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Thornapple River at Caledonia

Highest listed crest 14.40 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft71 crests since 1947

The Thornapple River at Caledonia crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 71 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1947 to 2024. The highest, 14.40 ft on April 7, 1947, was major flooding, 4.40 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Thornapple River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
14.40 ft
April 7, 1947
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 14.0 ft
Crests at major
1
26th of 98 gauges in Michigan
Most recent flood crest
April 6, 2023
11.35 ft, minor flooding
Location
Kent County
Near Kentwood (7.5 mi), East Grand Rapids (11.3 mi), Wyoming (12.6 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Thornapple River at Caledonia
Action stage8.031Jan 30, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.011Apr 6, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage12.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage14.01Apr 7, 1947Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

71 crests from 1947 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Thornapple River at Caledonia, 1947 to 2024 46810121416ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 14.0 ft Apr 7, 1947: 14.40 ft, major floodingApr 13, 1952: 8.96 ft, action stage; 3,700 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1953: 5.36 ft, below flood stage; 1,190 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1954: 7.62 ft, below flood stage; 2,710 cubic feet per secondOct 6, 1954: 7.44 ft, below flood stage; 2,570 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1956: 10.79 ft, minor flooding; 6,290 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1957: 8.35 ft, action stage; 3,480 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1958: 6.41 ft, below flood stage; 1,930 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1959: 8.27 ft, action stage; 3,410 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1960: 10.60 ft, minor flooding; 5,920 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1961: 5.97 ft, below flood stage; 1,630 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1962: 8.28 ft, action stage; 3,420 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1963: 6.14 ft, below flood stage; 1,740 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1964: 4.61 ft, below flood stage; 761 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1965: 8.78 ft, action stage; 3,880 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 1966: 6.18 ft, below flood stage; 1,770 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1967: 7.21 ft, below flood stage; 2,510 cubic feet per secondFeb 5, 1968: 8.38 ft, action stage; 3,260 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 1969: 7.03 ft, below flood stage; 2,670 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1970: 7.76 ft, below flood stage; 3,060 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 1971: 7.62 ft, below flood stage; 3,150 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1972: 7.96 ft, below flood stage; 3,420 cubic feet per secondJan 3, 1973: 8.93 ft, action stage; 4,900 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1975: 10.96 ft, minor flooding; 6,140 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1976: 9.25 ft, action stage; 4,520 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1977: 5.55 ft, below flood stage; 1,580 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1978: 7.68 ft, below flood stage; 3,180 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1979: 9.86 ft, action stage; 5,070 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1980: 5.99 ft, below flood stage; 1,890 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1981: 8.94 ft, action stage; 4,250 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 1984: 7.11 ft, below flood stage; 2,540 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 1985: 11.43 ft, minor flooding; 6,700 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1986: 9.87 ft, action stage; 5,080 cubic feet per secondOct 5, 1986: 9.59 ft, action stage; 4,830 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 1987: 7.80 ft, below flood stage; 3,240 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1989: 9.82 ft, action stage; 5,040 cubic feet per secondDec 1, 1990: 9.44 ft, action stage; 4,680 cubic feet per secondDec 1, 1991: 7.07 ft, below flood stage; 2,390 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 1993: 9.10 ft, action stageApr 23, 1993: 9.58 ft, action stage; 4,810 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1994: 8.11 ft, action stage; 3,500 cubic feet per secondNov 7, 1994: 7.31 ft, below flood stage; 2,850 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1996: 8.45 ft, action stage; 3,780 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1997: 10.60 ft, minor flooding; 5,820 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1998: 7.14 ft, below flood stage; 2,720 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1999: 8.58 ft, action stage; 3,900 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2000: 9.79 ft, action stage; 5,010 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 2001: 9.37 ft, action stage; 4,610 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 2002: 7.45 ft, below flood stage; 2,960 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 2003: 6.37 ft, below flood stage; 2,130 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2004: 11.21 ft, minor flooding; 6,460 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 2005: 9.15 ft, action stage; 4,410 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2006: 7.11 ft, below flood stage; 2,700 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2007: 8.17 ft, action stage; 3,540 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 2008: 9.47 ft, action stage; 4,710 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2008: 10.33 ft, minor flooding; 5,960 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2010: 8.70 ft, action stage; 4,250 cubic feet per secondAug 1, 2011: 9.00 ft, action stage; 4,560 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 2012: 7.16 ft, below flood stage; 2,810 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2013: 11.69 ft, minor flooding; 7,440 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 2014: 7.52 ft, below flood stage; 3,120 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 2015: 7.05 ft, below flood stage; 2,710 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 2016: 7.17 ft, below flood stage; 2,820 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2017: 9.87 ft, action stage; 5,190 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 2018: 11.79 ft, minor flooding; 7,560 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2019: 8.20 ft, action stage; 3,760 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2020: 11.50 ft, minor flooding; 7,230 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2021: 8.73 ft, action stage; 3,870 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 2022: 8.01 ft, action stage; 3,360 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2023: 11.35 ft, minor flooding; 6,830 cubic feet per secondJan 30, 2024: 8.14 ft, action stage; 3,450 cubic feet per second Highest, 14.40 ft, Apr 7, 1947 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Thornapple River at Caledonia 1940s: 1 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 1 2000s: 2 2 2010s: 2 2020s: 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

