Grand River at Grand Rapids, MI
River level and flood forecast · Kent County
The river is 16.3 ft below flood stage (18 ft).
Forecast to fall to 1.2 ft by Tue, Oct 20, 8 AM.
Flow: 1,830 cubic feet per second (USGS).
Normal for October 14.
Usual for October 14: 1,330 to 2,770 cubic feet per second (the middle half of 101 years).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Tue, Oct 13, 11:40 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Get flood alerts for this river
An email when the National Weather Service forecasts Grand River at Grand Rapids to flood, when it floods, and when it's over.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 23 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 21 ft |
| Flood stage | 18 ft |
| Action stage | 12 ft |
| Record crest (April 21, 2013) | 21.85 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 25.5 ftExpect major flooding downtown with high water impacting the Van Andel Museum.
- 23 ftExpect major flooding of residential areas above and below Downtown Grand Rapids.
- 21.69 ftHigh water impacts the Waste Water Treatment Plant in Grand Rapids.
- 21 ftExpect moderate to major flooding in the area, Ann Street, and the city dikes. Major flooding of homes and structures occurs upstream in Comstock Park and downstream of Grand Rapids to Robinson Township.
- 18 ftExpect minor flooding of basements in low lying areas in Grand Rapids. Moderate flooding of homes and structures occurs upstream at Comstock Park and downstream in Robinson Township.
- 16.5 ftExpect minor flooding in Grandville.
- 15 ftExpect minor flooding to occur in low lying areas upstream and downstream of Grand Rapids, especially in the areas of North Park, Comstock Park, and Robinson Township. Some seepage into basements of businesses in Grand Rapids occurs.
- 14 ftExpect minor flooding to occur in low lying areas upstream and downstream of Grand Rapids, especially in the areas of North Park and Comstock Park.
- 12 ftRiver is bankfull upstream and downstream of flood walls in Downtown Grand Rapids. Portions of the Kent Trail and Indian Mounds Drive flooded in Grandville.
Highest crests on record
- 21.85 ft — April 21, 2013
- 20.67 ft — February 25, 2018
- 19.64 ft — March 1, 1985
- 19.55 ft — May 22, 2020
- 19.54 ft — May 27, 2004
Recent crests: 12.8 ft (April 8, 2025) · 14.4 ft (January 31, 2024) · 18.86 ft (April 8, 2023) · 13.24 ft (February 25, 2022) · 14.28 ft (July 1, 2021)
Highest flow on record
54,000 cubic feet per second — March 28, 1904. From the USGS's yearly peaks since 1901.
Up and down the river, and nearby
- UpstreamGrand River at North Park St at Grand Rapids, MI
- DownstreamGrand River at Grandville, MI
- Plaster Creek at Grand Rapids - 28th Street, MI
- Buck Creek at Wilson Avenue at Grandville, MI
- Rogue River at Rockford, MI
- Grand River at Ada, MI
- Thornapple River at Caledonia, MI
- Grand River near Eastmanville, MI
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (GDRM4); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.