Mississippi River at New Madrid water level

Name: Mississippi River at New Madrid water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Mississippi River, Missouri, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

8.66ft Down 1.08 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 06:00 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 367,000 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 8.90 ft by Monday, October 19 at 07:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 11:19 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Mississippi River at New Madrid is at 8.66 ft, in the normal range.

It is 25.34 ft below the flood stage of 34.00 ft.

It has dropped 1.08 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 8.90 ft by Monday, October 19 at 07:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 8.66 ft and 11.83 ft.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 48.35 ftMay 6, 2011
Lowest on record: −6.58 ftOctober 15, 2023
Forecast peak: 8.90 ftMonday, October 19 at 07:00 AM

Floating and fishing near Mississippi River at New Madrid

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 34.00 ft, 25.34 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

48.00 ft: This flood will exceed the highest stage on record. Large amounts of property damage can be expected. Evacuation of many homes and businesses becomes necessary.
38.00 ft: Heavy agricultural damage begins.
34.00 ft: Minor flooding occurs affecting mainly bottomland and surrounding low lying areas.
30.00 ft: Bottomland begins to flood.
8.66 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 7 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	48.35 ft	May 6, 2011
2	48.00 ft	February 3, 1937
3	45.27 ft	April 29, 2011
4	44.60 ft	April 9, 1913
5	43.60 ft	April 4, 1975
6	43.50 ft	February 16, 1950
7	43.05 ft	January 4, 2016
8	42.99 ft	March 2, 2019
9	42.94 ft	March 17, 1997
10	42.80 ft	May 28, 1995

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 70° 41° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 75° 48° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 77° 53° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 78° 54° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 78° 55° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 80° 54° – Wind 12 mph

25 Sun 76° 54° – Wind 10 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:10 AM Sunset 06:18 PM Daylight 11 hr, 8 min First quarter 58%

Map

Other gauges on the Mississippi River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Mississippi River at St. LouisRiver gauge, Mississippi River	9.91 ft	Below flood stage	+1.11 ft	146 mi
Mississippi River at ChesterRiver gauge, Mississippi River	12.18 ft	Below flood stage	−0.31 ft	92 mi
Mississippi River at Cape GirardeauRiver gauge, Mississippi River	17.31 ft	Below flood stage	−0.88 ft	50 mi
Mississippi River at ThebesRiver gauge, Mississippi River	16.41 ft	Below flood stage	−0.91 ft	44 mi
Mississippi River at MemphisRiver gauge, Mississippi River	393,000 cfs	High	−11,000.0 cfs	105 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Reelfoot Lake near TiptonvilleLake, Reelfoot Lake	11.09 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	18 mi
Running Reelfoot Bayou below Reelfoot SpillwayLake, Running Reelfoot Bayou	0.30 ft	Very high	±0	18 mi
Little River Ditch No. 1 near MorehouseRiver gauge, Little River Ditch No. 1	71.9 cfs	Normal	+1.4 cfs	20 mi
Obion River at Highway 51 near ObionRiver gauge, Obion River	18.97 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	30 mi
Bayou De Chien near ClintonRiver gauge, Bayou De Chien	19.0 cfs	Normal	+0.7 cfs	33 mi
North Fork Obion River near Martin, Tn (Ce)River gauge, North Fork Obion River	5.21 ft	Normal	±0	40 mi
St. Francis River at WappapelloRiver gauge, St. Francis River	174 cfs	Normal	+2.0 cfs	46 mi
Mayfield Creek at LovelacevilleRiver gauge, Mayfield Creek	32.3 cfs	Very high	−1.8 cfs	47 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Mississippi River at New Madrid?

The official flood stage is 34.00 ft. The level is currently 25.34 ft below it.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Mississippi River at New Madrid today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 06:00 AM CDT, the water level was 8.66 ft. Down 1.08 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Mississippi River at New Madrid rising or falling?

Down 1.08 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Mississippi River at New Madrid normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Mississippi River at New Madrid?

The highest level on record is 48.35 ft on May 6, 2011. The lowest is −6.58 ft on October 15, 2023.

Is Mississippi River at New Madrid expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 8.90 ft by Monday, October 19 at 07:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:07024175 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 36.58261, -89.54792 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NAVD88
Update interval: every 15 minutes
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	8.66 ft	2026-10-19 11:00	Provisional
Flow	367,000 cfs	2026-10-19 11:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Mississippi River at New Madrid (usgs:07024175). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/missouri/mississippi-river-at-new-madrid

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer