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Black River at Elyria

Highest listed crest 26.40 ftFlood stage 9.5 ft81 crests since 1946

The Black River at Elyria crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 81 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1946 to 2026. The highest, 26.40 ft on July 6, 1969, was major flooding, 16.90 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
26.40 ft
July 6, 1969; 51,700 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
9.5 ft
Major flooding from 20.0 ft
Crests at major
2
34th of 129 gauges in Ohio
Most recent flood crest
April 3, 2026
14.39 ft, minor flooding
Location
Lorain County
Near Elyria (0.1 mi), North Ridgeville (4.3 mi), Lorain (5.6 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Black River at Elyria
Action stage7.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)9.575Apr 3, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage17.04May 22, 2004Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage20.02Jul 6, 1969Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

81 crests from 1946 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Black River at Elyria, 1946 to 2026 51015202530ft Flood stage 9.5 ftMajor 20.0 ft Jun 18, 1946: 13.90 ft, minor flooding; 8,460 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1947: 14.29 ft, minor flooding; 8,930 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1948: 14.30 ft, minor flooding; 8,930 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1950: 14.96 ft, minor flooding; 9,770 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 1950: 12.78 ft, minor flooding; 7,470 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1952: 16.39 ft, minor flooding; 12,300 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1955: 12.02 ft, minor flooding; 6,240 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1956: 18.02 ft, moderate flooding; 14,900 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1957: 13.88 ft, minor flooding; 8,820 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1959: 22.90 ft, major flooding; 24,000 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1961: 13.41 ft, minor flooding; 8,200 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1963: 14.66 ft, minor flooding; 9,810 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1964: 12.65 ft, minor flooding; 7,290 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 1968: 14.95 ft, minor flooding; 10,200 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 1969: 26.40 ft, major flooding; 51,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 1971: 12.03 ft, minor flooding; 6,530 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1974: 12.91 ft, minor flooding; 7,410 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1975: 12.66 ft, minor flooding; 7,160 cubic feet per secondDec 15, 1977: 17.03 ft, moderate flooding; 13,400 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1979: 15.19 ft, minor flooding; 10,300 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 1979: 12.54 ft, minor flooding; 7,070 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1981: 13.10 ft, minor flooding; 7,680 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 1983: 12.51 ft, minor flooding; 7,210 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1984: 16.43 ft, minor flooding; 12,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1985: 16.97 ft, minor flooding; 13,500 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 1987: 14.26 ft, minor flooding; 9,350 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1989: 14.48 ft, minor flooding; 9,660 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1990: 12.84 ft, minor flooding; 7,590 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1990: 17.03 ft, moderate flooding; 13,600 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1992: 13.29 ft, minor flooding; 8,120 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1994: 15.53 ft, minor flooding; 11,200 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1995: 13.23 ft, minor flooding; 8,070 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1996: 14.09 ft, minor flooding; 9,120 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1997: 15.03 ft, minor flooding; 10,400 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1998: 15.03 ft, minor flooding; 10,400 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2000: 12.18 ft, minor flooding; 6,870 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2004: 17.29 ft, moderate flooding; 13,300 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 2005: 14.63 ft, minor flooding; 9,820 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2006: 16.86 ft, minor flooding; 12,600 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 2007: 15.21 ft, minor flooding; 10,696 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 2007: 14.61 ft, minor flooding; 9,836 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2007: 11.02 ft, minor flooding; 5,660 cubic feet per secondJul 23, 2007: 12.70 ft, minor flooding; 7,451 cubic feet per secondAug 22, 2007: 13.32 ft, minor flooding; 8,171 cubic feet per secondOct 31, 2007: 13.10 ft, minor flooding; 7,913 cubic feet per secondDec 13, 2007: 9.56 ft, minor flooding; 4,520 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 