Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Cass River at Vassar

Highest listed crest 24.82 ftFlood stage 14.0 ft37 crests since 1916

The Cass River at Vassar crested at major flood stage 8 times among the 37 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1916 to 2018. The highest, 24.82 ft on September 12, 1986, was major flooding, 10.82 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
24.82 ft
September 12, 1986
Flood stage
14.0 ft
Major flooding from 18.0 ft
Crests at major
8
3rd of 98 gauges in Michigan
Most recent flood crest
February 22, 2018
15.05 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Tuscola County
Michigan

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 Vassar
Action stage12.02Mar 25, 1978The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)14.013Apr 20, 2013Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage15.013Feb 22, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage18.08Feb 22, 1997Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

37 crests from 1916 to 2018. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Cass River at Vassar, 1916 to 2018 510152025ft Flood stage 14.0 ftMajor 18.0 ft Mar 30, 1916: 18.90 ft, major floodingMay 18, 1923: 15.20 ft, moderate floodingApr 6, 1929: 18.50 ft, major floodingFeb 7, 1938: 16.80 ft, moderate floodingMar 18, 1942: 19.00 ft, major floodingMar 20, 1948: 20.80 ft, major flooding; 18,000 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1960: 16.70 ft, moderate flooding; 11,400 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1965: 13.08 ft, action stage; 6,680 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1967: 16.26 ft, moderate flooding; 10,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1968: 16.98 ft, moderate flooding; 8,900 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1971: 14.42 ft, minor flooding; 8,250 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1974: 15.74 ft, moderate flooding; 8,800 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1975: 14.04 ft, minor flooding; 7,750 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1976: 17.70 ft, moderate flooding; 11,900 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1978: 13.22 ft, action stage; 6,820 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1980: 9.39 ft, below flood stage; 3,610 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 1981: 14.51 ft, minor flooding; 8,360 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1982: 14.17 ft, minor flooding; 7,920 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1984: 15.00 ft, moderate floodingSep 12, 1986: 24.82 ft, major floodingMar 29, 1991: 14.20 ft, minor floodingApr 18, 1992: 14.30 ft, minor floodingJul 8, 1994: 15.80 ft, moderate floodingMay 22, 1996: 18.50 ft, major floodingJun 22, 1996: 18.20 ft, major floodingFeb 22, 1997: 18.20 ft, major floodingMar 21, 1998: 14.30 ft, minor floodingFeb 11, 2001: 14.80 ft, minor floodingMar 7, 2004: 16.00 ft, moderate floodingMar 11, 2006: 14.78 ft, minor flooding; 8,704 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 2008: 14.65 ft, minor flooding; 8,531 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 2009: 17.27 ft, moderate flooding; 12,319 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2009: 14.28 ft, minor flooding; 8,052 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2011: 14.63 ft, minor flooding; 8,505 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2013: 15.30 ft, moderate flooding; 9,408 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2013: 14.95 ft, minor flooding; 8,932 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 2018: 15.05 ft, moderate flooding; 10,473 cubic feet per second Highest, 24.82 ft, Sep 12, 1986 19201940196019802000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Cass River at Vassar 1910s: 1 1920s: 2 1930s: 1 1940s: 2 1950s: 0 1960s: 3 1970s: 4 1980s: 4 1990s: 7 7 2000s: 6 2010s: 4 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Cass River at Vassar
1Sep 12, 198624.82+10.82Major—
2Mar 20, 194820.80+6.80Major18,000
3Mar 18, 194219.00+5.00Major—
4Mar 30, 191618.90+4.90Major—
5Apr 6, 192918.50+4.50Major—
6May 22, 199618.50+4.50Major—
7Jun 22, 199618.20+4.20Major—
8Feb 22, 199718.20+4.20Major—
9Mar 6, 197617.70+3.70Moderate11,900
10Feb 13, 200917.27+3.27Moderate12,319
11Feb 3, 196816.98+2.98Moderate8,900
12Feb 7, 193816.80+2.80Moderate—
13Apr 1, 196016.70+2.70Moderate11,400
14Mar 29, 196716.26+2.26Moderate10,800
15Mar 7, 200416.00+2.00Moderate—
16Jul 8, 199415.80+1.80Moderate—
17Mar 5, 197415.74+1.74Moderate8,800
18Apr 13, 201315.30+1.30Moderate9,408
19May 18, 192315.20+1.20Moderate—
20Feb 22, 201815.05+1.05Moderate10,473
21Jun 17, 198415.00+1.00Moderate—
22Apr 20, 201314.95+0.95Minor8,932
23Feb 11, 200114.80+0.80Minor—
24Mar 11, 200614.78+0.78Minor8,704
25Dec 29, 200814.65+0.65Minor8,531
26Apr 30, 201114.63+0.63Minor8,505
27Sep 6, 198114.51+0.51Minor8,360
28Mar 17, 197114.42+0.42Minor8,250
29Apr 18, 199214.30+0.30Minor—
30Mar 21, 199814.30+0.30Minor—
31Apr 29, 200914.28+0.28Minor8,052
32Mar 29, 199114.20+0.20Minor—
33Mar 16, 198214.17+0.17Minor7,920
34Apr 20, 197514.04+0.04Minor7,750
35Mar 25, 197813.22−0.78Action6,820
36Apr 8, 196513.08−0.92Action6,680
37Apr 16, 19809.39−4.61Below flood stage3,610

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: 24.82 ft here, major flooding

  • FrankenmuthMI · Sep 12, 1986 · 27.52 ft · Major · its highest
  • Cass CityMI · Sep 12, 1986 · 19.82 ft · Moderate · its highest

March 20, 1948: 20.80 ft here, major flooding

  • Cass CityMI · Mar 20, 1948 · 15.80 ft · Minor

March 18, 1942: 19.00 ft here, major flooding

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
Vassar this gaugeMI14.024.82 ft, Sep 12, 19868
FrankenmuthMI17.027.52 ft, Sep 12, 19861

Other gauges in Tuscola County

Flood gauges in Tuscola County
Cass City14.019.82 ft, Sep 12, 19860

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge VSSM4, 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.