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Rouge River at Detroit

Highest listed crest 21.40 ftFlood stage 15.0 ft47 crests since 1950

The Rouge River at Detroit crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 47 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1950 to 2024. The highest, 21.40 ft on June 26, 1968, was major flooding, 6.40 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Rouge River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
21.40 ft
June 26, 1968
Flood stage
15.0 ft
Major flooding from 20.0 ft
Crests at major
2
14th of 98 gauges in Michigan
Most recent flood crest
August 3, 2024
15.02 ft, minor flooding
Location
Wayne County
Near Dearborn Heights (3.0 mi), Dearborn (4.7 mi), Garden City (5.5 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Rouge River at Detroit
Action stage13.03Aug 4, 1995The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)15.040Aug 3, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage18.02Jun 26, 2021Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage20.02May 26, 2011Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

47 crests from 1950 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Rouge River at Detroit, 1950 to 2024 121416182022ft Flood stage 15.0 ftMajor 20.0 ft Apr 4, 1950: 15.60 ft, minor floodingApr 29, 1956: 16.29 ft, minor floodingJul 9, 1957: 16.07 ft, minor floodingFeb 10, 1965: 14.95 ft, action stageJun 26, 1968: 21.40 ft, major floodingSep 1, 1975: 15.48 ft, minor floodingJul 29, 1976: 16.52 ft, minor floodingApr 14, 1979: 15.43 ft, minor floodingOct 1, 1981: 19.92 ft, moderate floodingMay 2, 1983: 16.00 ft, minor floodingFeb 24, 1985: 16.00 ft, minor floodingJun 22, 1989: 17.72 ft, minor floodingFeb 23, 1990: 17.19 ft, minor floodingMay 26, 1991: 17.17 ft, minor flooding; 3,740 cubic feet per secondNov 13, 1992: 15.50 ft, minor floodingJan 5, 1993: 15.80 ft, minor floodingJan 28, 1994: 14.21 ft, action stage; 1,950 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 1995: 13.68 ft, action stage; 1,560 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1996: 15.96 ft, minor flooding; 2,610 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1997: 15.55 ft, minor flooding; 2,380 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1997: 15.32 ft, minor flooding; 2,260 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 1997: 16.58 ft, minor flooding; 2,720 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1998: 17.22 ft, minor flooding; 3,400 cubic feet per secondAug 6, 1998: 17.36 ft, minor flooding; 3,500 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1999: 15.18 ft, minor flooding; 2,190 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 2000: 15.00 ft, minor floodingSep 11, 2000: 15.90 ft, minor floodingFeb 10, 2001: 16.80 ft, minor flooding; 3,100 cubic feet per secondOct 17, 2001: 15.50 ft, minor floodingSep 15, 2008: 16.30 ft, minor flooding; 2,971 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 2009: 15.66 ft, minor flooding; 2,607 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2010: 15.02 ft, minor flooding; 2,270 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2011: 20.23 ft, major flooding; 5,908 cubic feet per secondNov 30, 2011: 16.40 ft, minor flooding; 3,029 cubic feet per secondAug 12, 2014: 17.51 ft, minor flooding; 3,746 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2015: 16.44 ft, minor flooding; 2,858 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 2016: 15.41 ft, minor flooding; 2,228 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 2018: 17.24 ft, minor flooding; 3,448 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2018: 16.09 ft, minor flooding; 2,597 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2018: 17.54 ft, minor flooding; 3,695 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 2020: 17.56 ft, minor flooding; 3,711 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2021: 18.94 ft, moderate flooding; 4,809 cubic feet per secondJul 25, 2021: 17.21 ft, minor flooding; 3,424 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 2022: 15.85 ft, minor flooding; 2,438 cubic feet per secondAug 25, 2023: 15.05 ft, minor flooding; 1,951 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 2024: 16.97 ft, minor flooding; 3,235 cubic feet per secondAug 3, 2024: 15.02 ft, minor flooding; 1,934 cubic feet per second Highest, 21.40 ft, Jun 26, 1968 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Rouge River at Detroit 1950s: 3 1960s: 1 1970s: 3 1980s: 4 1990s: 11 11 2000s: 6 2010s: 9 2020s: 7 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

