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Blanchard River at Findlay

Highest listed crest 18.46 ftFlood stage 12.0 ft71 crests since 1926

The Blanchard River at Findlay crested at major flood stage 15 times among the 71 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1926 to 2026. The highest, 18.46 ft on August 22, 2007, was major flooding, 6.46 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Blanchard River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
18.46 ft
August 22, 2007; 15,649 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
12.0 ft
Major flooding from 14.5 ft
Crests at major
15
2nd of 129 gauges in Ohio
Most recent flood crest
April 2, 2026
12.59 ft, minor flooding
Location
Hancock County
Near Findlay (2.7 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Blanchard River at Findlay
Action stage9.020Apr 6, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.031Apr 2, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage13.55Jun 2, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage14.515Jul 14, 2017Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

71 crests from 1926 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Blanchard River at Findlay, 1926 to 2026 101214161820ft Flood stage 12.0 ftMajor 14.5 ft Sep 5, 1926: 11.10 ft, action stage; 4,380 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1927: 13.20 ft, minor flooding; 7,460 cubic feet per secondDec 1, 1927: 15.40 ft, major flooding; 11,800 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1929: 12.10 ft, minor flooding; 6,010 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 1930: 14.00 ft, moderate flooding; 8,580 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1933: 11.89 ft, action stage; 5,760 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 1936: 12.63 ft, minor flooding; 6,660 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1942: 11.80 ft, action stage; 5,760 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1944: 11.30 ft, action stage; 5,340 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1945: 12.20 ft, minor flooding; 6,140 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1946: 12.40 ft, minor flooding; 6,400 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1947: 13.73 ft, moderate flooding; 8,160 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 1950: 14.71 ft, major flooding; 10,200 cubic feet per secondNov 21, 1950: 11.28 ft, action stage; 4,900 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1952: 13.01 ft, minor flooding; 7,020 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1955: 11.46 ft, action stage; 5,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1956: 11.10 ft, action stage; 4,700 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1957: 12.72 ft, minor flooding; 6,580 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1959: 16.10 ft, major floodingFeb 11, 1959: 16.76 ft, major flooding; 12,100 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1961: 11.95 ft, action stage; 5,620 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1963: 13.44 ft, minor flooding; 7,660 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 1966: 13.25 ft, minor flooding; 7,410 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1967: 11.91 ft, action stage; 5,710 cubic feet per secondJan 30, 1968: 11.94 ft, action stage; 4,590 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1969: 12.51 ft, minor flooding; 6,410 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1972: 12.04 ft, minor flooding; 5,850 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1973: 12.85 ft, minor flooding; 6,850 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1974: 13.25 ft, minor flooding; 7,410 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1975: 14.28 ft, moderate flooding; 8,860 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1976: 12.95 ft, minor flooding; 7,070 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1978: 12.42 ft, minor flooding; 6,400 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1979: 12.33 ft, minor flooding; 6,300 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1980: 11.17 ft, action stage; 4,980 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1981: 17.43 ft, major flooding; 13,000 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1982: 12.35 ft, minor flooding; 6,320 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1984: 12.51 ft, minor flooding; 6,510 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1985: 12.40 ft, minor flooding; 6,380 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1990: 11.15 ft, action stage; 4,960 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1990: 14.85 ft, major flooding; 9,670 cubic feet per secondJul 15, 1992: 11.74 ft, action stage; 5,610 cubic feet per secondNov 13, 1992: 11.96 ft, action stage; 5,020 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 1994: 11.23 ft, action stage; 4,420 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1996: 12.31 ft, minor flooding; 5,340 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1997: 15.42 ft, major flooding; 9,630 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 1998: 12.21 ft, minor flooding; 5,990 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1999: 11.23 ft, action stage; 