Nisqually River at McKenna, WA
River level and flood forecast · Thurston County
The river is 8.7 ft below flood stage (10 ft).
Forecast to hold near 1.3 ft through Mon, Oct 19, 5 PM.
Flow: 636 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 8:51 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
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An email when the National Weather Service forecasts Nisqually River at McKenna to flood, when it floods, and when it's over.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 14 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 13 ft |
| Flood stage | 10 ft |
| Action stage | 8 ft |
| Record crest (February 8, 1996) | 17.13 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 16 ftthe Nisqually River will cause severe near record flooding from La Grande downstream through McKenna to the mouth. Deep and swift flood waters will inundate roads...farms...and residential areas...including the nursing home in McKenna. Erosion will likely cause severe damage. Flooding will occur all along the river including headwaters...tributaries...and other streams within and near the Nisqually River Basin.
- 14 ftthe Nisqually River will cause major flooding from La Grande downstream through McKenna to the mouth. Deep and swift waters will flood roads...farms...and residential areas...including the nursing home in McKenna. Erosion may cause severe damage. Flooding will occur all along the river including headwaters...tributaries...and other streams within and near the Nisqually River Basin.
- 13 ftthe Nisqually River will flood from La Grande downstream through McKenna to the mouth. Swift waters will flood roads...farms...and some residential areas including the nursing home in McKenna. Erosion will likely damage properties along river banks.
- 12 ftthe Nisqually River will flood from La Grande downstream through McKenna to the mouth. Flood waters will flow over some roads and through farms and residential areas. Erosion may damage some properties. High tidal levels on Puget Sound will cause flooding along the lower reaches...threatening homes along Riverside Drive...Cononie Street and Conine Avenue.
- 10 ftthe Nisqually River will flood at the lower end near the mouth. High tide levels on Puget Sound may increase the amount of flooding. The Nisqually River will also spill over its banks between La Grande and McKenna.
Highest crests on record
- 17.13 ft — February 8, 1996
- 13 ft — January 29, 1965
- 12.48 ft — November 30, 1995
- 12.39 ft — December 26, 1980
- 12.38 ft — December 12, 1955
Recent crests: 10.08 ft (December 12, 2025) · 12.09 ft (February 7, 2020) · 10.35 ft (December 9, 2015) · 6.89 ft (January 5, 2015) · 8.58 ft (March 10, 2014)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- UpstreamNisqually River near National, WA
- Skookumchuck River near Vail, WA
- Skookumchuck River Below Bloody Run, WA
- Puyallup River near Orting, WA
- Skookumchuck River near Bucoda, WA
- North Fork Newaukum River near Forest, WA
- Puyallup River near Electron, WA
- Chehalis River near Grand Mound, WA
- Carbon River near Fairfax, WA
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (MKNW1); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.