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Flat River at Smyrna

Highest listed crest 9.05 ftFlood stage 8.5 ft78 crests since 1951

The Flat River at Smyrna crested above flood stage 2 times among the 78 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1951 to 2024. The highest, 9.05 ft on September 13, 1986, was minor flooding, 0.55 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
9.05 ft
September 13, 1986; 4,700 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
8.5 ft
Major flooding from 10.5 ft
Crests at major
0
2 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
January 22, 2005
8.50 ft, minor flooding
Location
Ionia County
Near Ionia (10.9 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Flat River at Smyrna
Action stage5.558Apr 6, 2023The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)8.52Jan 22, 2005Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage9.50—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage10.50—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

78 crests from 1951 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Flat River at Smyrna, 1951 to 2024 4681012ft Flood stage 8.5 ftMajor 10.5 ft Feb 23, 1951: 5.82 ft, action stage; 1,600 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1952: 6.20 ft, action stage; 1,800 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1953: 5.57 ft, action stage; 1,300 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1954: 5.69 ft, action stage; 1,410 cubic feet per secondOct 3, 1954: 5.90 ft, action stage; 1,560 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1955: 5.42 ft, below flood stage; 1,200 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1956: 6.75 ft, action stage; 2,380 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 1957: 5.30 ft, below flood stage; 1,140 cubic feet per secondJul 22, 1957: 6.65 ft, action stage; 1,830 cubic feet per secondOct 24, 1957: 5.99 ft, action stage; 1,630 cubic feet per secondNov 16, 1957: 5.25 ft, below flood stage; 1,110 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1959: 6.74 ft, action stage; 2,500 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1960: 6.81 ft, action stage; 2,460 cubic feet per secondDec 5, 1960: 5.88 ft, action stage; 1,540 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 1961: 5.15 ft, below flood stage; 1,050 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1962: 6.52 ft, action stage; 2,130 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1963: 5.91 ft, action stage; 1,640 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1964: 4.83 ft, below flood stage; 892 cubic feet per secondJul 21, 1964: 5.92 ft, action stage; 1,330 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1965: 7.20 ft, action stage; 3,020 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1966: 6.25 ft, action stage; 2,040 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1967: 7.27 ft, action stage; 3,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 5, 1968: 5.74 ft, action stage; 1,550 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1969: 5.70 ft, action stage; 1,520 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1970: 5.36 ft, below flood stage; 1,220 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1971: 5.79 ft, action stage; 1,590 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1972: 5.38 ft, below flood stage; 1,220 cubic feet per secondJan 2, 1973: 6.30 ft, action stage; 2,030 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1974: 6.40 ft, action stage; 2,120 cubic feet per secondSep 3, 1975: 6.62 ft, action stage; 2,270 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1976: 7.19 ft, action stage; 2,680 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1977: 5.33 ft, below flood stage; 1,150 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1978: 6.10 ft, action stage; 1,720 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1979: 5.44 ft, below flood stage; 1,260 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1981: 5.41 ft, below flood stage; 1,240 cubic feet per secondOct 2, 1981: 6.72 ft, action stage; 2,220 cubic feet per secondDec 7, 1982: 5.60 ft, action stage; 1,340 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1984: 5.30 ft, below flood stage; 1,130 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1985: 5.92 ft, action stage; 1,730 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 1986: 9.05 ft, minor flooding; 4,700 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1993: 5.90 ft, action stage; 1,580 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1994: 7.29 ft, action stage; 1,900 cubic feet per secondJan 6, 1995: 6.48 ft, action stageMay 22, 1996: 5.61 ft, action stage; 1,380 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1997: 7.72 ft, action stageFeb 23, 1997: 6.36 ft, action stage; 1,930 