.56 ft — March 30, 1997
- 20.8 ft — April 4, 2019
- 20.45 ft — July 27, 2020
Recent crests: 9.21 ft (August 13, 2025) · 16.75 ft (April 19, 2023) · 14.39 ft (May 4, 2022) · 5.49 ft (October 10, 2021) · 20.45 ft (July 27, 2020)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (WESS2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.