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St. Joseph River (MI/IN) at Burlington

Highest listed crest 6.93 ftFlood stage 6.5 ft35 crests since 1992

The St. Joseph River (MI/IN) at Burlington crested above flood stage 8 times among the 35 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1992 to 2024. The highest, 6.93 ft on February 22, 2018, was minor flooding, 0.43 feet above flood stage. 4 other gauges on the St. Joseph River (MI/IN) crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
6.93 ft
February 22, 2018; 1,190 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
6.5 ft
Major flooding from 11.0 ft
Crests at major
0
8 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
July 12, 2024
6.50 ft, minor flooding
Location
Calhoun County
Near Coldwater (11.6 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, St. Joseph River (MI/IN) at Burlington
Action stage6.011Feb 24, 2022The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)6.58Jul 12, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage9.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage11.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

35 crests from 1992 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the St. Joseph River (MI/IN) at Burlington, 1992 to 2024 4681012ft Flood stage 6.5 ftMajor 11.0 ft Apr 29, 1992: 4.34 ft, below flood stage; 260 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 1993: 6.21 ft, action stage; 797 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1994: 5.27 ft, below flood stage; 390 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1995: 4.53 ft, below flood stage; 302 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1996: 5.72 ft, below flood stage; 630 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1997: 6.16 ft, action stage; 779 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1998: 5.81 ft, below flood stage; 659 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 1998: 5.95 ft, below flood stageApr 24, 1999: 5.47 ft, below flood stage; 558 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2000: 5.87 ft, below flood stage; 681 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 2001: 6.64 ft, minor floodingMay 18, 2002: 5.47 ft, below flood stage; 555 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2003: 4.80 ft, below flood stage; 372 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2004: 5.23 ft, below flood stage; 486 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 2005: 6.04 ft, action stage; 738 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2006: 5.26 ft, below flood stage; 494 cubic feet per secondJan 6, 2007: 5.91 ft, below flood stage; 695 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2008: 6.78 ft, minor flooding; 1,013 cubic feet per secondSep 16, 2008: 6.83 ft, minor flooding; 1,130 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2009: 6.50 ft, minor flooding; 973 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2010: 6.08 ft, action stage; 786 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2011: 6.13 ft, action stage; 705 cubic feet per secondDec 6, 2011: 6.17 ft, action stage; 721 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 2013: 6.51 ft, minor flooding; 954 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2014: 6.07 ft, action stage; 761 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2015: 6.03 ft, action stage; 745 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2016: 4.95 ft, below flood stage; 343 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 2017: 6.27 ft, action stage; 766 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 2018: 6.93 ft, minor flooding; 1,190 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2019: 6.07 ft, action stage; 708 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2020: 6.70 ft, minor flooding; 1,000 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 2021: 5.12 ft, below flood stage; 373 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 2022: 6.41 ft, action stage; 810 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 2023: 5.98 ft, below flood stage; 676 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 2024: 6.50 ft, minor flooding; 909 cubic feet per second Highest, 6.93 ft, Feb 22, 2018 200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, St. Joseph River (MI/IN) at Burlington 1990s: 0 2000s: 4 4 2010s: 2 2020s: 2 1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, St. Joseph River (MI/IN) at Burlington
1Feb 22, 20186.93+0.43Minor1,190
2Sep 16, 20086.83+0.33Minor1,130
3Feb 14, 20086.78+0.28Minor1,013
4May 19, 20206.70+0.20Minor1,000
5Feb 11, 20016.64+0.14Minor—
6Apr 24, 20136.51+0.01Minor954
7Mar 11, 20096.500.00Minor973
8Jul 12, 20246.500.00Minor909
9Feb 24, 20226.41−0.09Action810
10Apr 7, 20176.27−0.23Action766
11Jan 5, 19936.21−0.29Action797
12Dec 6, 20116.17−0.33Action721
13Feb 28, 19976.16−0.34Action779
14May 31, 20116.13−0.37Action705
15May 23, 20106.08−0.42Action786
16Mar 22, 20146.07−0.43Action761
17May 8, 20196.07−0.43Action708
18Jan 14, 20056.04−0.46Action738
19Jun 16, 20156.03−0.47Action745
20Mar 7, 20235.98−0.52Below flood stage676
21Jan 15, 19985.95−0.55Below flood stage—
22Jan 6, 20075.91−0.59Below flood stage695
23Jun 26, 20005.87−0.63Below flood stage681
24Jan 9, 19985.81−0.69Below flood stage659
25May 16, 19965.72−0.78Below flood stage630
26Apr 24, 19995.47−1.03Below flood stage558
27May 18, 20025.47−1.03Below flood stage555
28Feb 22, 19945.27−1.23Below flood stage390
29Mar 14, 20065.26−1.24Below flood stage494
30Jun 18, 20045.23−1.27Below flood stage486
31Jul 1, 20215.12−1.38Below flood stage373
32May 2, 20164.95−1.55Below flood stage343
33Apr 5, 20034.80−1.70Below flood stage372
34Mar 13, 19954.53−1.97Below flood stage302
35Apr 29, 19924.34−2.16Below flood stage260

The worst floods along the St. Joseph River (MI/IN)

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the St. Joseph River (MI/IN) that crested above flood stage within a week.

February 22, 2018: 6.93 ft here, minor flooding

  • NilesMI · Feb 22, 2018 · 17.33 ft · Major · its highest
  • South BendIN · Feb 22, 2018 · 12.70 ft · Major · its highest
  • Three RiversMI · Feb 24, 2018 · 11.37 ft · Major
  • MottvilleMI · Feb 24, 2018 · 10.17 ft · Major

September 16, 2008: 6.83 ft here, minor flooding

  • Three RiversMI · Sep 17, 2008 · 9.29 ft · Moderate
  • NilesMI · Sep 15, 2008 · 12.22 ft · Minor
  • South BendIN · Sep 16, 2008 · 6.70 ft · Minor

February 14, 2008: 6.78 ft here, minor flooding

  • South BendIN · Feb 7, 2008 · 8.90 ft · Moderate
  • NilesMI · Feb 7, 2008 · 13.40 ft · Minor
  • Three RiversMI · Feb 9, 2008 · 8.12 ft · Minor

Gauges on the St. Joseph River (MI/IN)

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

Flood gauges on the St. Joseph River (MI/IN)
Burlington this gaugeMI6.56.93 ft, Feb 22, 20180
Three RiversMI7.011.80 ft, Jun 3, 19892
MottvilleMI8.010.76 ft, Apr 27, 19503
ElkhartIN24.030.00 ft, Mar 8, 19081
South BendIN5.512.70 ft, Feb 22, 20186
NilesMI11.017.33 ft, Feb 22, 20182

Other gauges in Calhoun County

Flood gauges in Calhoun County
Battle Creek4.04.48 ft, Apr 7, 19470
Marshall8.08.20 ft, Mar 29, 19500

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BURM4, 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.