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Red Cedar River near Williamston

Highest listed crest 10.41 ftFlood stage 9.0 ft41 crests since 1975

The Red Cedar River near Williamston crested above flood stage 4 times among the 41 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1975 to 2024. The highest, 10.41 ft on April 19, 1975, was moderate flooding, 1.41 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Red Cedar River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
10.41 ft
April 19, 1975; 2,670 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
9.0 ft
Major flooding from 10.5 ft
Crests at major
0
4 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
February 22, 2018
9.30 ft, minor flooding
Location
Ingham County
Near East Lansing (14.1 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Red Cedar River near Williamston
Action stage7.023Jul 11, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)9.03Feb 22, 2018Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.01Apr 19, 1975Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage10.50—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

41 crests from 1975 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Red Cedar River near Williamston, 1975 to 2024 4681012ft Flood stage 9.0 ftMajor 10.5 ft Apr 19, 1975: 10.41 ft, moderate flooding; 2,670 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1976: 7.60 ft, action stage; 990 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1977: 5.92 ft, below flood stage; 482 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1978: 6.91 ft, below flood stage; 834 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1979: 7.41 ft, action stage; 914 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1980: 6.18 ft, below flood stage; 458 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1981: 7.48 ft, action stage; 942 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1982: 8.42 ft, action stage; 1,390 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 1983: 6.12 ft, below flood stage; 501 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1984: 5.58 ft, below flood stage; 360 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1985: 9.07 ft, minor flooding; 1,790 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1986: 7.74 ft, action stage; 983 cubic feet per secondOct 5, 1986: 6.60 ft, below flood stage; 589 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1988: 5.81 ft, below flood stage; 415 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1989: 6.61 ft, below flood stage; 649 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 1994: 9.00 ft, minor floodingJun 19, 1996: 6.90 ft, below flood stageApr 25, 1999: 8.50 ft, action stageOct 18, 2001: 6.49 ft, below flood stage; 520 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2003: 6.49 ft, below flood stage; 597 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2004: 7.36 ft, action stage; 831 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 2005: 7.40 ft, action stage; 921 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2006: 7.22 ft, action stage; 850 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2007: 7.15 ft, action stage; 805 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 2008: 7.56 ft, action stage; 913 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 2008: 7.91 ft, action stageMar 11, 2009: 7.60 ft, action stage; 1,000 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2010: 6.96 ft, below flood stage; 750 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2011: 7.08 ft, action stage; 797 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2013: 7.79 ft, action stage; 987 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2014: 7.84 ft, action stage; 929 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2015: 7.09 ft, action stage; 655 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2016: 6.57 ft, below flood stage; 486 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 2017: 8.38 ft, action stage; 1,250 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 2018: 9.30 ft, minor flooding; 1,690 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2019: 6.00 ft, below flood stage; 477 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2020: 8.18 ft, action stage; 1,270 cubic feet per secondAug 12, 2021: 7.47 ft, action stage; 905 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 2022: 8.00 ft, action stage; 1,150 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2023: 7.99 ft, action stage; 1,140 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 2024: 7.67 ft, action stage; 953 cubic feet per second Highest, 10.41 ft, Apr 19, 1975 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Red Cedar River near Williamston 1970s: 1 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 1 2020s: 0 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Red Cedar River near Williamston
1Apr 19, 197510.41+1.41Moderate2,670
2Feb 22, 20189.30+0.30Minor1,690
3Feb 26, 19859.07+0.07Minor1,790
4Jul 8, 19949.000.00Minor—
5Apr 25, 19998.50−0.50Action—
6Mar 15, 19828.42−0.58Action1,390
7Apr 7, 20178.38−0.62Action1,250
8May 19, 20208.18−0.82Action1,270
9Feb 18, 20228.00−1.00Action1,150
10Apr 6, 20237.99−1.01Action1,140
11Sep 17, 20087.91−1.09Action—
12May 16, 20147.84−1.16Action929
13Apr 20, 20137.79−1.21Action987
14Mar 14, 19867.74−1.26Action983
15Jul 11, 20247.67−1.33Action953
16Mar 5, 19767.60−1.40Action990
17Mar 11, 20097.60−1.40Action1,000
18Jan 9, 20087.56−1.44Action913
19Feb 19, 19817.48−1.52Action942
20Aug 12, 20217.47−1.53Action905
21Mar 7, 19797.41−1.59Action914
22Jan 14, 20057.40−1.60Action921
23May 24, 20047.36−1.64Action831
24Mar 14, 20067.22−1.78Action850
25Jun 6, 20077.15−1.85Action805
26Jun 24, 20157.09−1.91Action655
27Apr 29, 20117.08−1.92Action797
28Mar 13, 20106.96−2.04Below flood stage750
29Mar 24, 19786.91−2.09Below flood stage834
30Jun 19, 19966.90−2.10Below flood stage—
31Jun 4, 19896.61−2.39Below flood stage649
32Oct 5, 19866.60−2.40Below flood stage589
33Apr 12, 20166.57−2.43Below flood stage486
34Oct 18, 20016.49−2.51Below flood stage520
35Apr 5, 20036.49−2.51Below flood stage597
36Mar 21, 19806.18−2.82Below flood stage458
37May 3, 19836.12−2.88Below flood stage501
38Mar 15, 20196.00−3.00Below flood stage477
39Apr 27, 19775.92−3.08Below flood stage482
40Apr 9, 19885.81−3.19Below flood stage415
41May 29, 19845.58−3.42Below flood stage360

The worst floods along the Red Cedar River

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

April 19, 1975: 10.41 ft here, moderate flooding

February 22, 2018: 9.30 ft here, minor flooding

February 26, 1985: 9.07 ft here, minor flooding

Gauges on the Red Cedar River

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

Flood gauges on the Red Cedar River
Williamston this gaugeMI9.010.41 ft, Apr 19, 19750
East LansingMI7.013.40 ft, Mar 24, 19041

Other gauges in Ingham County

Flood gauges in Ingham County
Lansing11.015.43 ft, Apr 20, 19751
East Lansing7.013.40 ft, Mar 24, 19041
Holt8.010.60 ft, Apr 4, 19472

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WMSM4, 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.