Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Cass River at Frankenmuth

Highest listed crest 27.52 ftFlood stage 17.0 ft74 crests since 1942

The Cass River at Frankenmuth crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 74 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1942 to 2024. The highest, 27.52 ft on September 12, 1986, was major flooding, 10.52 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Cass River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
27.52 ft
September 12, 1986; 22,200 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
17.0 ft
Major flooding from 25.0 ft
Crests at major
1
26th of 98 gauges in Michigan
Most recent flood crest
January 28, 2024
18.76 ft, minor flooding
Location
Saginaw County
Near Saginaw (12.1 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Cass River at Frankenmuth
Action stage15.02May 19, 2000The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)17.046Jan 28, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage20.023Feb 22, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage25.01Sep 12, 1986Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

74 crests from 1942 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Cass River at Frankenmuth, 1942 to 2024 1015202530ft Flood stage 17.0 ftMajor 25.0 ft Mar 18, 1942: 20.88 ft, moderate flooding; 17,700 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1968: 23.37 ft, moderate floodingMay 11, 1969: 18.40 ft, minor floodingJul 12, 1970: 17.40 ft, minor floodingAug 22, 1971: 19.16 ft, minor floodingMar 23, 1972: 18.50 ft, minor floodingJan 2, 1973: 20.31 ft, moderate floodingMar 6, 1974: 19.44 ft, minor floodingMar 6, 1976: 22.83 ft, moderate floodingMar 25, 1978: 18.92 ft, minor floodingMar 6, 1979: 18.43 ft, minor floodingSep 6, 1981: 19.79 ft, minor floodingMar 16, 1982: 20.96 ft, moderate floodingFeb 14, 1984: 19.37 ft, minor floodingJun 19, 1984: 19.20 ft, minor floodingDec 31, 1984: 18.52 ft, minor floodingFeb 26, 1985: 20.52 ft, moderate flooding; 10,400 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1985: 20.08 ft, moderate flooding; 9,820 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1985: 18.90 ft, minor flooding; 8,370 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1985: 22.16 ft, moderate flooding; 12,700 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1986: 18.26 ft, minor floodingSep 12, 1986: 27.52 ft, major flooding; 22,200 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 1986: 19.39 ft, minor floodingOct 1, 1986: 20.96 ft, moderate flooding; 11,000 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1988: 17.47 ft, minor flooding; 4,630 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1989: 13.55 ft, below flood stage; 3,570 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1990: 18.33 ft, minor flooding; 7,710 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1990: 17.81 ft, minor flooding; 6,870 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1991: 19.14 ft, minor flooding; 8,380 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1991: 18.95 ft, minor flooding; 8,160 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1991: 18.27 ft, minor flooding; 7,370 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1991: 18.08 ft, minor flooding; 7,160 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1992: 19.60 ft, minor flooding; 8,950 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1993: 18.50 ft, minor flooding; 7,620 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 1994: 21.90 ft, moderate flooding; 12,200 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1995: 16.40 ft, action stage; 5,440 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1996: 23.10 ft, moderate flooding; 13,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1997: 23.60 ft, moderate flooding; 14,800 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1998: 20.00 ft, moderate flooding; 9,470 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1999: 13.74 ft, below flood stage; 3,500 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2000: 15.61 ft, action stage; 4,830 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 2001: 20.40 ft, moderate flooding; 9,980 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 2001: 18.00 ft, minor floodingFeb 22, 2002: 17.70 ft, minor floodingMar 11, 2002: 18.57 ft, minor floodingMar 7, 2004: 21.10 ft, moderate floodingMay 25, 2004: 19.74 ft, minor flooding; 9,125 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 2005: 17.75 ft, minor flooding; 6,807 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 2006: 18.40 ft, minor floodingMar 12, 2006: 20.35 ft, moderate flooding; 10,011 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 2006: 17.68 ft, minor flooding; 6,837 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2007: 17.89 ft, minor flooding; 7,061 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 2008: 20.41 ft, moderate flooding; 10,091 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2009: 22.17 ft, moderate flooding; 12,564 