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1998: 5.28 ft, below flood stage; 1,150 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1999: 5.43 ft, below flood stage; 1,250 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2000: 6.28 ft, action stage; 2,020 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 2000: 7.84 ft, action stageFeb 12, 2001: 5.33 ft, below flood stage; 1,270 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2002: 5.61 ft, action stage; 1,520 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2003: 4.80 ft, below flood stage; 897 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 2004: 6.88 ft, action stageMay 12, 2004: 6.83 ft, action stage; 2,470 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 2005: 8.50 ft, minor floodingJan 26, 2005: 7.77 ft, action stage; 3,219 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 2005: 6.05 ft, action stage; 1,860 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2006: 6.24 ft, action stage; 1,990 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2007: 5.82 ft, action stage; 1,690 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2008: 5.64 ft, action stage; 1,550 cubic feet per secondDec 24, 2008: 7.71 ft, action stageApr 28, 2009: 6.42 ft, action stage; 2,180 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2010: 5.75 ft, action stage; 1,640 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2011: 6.30 ft, action stage; 2,080 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 2012: 4.89 ft, below flood stage; 948 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2013: 7.53 ft, action stage; 3,150 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2014: 6.36 ft, action stage; 2,130 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2015: 5.90 ft, action stage; 1,760 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 2016: 6.15 ft, action stage; 1,960 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 2017: 5.86 ft, action stage; 1,730 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 2018: 6.63 ft, action stage; 2,350 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2019: 6.87 ft, action stage; 2,560 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2020: 7.01 ft, action stage; 2,680 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2021: 5.73 ft, action stage; 1,630 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2022: 5.32 ft, below flood stage; 1,280 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2023: 6.25 ft, action stage; 2,040 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 2024: 4.87 ft, below flood stage; 933 cubic feet per second Highest, 9.05 ft, Sep 13, 1986 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Flat River at Smyrna 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 1 1 1990s: 0 2000s: 1 2010s: 0 2020s: 0 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 78 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Flat River at Smyrna
1Sep 13, 19869.05+0.55Minor4,700
2Jan 22, 20058.500.00Minor—
3Dec 22, 20007.84−0.66Action—
4Jan 26, 20057.77−0.73Action3,219
5Jan 16, 19977.72−0.78Action—
6Dec 24, 20087.71−0.79Action—
7Apr 20, 20137.53−0.97Action3,150
8Feb 21, 19947.29−1.21Action1,900
9Apr 22, 19677.27−1.23Action3,100
10Apr 12, 19657.20−1.30Action3,020
11Mar 7, 19767.19−1.31Action2,680
12May 20, 20207.01−1.49Action2,680
13Jan 23, 20046.88−1.62Action—
14Mar 17, 20196.87−1.63Action2,560
15May 12, 20046.83−1.67Action2,470
16Apr 1, 19606.81−1.69Action2,460
17May 9, 19566.75−1.75Action2,380
18Apr 4, 19596.74−1.76Action2,500
19Oct 2, 19816.72−1.78Action2,220
20Jul 22, 19576.65−1.85Action1,830
21Feb 23, 20186.63−1.87Action2,350
22Sep 3, 19756.62−1.88Action2,270
23Mar 27, 19626.52−1.98Action2,130
24Jan 6, 19956.48−2.02Action—
25Apr 28, 20096.42−2.08Action2,180
26May 19, 19746.40−2.10Action2,120
27Feb 23, 19976.36−2.14Action1,930
28Apr 16, 20146.36−2.14Action2,130
29Jan 2, 19736.30−2.20Action2,030
30Apr 30, 20116.30−2.20Action2,080
31May 18, 20006.28−2.22Action2,020
32Feb 20, 19666.25−2.25Action2,040
33Apr 6, 20236.25−2.25Action2,040
34Mar 15, 20066.24−2.26Action1,990
35Mar 21, 19526.20−2.30Action1,800
36Apr 2, 20166.15−2.35Action1,960
37Apr 7, 19786.10−2.40Action1,720
38Apr 2, 20056.05−2.45Action1,860
39Oct 24, 19575.99−2.51Action1,630
40Jul 21, 19645.92−2.58Action1,330
41Mar 14, 19855.92−2.58Action1,730
42Mar 27, 19635.91−2.59Action1,640
43Oct 3, 19545.90−2.60Action1,560
44Apr 20, 19935.90−2.60Action1,580
45Apr 12, 20155.90−2.60Action1,760
46Dec 5, 19605.88−2.62Action1,540
47Apr 7, 20175.86−2.64Action1,730
48Feb 23, 19515.82−2.68Action1,600
49Mar 16, 20075.82−2.68Action1,690
50Mar 19, 19715.79−2.71Action1,590

Other gauges in Ionia County

Flood gauges in Ionia County
Ionia21.024.69 ft, Apr 20, 20130
Portland12.012.98 ft, Apr 21, 19750

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SMYM4, 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.