Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Fall Creek (IN) at 16th Street in Indianapolis

Highest listed crest 16.63 ftFlood stage 12.0 ft16 crests since 1985

The Fall Creek (IN) at 16th Street in Indianapolis crested above flood stage 8 times among the 16 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1985 to 2026. The highest, 16.63 ft on August 16, 2026, was moderate flooding, 4.63 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Fall Creek (IN) crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
16.63 ft
August 16, 2026; 12,521 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
12.0 ft
No major stage set
Crests at major
0
8 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
August 16, 2026
16.63 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Marion County
Near Indianapolis (1.9 mi), Speedway (3.7 mi), Beech Grove (7.0 mi)

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Fall Creek (IN) at 16th Street in Indianapolis
Action stage10.06Sep 9, 2018The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.05Jun 17, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage14.03Aug 16, 2026Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream

Every listed crest

16 crests from 1985 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Fall Creek (IN) at 16th Street in Indianapolis, 1985 to 2026 81012141618ft Flood stage 12.0 ft Dec 12, 1985: 12.81 ft, minor flooding; 5,370 cubic feet per secondOct 4, 1986: 11.93 ft, action stage; 6,370 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1988: 10.45 ft, action stage; 2,570 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1989: 11.91 ft, action stage; 3,300 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1990: 11.53 ft, action stage; 3,110 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1990: 16.38 ft, moderate flooding; 5,630 cubic feet per secondNov 7, 2017: 8.93 ft, below flood stageNov 20, 2017: 9.95 ft, below flood stageFeb 25, 2018: 11.02 ft, action stageApr 5, 2018: 13.60 ft, minor flooding; 6,910 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 2018: 10.86 ft, action stageFeb 8, 2019: 12.25 ft, minor floodingApr 27, 2019: 12.98 ft, minor floodingJun 17, 2019: 12.95 ft, minor floodingApr 7, 2025: 14.77 ft, moderate flooding; 9,067 cubic feet per secondAug 16, 2026: 16.63 ft, moderate flooding; 12,521 cubic feet per second Highest, 16.63 ft, Aug 16, 2026 1990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Fall Creek (IN) at 16th Street in Indianapolis 1980s: 1 1990s: 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 4 4 2020s: 2 1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Fall Creek (IN) at 16th Street in Indianapolis
1Aug 16, 202616.63+4.63Moderate12,521
2Dec 31, 199016.38+4.38Moderate5,630
3Apr 7, 202514.77+2.77Moderate9,067
4Apr 5, 201813.60+1.60Minor6,910
5Apr 27, 201912.98+0.98Minor—
6Jun 17, 201912.95+0.95Minor—
7Dec 12, 198512.81+0.81Minor5,370
8Feb 8, 201912.25+0.25Minor—
9Oct 4, 198611.93−0.07Action6,370
10May 28, 198911.91−0.09Action3,300
11May 16, 199011.53−0.47Action3,110
12Feb 25, 201811.02−0.98Action—
13Sep 9, 201810.86−1.14Action—
14Apr 7, 198810.45−1.55Action2,570
15Nov 20, 20179.95−2.05Below flood stage—
16Nov 7, 20178.93−3.07Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Fall Creek (IN)

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Fall Creek (IN) that crested above flood stage within a week.

August 16, 2026: 16.63 ft here, moderate flooding

December 31, 1990: 16.38 ft here, moderate flooding

April 7, 2025: 14.77 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Fall Creek (IN)

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Fall Creek (IN)
FortvilleIN8.012.00 ft, Mar 26, 19133
MillersvilleIN10.016.30 ft, Mar 26, 19130
16th Street in Indianapolis this gaugeIN12.016.63 ft, Aug 16, 20260

Other gauges in Marion County

Flood gauges in Marion County
Acton9.014.99 ft, Jul 20, 19690
Indianapolis8.013.31 ft, Jun 26, 19780
Clermont9.015.84 ft, Apr 19, 20130
Raymond Street in Indianapolis14.015.79 ft, May 5, 20170
Speedway9.018.18 ft, Apr 19, 20130
Traders Point11.513.23 ft, Jul 14, 20150
Bridgeport6.016.00 ft, Sep 1, 20031
Millersville10.016.30 ft, Mar 26, 19130
Beech Grove7.010.35 ft, Jun 20, 20110
Indianapolis10.013.21 ft, Jun 7, 20080
Speedway6.012.79 ft, Sep 1, 20030
Arlington Avenue in Indianapolis8.016.00 ft, May 28, 19562
Dam near I-70 in Eastern Marion County19.519.78 ft, Jun 20, 20110
Farleys Addition in Indianapolis7.38.32 ft, Jun 19, 20190
82nd Street Bridge near Nora11.022.40 ft, Mar 26, 19133
Broad Ripple6.014.00 ft, Mar 26, 19130
Indianapolis Museum of Art12.025.90 ft, Mar 26, 19131
Michigan Street in Indianapolis16.030.00 ft, Mar 26, 19131
Ravenswood6.016.00 ft, Mar 26, 19137
Raymond Street in Indianapolis16.020.51 ft, Aug 16, 20260
Rocky Ripple7.020.45 ft, Mar 25, 19132
Stout Power Plant10.028.90 ft, Mar 26, 19130
Broad Ripple Dam8.520.59 ft, Aug 15, 20260
Ravenswood9.016.88 ft, Aug 15, 20261

Marion County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Indiana

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge FCSI3, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.