Highest listed crests, Rouge River at Detroit
1Jun 26, 196821.40+6.40Major—
2May 26, 201120.23+5.23Major5,908
3Oct 1, 198119.92+4.92Moderate—
4Jun 26, 202118.94+3.94Moderate4,809
5Jun 22, 198917.72+2.72Minor—
6Jan 12, 202017.56+2.56Minor3,711
7May 13, 201817.54+2.54Minor3,695
8Aug 12, 201417.51+2.51Minor3,746
9Aug 6, 199817.36+2.36Minor3,500
10Feb 21, 201817.24+2.24Minor3,448
11Feb 18, 199817.22+2.22Minor3,400
12Jul 25, 202117.21+2.21Minor3,424
13Feb 23, 199017.19+2.19Minor—
14May 26, 199117.17+2.17Minor3,740
15Jan 27, 202416.97+1.97Minor3,235
16Feb 10, 200116.80+1.80Minor3,100
17Jul 3, 199716.58+1.58Minor2,720
18Jul 29, 197616.52+1.52Minor—
19Jun 1, 201516.44+1.44Minor2,858
20Nov 30, 201116.40+1.40Minor3,029
21Sep 15, 200816.30+1.30Minor2,971
22Apr 29, 195616.29+1.29Minor—
23Apr 16, 201816.09+1.09Minor2,597
24Jul 9, 195716.07+1.07Minor—
25May 2, 198316.00+1.00Minor—
26Feb 24, 198516.00+1.00Minor—
27Jun 19, 199615.96+0.96Minor2,610
28Sep 11, 200015.90+0.90Minor—
29Feb 18, 202215.85+0.85Minor2,438
30Jan 5, 199315.80+0.80Minor—
31Mar 9, 200915.66+0.66Minor2,607
32Apr 4, 195015.60+0.60Minor—
33Feb 2, 199715.55+0.55Minor2,380
34Nov 13, 199215.50+0.50Minor—
35Oct 17, 200115.50+0.50Minor—
36Sep 1, 197515.48+0.48Minor—
37Apr 14, 197915.43+0.43Minor—
38Sep 30, 201615.41+0.41Minor2,228
39Mar 14, 199715.32+0.32Minor2,260
40Apr 24, 199915.18+0.18Minor2,190
41Aug 25, 202315.05+0.05Minor1,951
42Jun 7, 201015.02+0.02Minor2,270
43Aug 3, 202415.02+0.02Minor1,934
44Jul 3, 200015.000.00Minor—
45Feb 10, 196514.95−0.05Action—
46Jan 28, 199414.21−0.79Action1,950
47Aug 4, 199513.68−1.32Action1,560

The worst floods along the Rouge River

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

June 26, 1968: 21.40 ft here, major flooding

  • SouthfieldMI · Jun 26, 1968 · 19.04 ft · Major · its highest
  • BirminghamMI · Jun 26, 1968 · 8.70 ft · Major · its highest

May 26, 2011: 20.23 ft here, major flooding

  • SouthfieldMI · May 26, 2011 · 14.16 ft · Moderate
  • BirminghamMI · May 26, 2011 · 5.98 ft · Minor

June 26, 2021: 18.94 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Rouge River

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

Flood gauges on the Rouge River
BirminghamMI5.58.70 ft, Jun 26, 19681
SouthfieldMI12.019.04 ft, Jun 26, 19681
Detroit this gaugeMI15.021.40 ft, Jun 26, 19682

Other gauges in Wayne County

Flood gauges in Wayne County
DEARBORN11.013.13 ft, Aug 25, 20232
Inkster10.014.41 ft, Apr 5, 19473
Dearborn Heights10.010.74 ft, May 13, 20040

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge DETM4, 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.