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Middle Rouge at Dearborn Heights

Highest listed crest 10.74 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft40 crests since 1948

The Middle Rouge at Dearborn Heights crested above flood stage 7 times among the 40 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1948 to 2023. The highest, 10.74 ft on May 13, 2004, was minor flooding, 0.74 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
10.74 ft
May 13, 2004; 3,331 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 12.0 ft
Crests at major
0
7 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
August 25, 2023
10.19 ft, minor flooding
Location
Wayne County
Near Dearborn Heights (1.5 mi), Garden City (2.2 mi), Inkster (3.8 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Middle Rouge at Dearborn Heights
Action stage10.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.07Aug 25, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage11.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage12.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

40 crests from 1948 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Middle Rouge at Dearborn Heights, 1948 to 2023 789101112ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 12.0 ft May 10, 1948: 10.50 ft, minor flooding; 2,150 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1966: 10.50 ft, minor floodingJun 26, 1968: 9.96 ft, below flood stage; 2,330 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1971: 8.27 ft, below flood stage; 871 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1972: 7.77 ft, below flood stage; 742 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1972: 7.17 ft, below flood stage; 619 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1974: 8.50 ft, below flood stage; 945 cubic feet per secondSep 1, 1975: 8.84 ft, below flood stage; 1,120 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1976: 9.36 ft, below flood stage; 1,670 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1977: 8.90 ft, below flood stage; 1,060 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1978: 8.20 ft, below flood stage; 790 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1980: 8.67 ft, below flood stage; 944 cubic feet per secondSep 4, 1981: 9.21 ft, below flood stage; 1,320 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 1981: 9.71 ft, below flood stage; 1,970 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 1983: 9.86 ft, below flood stage; 1,930 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1984: 9.06 ft, below flood stage; 1,110 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1985: 9.55 ft, below flood stage; 1,620 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1986: 8.33 ft, below flood stage; 1,150 cubic feet per secondDec 16, 1988: 8.24 ft, below flood stage; 802 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1989: 9.40 ft, below flood stage; 1,480 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 1990: 10.05 ft, minor flooding; 1,150 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 1990: 9.51 ft, below flood stage; 867 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1991: 8.78 ft, below flood stage; 1,010 cubic feet per secondNov 13, 1992: 8.70 ft, below flood stageJan 5, 1993: 9.30 ft, below flood stageAug 13, 1994: 9.09 ft, below flood stage; 1,380 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 1995: 8.87 ft, below flood stage; 885 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1996: 8.70 ft, below flood stage; 965 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1997: 9.00 ft, below flood stageFeb 18, 1998: 9.41 ft, below flood stage; 1,490 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1999: 8.86 ft, below flood stageJun 25, 2000: 9.65 ft, below flood stage; 1,570 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 2001: 9.61 ft, below flood stage; 1,530 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2003: 7.55 ft, below flood stageMay 13, 2004: 10.74 ft, minor flooding; 3,331 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2011: 10.58 ft, minor flooding; 2,370 cubic feet per secondAug 11, 2014: 9.90 ft, below flood stage; 1,661 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 2020: 9.98 ft, below flood stageJun 26, 2021: 10.65 ft, minor flooding; 2,885 cubic feet per secondAug 25, 2023: 10.19 ft, minor flooding; 2,171 cubic feet per second Highest, 10.74 ft, May 13, 2004 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Middle Rouge at Dearborn Heights 1940s: 1 1950s: 0 1960s: 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 1 2010s: 1 2020s: 2 2 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

Highest listed crests, Middle Rouge at Dearborn Heights
1May 13, 200410.74+0.74Minor3,331
2Jun 26, 202110.65+0.65Minor2,885
3May 26, 201110.58+0.58Minor2,370
4May 10, 194810.50+0.50Minor2,150
5May 10, 196610.50+0.50Minor—
6Aug 25, 202310.19+0.19Minor2,171
7Sep 7, 199010.05+0.05Minor1,150
8Jan 12, 20209.98−0.02Below flood stage—
9Jun 26, 19689.96−0.04Below flood stage2,330
10Aug 11, 20149.90−0.10Below flood stage1,661
11May 2, 19839.86−0.14Below flood stage1,930
12Oct 1, 19819.71−0.29Below flood stage1,970
13Jun 25, 20009.65−0.35Below flood stage1,570
14Feb 10, 20019.61−0.39Below flood stage1,530
15Feb 24, 19859.55−0.45Below flood stage1,620
16Dec 30, 19909.51−0.49Below flood stage867
17Feb 18, 19989.41−0.59Below flood stage1,490
18Jun 22, 19899.40−0.60Below flood stage1,480
19May 7, 19769.36−0.64Below flood stage1,670
20Jan 5, 19939.30−0.70Below flood stage—
21Sep 4, 19819.21−0.79Below flood stage1,320
22Aug 13, 19949.09−0.91Below flood stage1,380
23Mar 21, 19849.06−0.94Below flood stage1,110
24Feb 22, 19979.00−1.00Below flood stage—
25Apr 25, 19778.90−1.10Below flood stage1,060
26Jul 29, 19958.87−1.13Below flood stage885
27Apr 23, 19998.86−1.14Below flood stage—
28Sep 1, 19758.84−1.16Below flood stage1,120
29May 26, 19918.78−1.22Below flood stage1,010
30Nov 13, 19928.70−1.30Below flood stage—
31May 10, 19968.70−1.30Below flood stage965
32Apr 4, 19808.67−1.33Below flood stage944
33Apr 4, 19748.50−1.50Below flood stage945
34Mar 11, 19868.33−1.67Below flood stage1,150
35Feb 20, 19718.27−1.73Below flood stage871
36Dec 16, 19888.24−1.76Below flood stage802
37May 31, 19788.20−1.80Below flood stage790
38Apr 16, 19727.77−2.23Below flood stage742
39Apr 5, 20037.55−2.45Below flood stage—
40Dec 31, 19727.17−2.83Below flood stage619

Other gauges in Wayne County

Flood gauges in Wayne County
DEARBORN11.013.13 ft, Aug 25, 20232
Inkster10.014.41 ft, Apr 5, 19473
Detroit15.021.40 ft, Jun 26, 19682

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge GACM4, 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.