Live streamflow across the country.

# Rivers Surge Across America: Major Flooding Events and Exceptional Flows Reshape Watersheds

Exceptional streamflows are reshaping river systems across the United States this week, with conditions ranging from catastrophic flooding in Texas to above-average flows throughout the Ohio Valley and Southeast. The most dramatic situation is unfolding along the Nueces River in Texas, where flows have exploded to over 19,000% of normal levels, while the Ohio River at Old Shawneetown marks the nation's highest absolute discharge at 259,000 cubic feet per second. Meanwhile, portions of the Pacific Northwest are experiencing below-normal conditions, creating a stark hydrological divide across the continent.

The flooding crisis is particularly severe across Texas and the Southern Plains, where recent heavy rainfall has transformed typically modest streams into raging torrents. The Nueces River system is experiencing unprecedented flows, with the Lower Nueces watershed recording 22,877% of normal—translating to flows of 6,680 cfs compared to a typical 29 cfs. The Buffalo-San Jacinto watershed near Houston shows similarly extreme conditions at 4,843% of normal. In Jacksonville, Florida, the St. Johns River is moving 152,000 cfs under sunny skies, while the Tombigbee River system in Alabama remains elevated at 163% of normal, impacting navigation and riverside communities. The Arkansas River basin from Tulsa to Arkansas City, Kansas, is running well above average, with the White River in Arkansas showing multiple gauges exceeding 18,000 cfs—excellent news for trout anglers but challenging for low-lying areas.

The Upper Midwest presents a mixed picture, with Minnesota's river systems running exceptionally high. The Minnesota River near its headwaters shows 1,767% of normal flow, creating hazardous conditions near Minneapolis-St. Paul where the Mississippi River moves 23,900 cfs. Conversely, the Pacific Northwest faces drought signals, with Washington's Strait of Georgia and Lake Washington watersheds at just 76-83% of normal despite recent snow showers in Idaho's Snake River basin. The Eastern Seaboard from Connecticut to Virginia is experiencing remarkable runoff, with the Housatonic watershed at 1,209% of normal and the Appomattox River in Virginia reaching 2,814% of typical flows—a bonanza for whitewater enthusiasts but a concern for water managers monitoring reservoir levels and flood control structures.