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Maumee River at Napoleon

Highest listed crest 25.00 ftFlood stage 12.0 ft22 crests since 1910

The Maumee River at Napoleon crested at major flood stage 7 times among the 22 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1910 to 2018. The highest, 25.00 ft on March 27, 1913, was major flooding, 13.00 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Maumee River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
25.00 ft
March 27, 1913
Flood stage
12.0 ft
Major flooding from 17.0 ft
Crests at major
7
12th of 129 gauges in Ohio
Most recent flood crest
February 25, 2018
12.21 ft, minor flooding
Location
Henry County
Near Defiance (14.2 mi)
Identifiers
NWS CPBO1
No USGS station

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Maumee River at Napoleon
Action stage10.02Dec 3, 2006The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.06Feb 25, 2018Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage15.07Jun 29, 2015Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage17.07Jan 1, 1991Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

22 crests from 1910 to 2018. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Maumee River at Napoleon, 1910 to 2018 10152025ft Flood stage 12.0 ftMajor 17.0 ft Mar 2, 1910: 18.80 ft, major floodingMar 20, 1912: 18.00 ft, major floodingMar 27, 1913: 25.00 ft, major floodingFeb 14, 1918: 19.50 ft, major floodingFeb 16, 1950: 16.00 ft, moderate floodingFeb 11, 1959: 19.50 ft, major floodingJun 16, 1981: 13.94 ft, minor floodingMar 15, 1982: 17.54 ft, major floodingFeb 26, 1985: 15.99 ft, moderate floodingJan 1, 1991: 17.13 ft, major floodingMar 15, 2003: 14.45 ft, minor floodingMay 11, 2003: 13.05 ft, minor floodingJun 15, 2004: 12.80 ft, minor floodingJan 14, 2005: 16.65 ft, moderate floodingDec 30, 2005: 11.17 ft, action stageDec 3, 2006: 11.25 ft, action stageJan 16, 2007: 12.69 ft, minor floodingMar 11, 2009: 16.70 ft, moderate flooding; 72,600 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2011: 15.40 ft, moderate flooding; 64,403 cubic feet per secondDec 1, 2011: 15.50 ft, moderate flooding; 65,000 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 2015: 16.26 ft, moderate flooding; 69,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2018: 12.21 ft, minor flooding; 46,420 cubic feet per second Highest, 25.00 ft, Mar 27, 1913 19201940196019802000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Maumee River at Napoleon 1910s: 4 1920s: 0 1930s: 0 1940s: 0 1950s: 2 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 3 1990s: 1 2000s: 6 6 2010s: 4 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Maumee River at Napoleon
1Mar 27, 191325.00+13.00Major—
2Feb 14, 191819.50+7.50Major—
3Feb 11, 195919.50+7.50Major—
4Mar 2, 191018.80+6.80Major—
5Mar 20, 191218.00+6.00Major—
6Mar 15, 198217.54+5.54Major—
7Jan 1, 199117.13+5.13Major—
8Mar 11, 200916.70+4.70Moderate72,600
9Jan 14, 200516.65+4.65Moderate—
10Jun 29, 201516.26+4.26Moderate69,600
11Feb 16, 195016.00+4.00Moderate—
12Feb 26, 198515.99+3.99Moderate—
13Dec 1, 201115.50+3.50Moderate65,000
14May 27, 201115.40+3.40Moderate64,403
15Mar 15, 200314.45+2.45Minor—
16Jun 16, 198113.94+1.94Minor—
17May 11, 200313.05+1.05Minor—
18Jun 15, 200412.80+0.80Minor—
19Jan 16, 200712.69+0.69Minor—
20Feb 25, 201812.21+0.21Minor46,420
21Dec 3, 200611.25−0.75Action—
22Dec 30, 200511.17−0.83Action—

The worst floods along the Maumee River

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

March 27, 1913: 25.00 ft here, major flooding

  • Fort WayneIN · Mar 26, 1913 · 26.10 ft · Major · its highest
  • Grand RapidsOH · Mar 26, 1913 · 23.50 ft · Major
  • WatervilleOH · Mar 28, 1913 · 19.90 ft · Major · its highest

February 14, 1918: 19.50 ft here, major flooding

  • Fort WayneIN · Feb 15, 1918 · 20.50 ft · Moderate

February 11, 1959: 19.50 ft here, major flooding

  • Grand RapidsOH · Feb 12, 1959 · 22.75 ft · Major
  • WatervilleOH · Feb 12, 1959 · 16.17 ft · Major
  • Fort WayneIN · Feb 12, 1959 · 21.30 ft · Moderate
  • DefianceOH · Feb 13, 1959 · 15.80 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Maumee River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Maumee River
Coliseum Blvd In Fort WayneIN17.023.72 ft, Mar 13, 20090
Fort WayneIN17.026.10 ft, Mar 26, 19131
Grand RapidsOH17.525.00 ft, Mar 7, 19048
Napoleon this gaugeOH12.025.00 ft, Mar 27, 19137
New HavenIN17.025.49 ft, Mar 17, 19821
WatervilleOH11.019.90 ft, Mar 28, 19132
DefianceOH10.020.50 ft, Mar 15, 19821
Defiance (Independence Dam)OH14.015.87 ft, Mar 15, 19821

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CPBO1, 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.