5,060 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 2002: 11.80 ft, action stage; 5,590 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 2003: 13.16 ft, minor flooding; 7,710 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2004: 12.21 ft, minor flooding; 6,754 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 2005: 12.79 ft, minor flooding; 7,290 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 2006: 14.70 ft, major flooding; 9,616 cubic feet per secondJan 6, 2007: 14.78 ft, major flooding; 9,718 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 2007: 12.50 ft, minor flooding; 7,022 cubic feet per secondAug 22, 2007: 18.46 ft, major flooding; 15,649 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2008: 11.23 ft, action stage; 4,520 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2008: 16.50 ft, major flooding; 10,500 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 2009: 15.41 ft, major flooding; 8,930 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 2011: 16.34 ft, major flooding; 10,200 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2013: 14.09 ft, moderate flooding; 7,350 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 2013: 12.42 ft, minor flooding; 5,580 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 2013: 15.58 ft, major floodingJun 17, 2015: 13.02 ft, minor flooding; 6,180 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2017: 12.37 ft, minor flooding; 5,530 cubic feet per secondJul 14, 2017: 16.53 ft, major flooding; 10,100 cubic feet per secondNov 19, 2017: 13.04 ft, minor flooding; 6,030 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2019: 14.06 ft, moderate flooding; 6,990 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2020: 11.81 ft, action stage; 5,040 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 2021: 12.60 ft, minor flooding; 5,760 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2025: 10.62 ft, action stage; 4,270 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 2026: 12.59 ft, minor flooding; 5,749 cubic feet per second Highest, 18.46 ft, Aug 22, 2007 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Blanchard River at Findlay 1920s: 3 1930s: 2 1940s: 3 1950s: 5 1960s: 3 1970s: 7 1980s: 4 1990s: 4 2000s: 9 9 2010s: 9 2020s: 2 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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.
  3. 1 crest measured on an earlier gauge datum is left out: 18.50 ft on Mar 25, 1913.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 71 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Blanchard River at Findlay
1Aug 22, 200718.46+6.46Major15,649
2Jun 14, 198117.43+5.43Major13,000
3Feb 11, 195916.76+4.76Major12,100
4Jul 14, 201716.53+4.53Major10,100
5Feb 7, 200816.50+4.50Major10,500
6Mar 1, 201116.34+4.34Major10,200
7Jan 22, 195916.10+4.10Major—
8Dec 22, 201315.58+3.58Major—
9Jun 2, 199715.42+3.42Major9,630
10Mar 9, 200915.41+3.41Major8,930
11Dec 1, 192715.40+3.40Major11,800
12Dec 31, 199014.85+2.85Major9,670
13Jan 6, 200714.78+2.78Major9,718
14Feb 15, 195014.71+2.71Major10,200
15Dec 2, 200614.70+2.70Major9,616
16Feb 24, 197514.28+2.28Moderate8,860
17Apr 12, 201314.09+2.09Moderate7,350
18Jun 2, 201914.06+2.06Moderate6,990
19Jan 15, 193014.00+2.00Moderate8,580
20Jun 8, 194713.73+1.73Moderate8,160
21Mar 6, 196313.44+1.44Minor7,660
22Jul 13, 196613.25+1.25Minor7,410
23Jan 20, 197413.25+1.25Minor7,410
24Mar 21, 192713.20+1.20Minor7,460
25May 10, 200313.16+1.16Minor7,710
26Nov 19, 201713.04+1.04Minor6,030
27Jun 17, 201513.02+1.02Minor6,180
28Jan 27, 195213.01+1.01Minor7,020
29Feb 17, 197612.95+0.95Minor7,070
30May 27, 197312.85+0.85Minor6,850
31Jan 13, 200512.79+0.79Minor7,290
32Apr 6, 195712.72+0.72Minor6,580
33Feb 27, 193612.63+0.63Minor6,660
34May 10, 202112.60+0.60Minor5,760
35Apr 2, 202612.59+0.59Minor5,749
36May 19, 196912.51+0.51Minor6,410
37Apr 23, 198412.51+0.51Minor6,510
38Mar 2, 200712.50+0.50Minor7,022
39Mar 17, 197812.42+0.42Minor6,400
40Jul 11, 201312.42+0.42Minor5,580
41Jun 18, 194612.40+0.40Minor6,400
42Feb 24, 198512.40+0.40Minor6,380
43May 6, 201712.37+0.37Minor5,530
44Mar 13, 198212.35+0.35Minor6,320
45Apr 14, 197912.33+0.33Minor6,300
46Jan 20, 199612.31+0.31Minor5,340
47Jan 8, 199812.21+0.21Minor5,990
48May 22, 200412.21+0.21Minor6,754
49Jun 20, 194512.20+0.20Minor6,140
50Jan 19, 192912.10+0.10Minor6,010

The worst floods along the Blanchard River

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

August 22, 2007: 18.46 ft here, major flooding

  • OttawaOH · Aug 23, 2007 · 31.40 ft · Major

June 14, 1981: 17.43 ft here, major flooding

  • OttawaOH · Jun 15, 1981 · 29.75 ft · Moderate

February 11, 1959: 16.76 ft here, major flooding

  • OttawaOH · Feb 11, 1959 · 29.72 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Blanchard River

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

Flood gauges on the Blanchard River
Mt BlanchardOH14.015.34 ft, Mar 1, 20111
Findlay this gaugeOH12.018.46 ft, Aug 22, 200715
OttawaOH23.033.30 ft, Mar 25, 19132

Other gauges in Hancock County

Flood gauges in Hancock County
Mt Blanchard14.015.34 ft, Mar 1, 20111
Findlay9.013.38 ft, Jun 7, 194715
Findlay6.07.88 ft, Jul 13, 20170

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge FDYO1, 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.