Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Black River near Bessemer

Highest listed crest 14.27 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft52 crests since 1955

The Black River near Bessemer crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 52 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1955 to 2024. The highest, 14.27 ft on April 24, 1960, was major flooding, 4.27 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
14.27 ft
April 24, 1960; 14,800 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 14.0 ft
Crests at major
1
26th of 98 gauges in Michigan
Most recent flood crest
April 12, 2023
11.38 ft, minor flooding
Location
Gogebic County
Michigan

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Black River near Bessemer
Action stage9.57Apr 19, 2004The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.03Apr 12, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage12.03Apr 30, 2013Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage14.01Apr 24, 1960Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

52 crests from 1955 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Black River near Bessemer, 1955 to 2024 46810121416ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 14.0 ft Apr 11, 1955: 8.59 ft, below flood stage; 3,620 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1956: 6.36 ft, below flood stage; 2,240 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1957: 9.76 ft, action stage; 5,420 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1958: 6.13 ft, below flood stage; 2,090 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1959: 6.00 ft, below flood stage; 2,020 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1960: 14.27 ft, major flooding; 14,800 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1961: 6.40 ft, below flood stage; 2,240 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1962: 5.91 ft, below flood stage; 1,970 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1963: 9.84 ft, action stage; 5,290 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1964: 9.88 ft, action stage; 5,240 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1965: 8.52 ft, below flood stage; 3,750 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1966: 8.43 ft, below flood stage; 3,670 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1967: 9.05 ft, below flood stage; 4,250 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1968: 8.21 ft, below flood stage; 3,470 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1969: 8.43 ft, below flood stage; 3,940 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1970: 4.94 ft, below flood stage; 1,550 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1971: 9.55 ft, action stage; 5,040 cubic feet per secondAug 16, 1972: 11.73 ft, minor flooding; 8,360 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1973: 5.68 ft, below flood stage; 2,000 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1974: 9.77 ft, action stage; 5,280 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1975: 8.21 ft, below flood stage; 3,750 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1976: 7.66 ft, below flood stage; 3,310 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1977: 6.12 ft, below flood stage; 2,220 cubic feet per secondOct 12, 1977: 6.34 ft, below flood stage; 2,360 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1979: 8.10 ft, below flood stage; 3,660 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1980: 6.92 ft, below flood stage; 2,760 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1981: 7.54 ft, below flood stage; 3,210 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1982: 8.46 ft, below flood stage; 3,960 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2001: 9.93 ft, action stage; 5,650 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2002: 13.54 ft, moderate flooding; 12,640 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2003: 12.16 ft, moderate flooding; 8,850 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2004: 9.61 ft, action stage; 5,040 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2005: 8.27 ft, below flood stage; 3,970 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2006: 6.76 ft, below flood stage; 2,770 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 2007: 9.43 ft, below flood stage; 5,020 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 2008: 8.39 ft, below flood stage; 4,070 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 2009: 6.31 ft, below flood stage; 2,370 cubic feet per secondSep 25, 2010: 6.04 ft, below flood stage; 2,200 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 2011: 9.03 ft, below flood stage; 4,610 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2012: 7.16 ft, below flood stage; 3,040 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2013: 12.23 ft, moderate flooding; 9,460 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 2014: 8.59 ft, below flood stage; 3,720 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 2015: 7.21 ft, below flood stage; 2,600 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2016: 8.99 ft, below flood stage; 4,140 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2017: 7.83 ft, below flood stage; 3,050 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 2018: 9.47 ft, below flood stage; 4,580 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 2019: 11.41 ft, minor flooding; 6,535 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2020: 7.31 ft, below flood stage; 2,620 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 2021: 7.62 ft, below flood stage; 2,880 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 2022: 9.43 ft, below flood stage; 4,460 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2023: 11.38 ft, minor flooding; 7,340 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2024: 5.54 ft, below flood stage; 1,480 cubic feet per second Highest, 14.27 ft, Apr 24, 1960 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Black River near Bessemer 1950s: 0 1960s: 1 1970s: 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 2 2 2010s: 2 2020s: 1 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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

The 50 highest of 52 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Black River near Bessemer
1Apr 24, 196014.27+4.27Major14,800
2Apr 17, 200213.54+3.54Moderate12,640
3Apr 30, 201312.23+2.23Moderate9,460
4May 12, 200312.16+2.16Moderate8,850
5Aug 16, 197211.73+1.73Minor8,360
6Apr 23, 201911.41+1.41Minor6,535
7Apr 12, 202311.38+1.38Minor7,340
8Apr 12, 20019.93−0.07Action5,650
9Apr 13, 19649.88−0.12Action5,240
10Apr 2, 19639.84−0.16Action5,290
11Jun 10, 19749.77−0.23Action5,280
12Apr 21, 19579.76−0.24Action5,420
13Apr 19, 20049.61−0.39Action5,040
14Apr 17, 19719.55−0.45Action5,040
15Jun 17, 20189.47−0.53Below flood stage4,580
16Mar 27, 20079.43−0.57Below flood stage5,020
17Apr 24, 20229.43−0.57Below flood stage4,460
18Mar 31, 19679.05−0.95Below flood stage4,250
19Apr 11, 20119.03−0.97Below flood stage4,610
20Mar 16, 20168.99−1.01Below flood stage4,140
21Apr 11, 19558.59−1.41Below flood stage3,620
22May 9, 20148.59−1.41Below flood stage3,720
23Apr 23, 19658.52−1.48Below flood stage3,750
24Apr 24, 19828.46−1.54Below flood stage3,960
25Mar 18, 19668.43−1.57Below flood stage3,670
26Apr 13, 19698.43−1.57Below flood stage3,940
27Apr 22, 20088.39−1.61Below flood stage4,070
28Apr 6, 20058.27−1.73Below flood stage3,970
29Mar 19, 19688.21−1.79Below flood stage3,470
30Apr 24, 19758.21−1.79Below flood stage3,750
31Apr 22, 19798.10−1.90Below flood stage3,660
32May 18, 20177.83−2.17Below flood stage3,050
33Apr 15, 19767.66−2.34Below flood stage3,310
34Mar 24, 20217.62−2.38Below flood stage2,880
35Mar 30, 19817.54−2.46Below flood stage3,210
36Apr 4, 20207.31−2.69Below flood stage2,620
37Apr 2, 20157.21−2.79Below flood stage2,600
38Mar 16, 20127.16−2.84Below flood stage3,040
39Apr 20, 19806.92−3.08Below flood stage2,760
40Mar 31, 20066.76−3.24Below flood stage2,770
41Apr 21, 19616.40−3.60Below flood stage2,240
42Apr 12, 19566.36−3.64Below flood stage2,240
43Oct 12, 19776.34−3.66Below flood stage2,360
44Apr 24, 20096.31−3.69Below flood stage2,370
45Apr 15, 19586.13−3.87Below flood stage2,090
46Mar 29, 19776.12−3.88Below flood stage2,220
47Sep 25, 20106.04−3.96Below flood stage2,200
48Apr 7, 19596.00−4.00Below flood stage2,020
49Apr 23, 19625.91−4.09Below flood stage1,970
50Mar 15, 19735.68−4.32Below flood stage2,000

Gogebic County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Michigan

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BESM4, 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.