Lightning Creek near McCune water level

Name: Lightning Creek near McCune 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, Lightning Creek, Kansas, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

1.15ft Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 06:45 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 5.6 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Lightning Creek near McCune, where the gauge shows 1.15 ft.

The median for mid-October is 1.02 ft, based on 31 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.13 ft above typical. It is 10.85 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 0.68 ft, a difference of +0.47 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.10 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 0.77 ft – 1.58 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 31 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.02 ft0.13 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.56 ft – 1.84 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (31 years of records)
Same day last year: 0.68 ft+0.47 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 0.77 ft – 1.58 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.56 ft – 15.47 ft
Highest on record: 19.79 ftSeptember 25, 1993

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 12.00 ft.

What happens at each level

21.00 ft: Major Flood Stage. Most locations between NW 100th and NW 120th near the gage site flood.
17.00 ft: Moderat Flood Stage. Flood waters impact Scammon Road on both sides of the creek.
14.00 ft: 70th Street south of Highway 400 near Coal Valley Road is under two to three feet of water.
12.00 ft: Minor Flood Stage. Low lying areas near the river flood.
1.15 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	19.79 ft	September 25, 1993
2	19.08 ft	April 11, 1994
3	18.70 ft	June 10, 1995
4	18.24 ft	October 5, 1998
5	18.22 ft	May 31, 2013
6	18.11 ft	October 9, 2009
7	18.10 ft	September 30, 1986
8	18.00 ft	April 30, 2017
9	17.81 ft	May 19, 1943
10	17.80 ft	May 21, 2019

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 68° 44° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 70° 52° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 75° 51° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 79° 57° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 80° 58° – Wind 12 mph

24 Sat 80° 59° – Wind 14 mph

25 Sun 77° 62° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:33 AM Sunset 06:38 PM Daylight 11 hr, 5 min First quarter 68%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Neosho River near ParsonsRiver gauge, Neosho River	10.23 ft	Very high	−0.06 ft	5.9 mi
Labette Creek near OswegoRiver gauge, Labette Creek	5.67 ft	Normal	−0.10 ft	11 mi
Neosho River near ErieRiver gauge, Neosho River	14.42 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	22 mi
Neosho River near CommerceRiver gauge, Neosho River	4.69 ft	Below flood stage	+0.41 ft	25 mi
Spring River near Baxter SpringsRiver gauge, Spring River	2.92 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	25 mi
Tar Creek near CommerceRiver gauge, Tar Creek	0.1 cfs	Very low	+0.1 cfs	25 mi
Spring River near WacoRiver gauge, Spring River	1.11 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	26 mi
Tar Creek at 22nd Street Bridge at MiamiRiver gauge, Tar Creek	1.7 cfs	Low	+0.6 cfs	28 mi

Questions and answers

Is Lightning Creek near McCune higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.47 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.68 ft.

What is flood stage for Lightning Creek near McCune?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 10.85 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Lightning Creek near McCune in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.02 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.56 ft and 1.84 ft, based on 31 years of records.

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 Lightning Creek near McCune today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 06:45 AM CDT, the water level was 1.15 ft. Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Lightning Creek near McCune rising or falling?

Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.36 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Lightning Creek near McCune normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 31 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:07184000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.28116, -95.03275 (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	1.15 ft	2026-10-20 11:45	Provisional
Flow	5.6 cfs	2026-10-20 11:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Lightning Creek near McCune (usgs:07184000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/lightning-creek-near-mccune

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