2008: 12.00 ft, minor flooding; 6,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2008: 16.71 ft, minor flooding; 12,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 2008: 9.50 ft, minor flooding; 4,470 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 2009: 15.77 ft, minor flooding; 11,100 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 2011: 16.99 ft, minor flooding; 12,700 cubic feet per secondDec 7, 2011: 12.94 ft, minor flooding; 7,890 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 2013: 16.51 ft, minor flooding; 12,100 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 2017: 9.75 ft, minor flooding; 4,820 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 2017: 10.44 ft, minor flooding; 5,430 cubic feet per secondNov 7, 2017: 13.30 ft, minor flooding; 8,282 cubic feet per secondNov 3, 2018: 14.18 ft, minor flooding; 9,260 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2019: 13.55 ft, minor flooding; 8,550 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 2019: 9.55 ft, minor flooding; 4,650 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 2019: 9.78 ft, minor flooding; 4,840 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 2019: 10.13 ft, minor flooding; 5,150 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 2019: 9.84 ft, minor flooding; 4,830 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 2020: 11.03 ft, minor flooding; 5,980 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2020: 15.61 ft, minor flooding; 10,900 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2020: 10.57 ft, minor flooding; 5,550 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 2020: 9.65 ft, minor flooding; 4,730 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2021: 10.50 ft, minor flooding; 5,490 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 2021: 13.94 ft, minor flooding; 8,990 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 2021: 10.28 ft, minor flooding; 5,290 cubic feet per secondJul 18, 2021: 16.64 ft, minor flooding; 12,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 2022: 13.44 ft, minor flooding; 8,430 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 2022: 11.26 ft, minor flooding; 6,140 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2022: 11.29 ft, minor flooding; 6,220 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2023: 10.86 ft, minor flooding; 5,810 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 2023: 10.35 ft, minor flooding; 5,350 cubic feet per secondAug 25, 2023: 15.52 ft, minor flooding; 10,800 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2024: 12.53 ft, minor flooding; 7,460 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2024: 9.90 ft, minor flooding; 4,950 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2025: 12.14 ft, minor flooding; 7,060 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2025: 9.69 ft, minor flooding; 4,770 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2026: 14.39 ft, minor flooding; 9,500 cubic feet per second Highest, 26.40 ft, Jul 6, 1969 1960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Black River at Elyria 1940s: 3 1950s: 7 1960s: 5 1970s: 6 1980s: 6 1990s: 8 2000s: 15 2010s: 12 2020s: 19 19 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 81 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Black River at Elyria
1Jul 6, 196926.40+16.90Major51,700
2Jan 22, 195922.90+13.40Major24,000
3May 13, 195618.02+8.52Moderate14,900
4May 22, 200417.29+7.79Moderate13,300
5Dec 15, 197717.03+7.53Moderate13,400
6Dec 31, 199017.03+7.53Moderate13,600
7Mar 1, 201116.99+7.49Minor12,700
8Feb 24, 198516.97+7.47Minor13,500
9Jun 23, 200616.86+7.36Minor12,600
10Feb 7, 200816.71+7.21Minor12,300
11Jul 18, 202116.64+7.14Minor12,200
12Jul 11, 201316.51+7.01Minor12,100
13Mar 22, 198416.43+6.93Minor12,600
14Jan 27, 195216.39+6.89Minor12,300
15Mar 9, 200915.77+6.27Minor11,100
16Mar 29, 202015.61+6.11Minor10,900
17Apr 13, 199415.53+6.03Minor11,200
18Aug 25, 202315.52+6.02Minor10,800
19Jan 7, 200715.21+5.71Minor10,696
20Mar 5, 197915.19+5.69Minor10,300
21Jun 2, 199715.03+5.53Minor10,400
22Jan 9, 199815.03+5.53Minor10,400
23Feb 14, 195014.96+5.46Minor9,770
24Jan 31, 196814.95+5.45Minor10,200
25Mar 7, 196314.66+5.16Minor9,810
26Jan 1, 200514.63+5.13Minor9,820
27Mar 3, 200714.61+5.11Minor9,836
28May 27, 198914.48+4.98Minor9,660
29Apr 3, 202614.39+4.89Minor9,500
30Mar 22, 194814.30+4.80Minor8,930
31Jun 3, 194714.29+4.79Minor8,930
32Jul 4, 198714.26+4.76Minor9,350
33Nov 3, 201814.18+4.68Minor9,260
34Jan 19, 199614.09+4.59Minor9,120
35May 11, 202113.94+4.44Minor8,990
36Jun 18, 194613.90+4.40Minor8,460
37Apr 5, 195713.88+4.38Minor8,820
38Jan 25, 201913.55+4.05Minor8,550
39Feb 19, 202213.44+3.94Minor8,430
40Apr 26, 196113.41+3.91Minor8,200
41Aug 22, 200713.32+3.82Minor8,171
42Nov 7, 201713.30+3.80Minor8,282
43Dec 31, 199213.29+3.79Minor8,120
44Jan 16, 199513.23+3.73Minor8,070
45Jun 15, 198113.10+3.60Minor7,680
46Oct 31, 200713.10+3.60Minor7,913
47Dec 7, 201112.94+3.44Minor7,890
48Jan 20, 197412.91+3.41Minor7,410
49Feb 16, 199012.84+3.34Minor7,590
50Dec 3, 195012.78+3.28Minor7,470

Other gauges in Lorain County

Flood gauges in Lorain County
Mill Hollow MP9.017.14 ft, Jul 6, 19694

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge ELRO1, 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.