Rio Grande at Laredo

The past week

What floods at each level

• 63 ft

  or 19.2 meters, water rises to the CPL plant slab elevation. Extensive flooding occurs.

• 62.5 ft

  or 19.05 meters, three quarters of the business district are under water.

• 61.35 ft

  or 18.70 meters, this is the flood of record, occurring on June 30 1954.

• 60.48 ft

  Or 18.44 meteres, 202 blocks, or about one fifth of the laredo business district and 170 blocks of Neuvo Laredo are under water.

• 58.5 ft

  or 17.83 meters, the backwater up Zacate Creek cuts Laredo in half.

• 54 ft

  or 16.50 meters, the water plant and U.S. Highway 81 are flooded.

• 52 ft

  or 15.85 meters, all bridges on Zacate Creek are closed.

• 47.5 ft

  or 14.48 meters, the flow reaches Matamoros Street Bridge over Zacte Creek.

• 44 ft

  or 13.4 meters, massive residential and commercial flooding occurs. Near the river, and along Chacon and Zacate Creeks, flooding can be life threatening, as the Rio Grande River backs them up. The sewage plant is under several feet of water. The International Bridge floor floods, and livestock are cut off and potentially drowned in the flood plain, above Eagle Pass to Falcon Reservoir.

• 42.45 ft

  or 12.9 meters, water floods homes several feet deep along Los Martinez Drive in the Seven Lights Subdivision. Markley Lane, Marco Drive and Anna Avenue are completely flooded and closed. McNaboe Park is completely submerged with only the skate park visible. Water reaches the waterfront homes along Allen Drive in the Quail Creek Subdivision. Water reaches the base of the International Bridge. Water street is flooded in downtown Laredo from south Main Avenue eastward to Business 35 and enters the mall.

• 40.5 ft

  or 12.3 meters, hundreds of homes along Zacate and Chacon Creeks and near the Rio Grande flood. Many businesses flood near the river. Flow is over the low steel of the International Bridge and within three feet of the bridge floor. Water is to the sewage plant.

• 38 ft

  or 11.6 meters, numerous homes flood along Chacon and Zacate Creeks, as the Rio Grande backs up them. Businesses in lower areas near the river flood, as well as streets, roads, and parking areas near the river. Flow is to the low steel of the International Bridge and within two feet of the sewage plant.

• 37 ft

  or 11.3 meters, the lowest businesses near the river are flooded. Flow is to the low steel of the International Bridge. Flow is also within a foot of homes along Chacon and Zacate Creeks, as the Rio Grande backs up near them. Any runoff down these creeks will flood these creeks. Numerous roads and bridges in the flood plain below Eagle Pass to Falcon Dam are flooded and dangerous.

• 32 ft

  or 9.8 meters, the lowest businesses near the river flood in downtown Laredo. Runoff down from Chacon and Zacate Creeks add to the Rio Grande backflow, and can flood homes along these creeks. Streets and bridges are flooded and are extremely dangerous to traffic.

• 30 ft

  or 9.1 meters, major flooding occurs. The flow approaches businesses near the mall, and backs up Chacon and Zacate Creeks. Additional heavy rain and runoff down these creeks threatens homes along their banks. Streets and roads near the river and creeks flood, and are very dangerous to auto traffic.

• 27 ft

  or 8.2 meters, water continues to back up in Zacate and Chicon Creeks. Water begins to approach streets and roads near the creeks, with water approaching Water Street. Most of south Main Avenue is under water.

• 24 ft

  or 7.3 meters, several feet of water are covering Los Dos Laredos Park, as well as Pedergal and Ventura streets. Water flows well back into Zacate Creek.

• 20 ft

  or 6.1 meters moderate lowland flooding occurs. Water is several feet deep over most of the mall and customs parking lots. The lowest residences are threatened and roads and low bridges become very dangerous.

• 16 ft

  or 4.9 meters, water flows into the Los Dos Laredos Park and covers portions of Pedegal Street near the park. Water approaches and moves into portions of Ventura Street near the bridge.

• 13 ft

  or 4.0 meters, autos and trucks flood in the lower sections of the mall parking lot. Water is several feet deep in the lower sections of the customs parking lot.

• 8 ft

  or 2.4 meters, minor lowland flooding occurs. Flow reaches the lower sections of the customs parking lot in Laredo.

• 7 ft

  or 2.1 meters, overbank conditions occur.

Highest crests on record

Flood map

See which streets and areas flood at each water level here. Open the flood map ↗

More on Rio Grande