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Big Creek at Cleveland

Highest listed crest 16.20 ftFlood stage 11.0 ft19 crests since 1973

The Big Creek at Cleveland crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 19 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1973 to 2023. The highest, 16.20 ft on August 24, 1975, was major flooding, 5.20 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
16.20 ft
August 24, 1975; 9,100 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
11.0 ft
Major flooding from 13.0 ft
Crests at major
5
16th of 129 gauges in Ohio
Most recent flood crest
July 21, 2023
12.92 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Cuyahoga County
Near Brooklyn (1.8 mi), Cleveland (2.9 mi), Parma (4.6 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Big Creek at Cleveland
Action stage9.04Jun 23, 2015The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)11.05Apr 15, 2018Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage12.05Jul 21, 2023Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage13.05Sep 7, 2020Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

19 crests from 1973 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Big Creek at Cleveland, 1973 to 2023 81012141618ft Flood stage 11.0 ftMajor 13.0 ft Jul 20, 1973: 10.77 ft, action stage; 3,920 cubic feet per secondAug 24, 1975: 16.20 ft, major flooding; 9,100 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 1976: 14.44 ft, major flooding; 6,850 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 1977: 10.19 ft, action stage; 3,600 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 1979: 10.31 ft, action stage; 3,670 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1981: 11.50 ft, minor flooding; 4,370 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1983: 12.96 ft, moderate flooding; 5,470 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 1984: 12.55 ft, moderate flooding; 5,140 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1985: 11.19 ft, minor flooding; 4,170 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1986: 12.85 ft, moderate flooding; 5,380 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2015: 9.78 ft, action stage; 3,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2017: 11.46 ft, minor flooding; 4,570 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 2017: 11.34 ft, minor flooding; 4,460 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2018: 11.83 ft, minor flooding; 4,970 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2020: 13.38 ft, major flooding; 7,250 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 2020: 13.26 ft, major flooding; 7,060 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 2020: 13.82 ft, major flooding; 8,000 cubic feet per secondOct 21, 2020: 12.32 ft, moderate flooding; 5,630 cubic feet per secondJul 21, 2023: 12.92 ft, moderate flooding; 6,510 cubic feet per second Highest, 16.20 ft, Aug 24, 1975 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Big Creek at Cleveland 1970s: 2 1980s: 5 5 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 3 2020s: 5 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, Big Creek at Cleveland
1Aug 24, 197516.20+5.20Major9,100
2Sep 17, 197614.44+3.44Major6,850
3Sep 7, 202013.82+2.82Major8,000
4Mar 29, 202013.38+2.38Major7,250
5May 15, 202013.26+2.26Major7,060
6Jul 2, 198312.96+1.96Moderate5,470
7Jul 21, 202312.92+1.92Moderate6,510
8Jun 15, 198612.85+1.85Moderate5,380
9Aug 13, 198412.55+1.55Moderate5,140
10Oct 21, 202012.32+1.32Moderate5,630
11Apr 15, 201811.83+0.83Minor4,970
12Jun 9, 198111.50+0.50Minor4,370
13Feb 7, 201711.46+0.46Minor4,570
14Jun 30, 201711.34+0.34Minor4,460
15Mar 28, 198511.19+0.19Minor4,170
16Jul 20, 197310.77−0.23Action3,920
17Dec 25, 197910.31−0.69Action3,670
18Dec 14, 197710.19−0.81Action3,600
19Jun 23, 20159.78−1.22Action3,500

Other gauges in Cuyahoga County

Flood gauges in Cuyahoga County
Independence17.023.29 ft, Jun 23, 20068
Garfield Parkway7.512.00 ft, Mar 29, 20201
Berea14.020.90 ft, Mar 25, 19132
Bedford9.510.10 ft, Jul 20, 19690
Parma 3SE10.010.93 ft, May 12, 20140

Cuyahoga County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Ohio

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BIGO1, 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.