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 2009: 17.28 ft, minor flooding; 6,421 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2009: 20.19 ft, moderate flooding; 9,798 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 2010: 17.06 ft, minor flooding; 6,199 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2011: 20.23 ft, moderate flooding; 9,851 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2011: 19.08 ft, minor flooding; 8,415 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 2013: 17.06 ft, minor flooding; 6,199 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2013: 19.33 ft, minor flooding; 8,715 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2013: 20.82 ft, moderate flooding; 10,649 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2013: 20.72 ft, moderate flooding; 10,511 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2014: 17.30 ft, minor flooding; 6,441 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2014: 17.16 ft, minor flooding; 6,300 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2017: 18.79 ft, minor flooding; 8,083 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 2018: 21.21 ft, moderate flooding; 11,192 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2018: 18.60 ft, minor flooding; 7,864 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2019: 19.05 ft, minor flooding; 8,389 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2019: 19.49 ft, minor flooding; 8,922 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 2020: 19.74 ft, minor flooding; 9,233 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 2022: 17.86 ft, minor flooding; 7,043 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 2023: 17.75 ft, minor flooding; 6,926 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 2024: 18.76 ft, minor flooding; 8,048 cubic feet per second Highest, 27.52 ft, Sep 12, 1986 1960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Cass River at Frankenmuth 1940s: 1 1950s: 0 1960s: 2 1970s: 8 1980s: 14 1990s: 12 2000s: 15 15 2010s: 14 2020s: 4 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 74 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Cass River at Frankenmuth
1Sep 12, 198627.52+10.52Major22,200
2Feb 22, 199723.60+6.60Moderate14,800
3Mar 3, 196823.37+6.37Moderate—
4May 22, 199623.10+6.10Moderate13,900
5Mar 6, 197622.83+5.83Moderate—
6Feb 14, 200922.17+5.17Moderate12,564
7Apr 7, 198522.16+5.16Moderate12,700
8Jul 9, 199421.90+4.90Moderate12,200
9Feb 22, 201821.21+4.21Moderate11,192
10Mar 7, 200421.10+4.10Moderate—
11Mar 16, 198220.96+3.96Moderate—
12Oct 1, 198620.96+3.96Moderate11,000
13Mar 18, 194220.88+3.88Moderate17,700
14Apr 13, 201320.82+3.82Moderate10,649
15Apr 20, 201320.72+3.72Moderate10,511
16Feb 26, 198520.52+3.52Moderate10,400
17Dec 30, 200820.41+3.41Moderate10,091
18Feb 11, 200120.40+3.40Moderate9,980
19Mar 12, 200620.35+3.35Moderate10,011
20Jan 2, 197320.31+3.31Moderate—
21Apr 30, 201120.23+3.23Moderate9,851
22Apr 29, 200920.19+3.19Moderate9,798
23Mar 13, 198520.08+3.08Moderate9,820
24Mar 20, 199820.00+3.00Moderate9,470
25Sep 6, 198119.79+2.79Minor—
26May 25, 200419.74+2.74Minor9,125
27Jan 13, 202019.74+2.74Minor9,233
28Apr 18, 199219.60+2.60Minor8,950
29May 27, 201919.49+2.49Minor8,922
30Mar 6, 197419.44+2.44Minor—
31Sep 24, 198619.39+2.39Minor—
32Feb 14, 198419.37+2.37Minor—
33Mar 13, 201319.33+2.33Minor8,715
34Jun 19, 198419.20+2.20Minor—
35Aug 22, 197119.16+2.16Minor—
36Mar 29, 199119.14+2.14Minor8,380
37May 17, 201119.08+2.08Minor8,415
38Mar 16, 201919.05+2.05Minor8,389
39Apr 10, 199118.95+1.95Minor8,160
40Mar 25, 197818.92+1.92Minor—
41Mar 30, 198518.90+1.90Minor8,370
42Apr 8, 201718.79+1.79Minor8,083
43Jan 28, 202418.76+1.76Minor8,048
44Apr 18, 201818.60+1.60Minor7,864
45Mar 11, 200218.57+1.57Minor—
46Dec 31, 198418.52+1.52Minor—
47Mar 23, 197218.50+1.50Minor—
48Apr 21, 199318.50+1.50Minor7,620
49Mar 6, 197918.43+1.43Minor—
50May 11, 196918.40+1.40Minor—

The worst floods along the Cass River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Cass River that crested above flood stage within a week.

September 12, 1986: 27.52 ft here, major flooding

  • VassarMI · Sep 12, 1986 · 24.82 ft · Major · its highest
  • Cass CityMI · Sep 12, 1986 · 19.82 ft · Moderate · its highest

February 22, 1997: 23.60 ft here, moderate flooding

  • VassarMI · Feb 22, 1997 · 18.20 ft · Major
  • Cass CityMI · Feb 22, 1997 · 15.81 ft · Minor

May 22, 1996: 23.10 ft here, moderate flooding

  • VassarMI · May 22, 1996 · 18.50 ft · Major
  • Cass CityMI · May 21, 1996 · 15.60 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Cass River

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

Flood gauges on the Cass River
Cass CityMI14.019.82 ft, Sep 12, 19860
VassarMI14.024.82 ft, Sep 12, 19868
Frankenmuth this gaugeMI17.027.52 ft, Sep 12, 19861

Other gauges in Saginaw County

Flood gauges in Saginaw County
Saginaw17.024.90 ft, Mar 30, 19045
Chesaning15.017.30 ft, Mar 23, 19261

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge FRNM4, 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.