The 50 highest of 71 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Thornapple River at Caledonia
1Apr 7, 194714.40+4.40Major—
2Feb 24, 201811.79+1.79Minor7,560
3Apr 19, 201311.69+1.69Minor7,440
4May 21, 202011.50+1.50Minor7,230
5Feb 27, 198511.43+1.43Minor6,700
6Apr 6, 202311.35+1.35Minor6,830
7May 26, 200411.21+1.21Minor6,460
8Apr 22, 197510.96+0.96Minor6,140
9May 10, 195610.79+0.79Minor6,290
10Apr 2, 196010.60+0.60Minor5,920
11Feb 22, 199710.60+0.60Minor5,820
12Dec 28, 200810.33+0.33Minor5,960
13Mar 15, 19869.87−0.13Action5,080
14Apr 9, 20179.87−0.13Action5,190
15Mar 9, 19799.86−0.14Action5,070
16Jun 4, 19899.82−0.18Action5,040
17May 19, 20009.79−0.21Action5,010
18Oct 5, 19869.59−0.41Action4,830
19Apr 23, 19939.58−0.42Action4,810
20Jun 11, 20089.47−0.53Action4,710
21Dec 1, 19909.44−0.56Action4,680
22Feb 15, 20019.37−0.63Action4,610
23Mar 8, 19769.25−0.75Action4,520
24Jan 16, 20059.15−0.85Action4,410
25Jan 5, 19939.10−0.90Action—
26Aug 1, 20119.00−1.00Action4,560
27Apr 13, 19528.96−1.04Action3,700
28Feb 22, 19818.94−1.06Action4,250
29Jan 3, 19738.93−1.07Action4,900
30Apr 10, 19658.78−1.22Action3,880
31Jun 27, 20218.73−1.27Action3,870
32Mar 15, 20108.70−1.30Action4,250
33Apr 24, 19998.58−1.42Action3,900
34Jun 22, 19968.45−1.55Action3,780
35Feb 5, 19688.38−1.62Action3,260
36May 22, 19578.35−1.65Action3,480
37Mar 22, 19628.28−1.72Action3,420
38Mar 21, 19598.27−1.73Action3,410
39Mar 15, 20198.20−1.80Action3,760
40Mar 14, 20078.17−1.83Action3,540
41Jan 30, 20248.14−1.86Action3,450
42Feb 24, 19948.11−1.89Action3,500
43Feb 24, 20228.01−1.99Action3,360
44Apr 19, 19727.96−2.04Below flood stage3,420
45Dec 21, 19877.80−2.20Below flood stage3,240
46Apr 13, 19707.76−2.24Below flood stage3,060
47Mar 26, 19787.68−2.32Below flood stage3,180
48Mar 26, 19547.62−2.38Below flood stage2,710
49Feb 27, 19717.62−2.38Below flood stage3,150
50Mar 24, 20147.52−2.48Below flood stage3,120

The worst floods along the Thornapple River

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

April 7, 1947: 14.40 ft here, major flooding

  • HastingsMI · Apr 7, 1947 · 10.20 ft · Major · its highest

February 24, 2018: 11.79 ft here, minor flooding

  • HastingsMI · Feb 23, 2018 · 9.79 ft · Moderate

April 19, 2013: 11.69 ft here, minor flooding

  • HastingsMI · Apr 20, 2013 · 8.77 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Thornapple River

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

Flood gauges on the Thornapple River
HastingsMI7.010.20 ft, Apr 7, 19471
Caledonia this gaugeMI10.014.40 ft, Apr 7, 19471

Other gauges in Kent County

Flood gauges in Kent County
Wilson Avenue at Grandville9.010.76 ft, Apr 18, 20130
Ada20.022.81 ft, Apr 21, 20130
Comstock Park12.017.80 ft, Apr 21, 201310
Grand Rapids18.021.85 ft, Apr 21, 20130
Lowell15.019.02 ft, Apr 21, 20130
Rockford8.011.35 ft, Sep 12, 19861

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CLDM4, 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.