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Rouge River at Southfield

Highest listed crest 19.04 ftFlood stage 12.0 ft26 crests since 1968

The Rouge River at Southfield crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 26 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1968 to 2021. The highest, 19.04 ft on June 26, 1968, was major flooding, 7.04 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
19.04 ft
June 26, 1968; 4,900 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
12.0 ft
Major flooding from 16.0 ft
Crests at major
1
26th of 98 gauges in Michigan
Most recent flood crest
June 27, 2021
12.68 ft, minor flooding
Location
Oakland County
Near Southfield (2.7 mi), Farmington (4.2 mi), Farmington Hills (4.8 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 Southfield
Action stage11.03Apr 23, 1999The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.021Jun 27, 2021Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage14.01May 26, 2011Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage16.01Jun 26, 1968Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

26 crests from 1968 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Rouge River at Southfield, 1968 to 2021 101214161820ft Flood stage 12.0 ftMajor 16.0 ft Jun 26, 1968: 19.04 ft, major flooding; 4,900 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1994: 11.33 ft, action stage; 1,290 cubic feet per secondAug 3, 1995: 11.00 ft, action stage; 1,180 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1996: 13.89 ft, minor flooding; 2,250 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 1997: 12.36 ft, minor flooding; 1,550 cubic feet per secondAug 6, 1998: 13.95 ft, minor flooding; 2,430 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1999: 11.96 ft, action stage; 1,400 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 2000: 12.46 ft, minor flooding; 1,520 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 2001: 13.52 ft, minor flooding; 1,970 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 2007: 12.03 ft, minor flooding; 1,241 cubic feet per secondSep 15, 2008: 13.36 ft, minor flooding; 1,847 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 2009: 12.06 ft, minor flooding; 1,254 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 2009: 12.32 ft, minor flooding; 1,361 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2009: 12.13 ft, minor floodingApr 21, 2009: 12.15 ft, minor flooding; 1,290 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2010: 12.56 ft, minor flooding; 1,466 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2011: 14.16 ft, moderate flooding; 2,265 cubic feet per secondNov 30, 2011: 12.72 ft, minor flooding; 1,538 cubic feet per secondAug 12, 2014: 12.66 ft, minor flooding; 1,510 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2015: 12.41 ft, minor flooding; 1,465 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 2018: 13.36 ft, minor flooding; 1,872 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2018: 12.31 ft, minor flooding; 1,361 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2018: 13.50 ft, minor flooding; 1,945 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 2020: 13.85 ft, minor flooding; 2,137 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2020: 13.39 ft, minor flooding; 1,887 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2021: 12.68 ft, minor flooding; 1,533 cubic feet per second Highest, 19.04 ft, Jun 26, 1968 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Rouge River at Southfield 1960s: 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 3 2000s: 8 8 2010s: 8 2020s: 3 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 Southfield
1Jun 26, 196819.04+7.04Major4,900
2May 26, 201114.16+2.16Moderate2,265
3Aug 6, 199813.95+1.95Minor2,430
4Jun 19, 199613.89+1.89Minor2,250
5Jan 12, 202013.85+1.85Minor2,137
6Feb 10, 200113.52+1.52Minor1,970
7May 12, 201813.50+1.50Minor1,945
8May 19, 202013.39+1.39Minor1,887
9Sep 15, 200813.36+1.36Minor1,847
10Feb 21, 201813.36+1.36Minor1,872
11Nov 30, 201112.72+0.72Minor1,538
12Jun 27, 202112.68+0.68Minor1,533
13Aug 12, 201412.66+0.66Minor1,510
14Jun 6, 201012.56+0.56Minor1,466
15Jun 25, 200012.46+0.46Minor1,520
16May 31, 201512.41+0.41Minor1,465
17Jul 3, 199712.36+0.36Minor1,550
18Mar 9, 200912.32+0.32Minor1,361
19Apr 16, 201812.31+0.31Minor1,361
20Apr 21, 200912.15+0.15Minor1,290
21Mar 14, 200912.13+0.13Minor—
22Feb 12, 200912.06+0.06Minor1,254
23Mar 2, 200712.03+0.03Minor1,241
24Apr 23, 199911.96−0.04Action1,400
25Mar 21, 199411.33−0.67Action1,290
26Aug 3, 199511.00−1.00Action1,180

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: 19.04 ft here, major flooding

  • DetroitMI · Jun 26, 1968 · 21.40 ft · Major · its highest
  • BirminghamMI · Jun 26, 1968 · 8.70 ft · Major · its highest

May 26, 2011: 14.16 ft here, moderate flooding

  • DetroitMI · May 26, 2011 · 20.23 ft · Major
  • BirminghamMI · May 26, 2011 · 5.98 ft · Minor

August 6, 1998: 13.95 ft here, minor flooding

  • DetroitMI · Aug 6, 1998 · 17.36 ft · Minor

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
Southfield this gaugeMI12.019.04 ft, Jun 26, 19681
DetroitMI15.021.40 ft, Jun 26, 19682

Other gauges in Oakland County

Flood gauges in Oakland County
Birmingham5.58.70 ft, Jun 26, 19681

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SFRM4, 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.