Cuyahoga River at Independence, OH

River level and flood forecast · Cuyahoga County

Normal2.7 ftas of Mon 3:30 PM

The river is 14.3 ft below flood stage (17 ft).

Forecast to fall to 2.3 ft by Sat, Oct 17, 8 AM.

Flow: 265 cubic feet per second (USGS).

The last 7 days and the forecast

NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 10:54 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.

Flood stages

Major flood stage	21 ft
Moderate flood stage	18.5 ft
Flood stage	17 ft
Action stage	14 ft
Record crest (June 23, 2006)	23.29 ft

What floods at each level

From the National Weather Service, highest first.

27 ftThe river gage is flooded. Historic flooding in the valley.
24 ftRecord flooding expected. Comparable river flows as that of the historic 1913 flood.
23.5 ftComparable with the FEMA 0.2 percent flood and exceeding the flood of 2006.
22 ftComparable with the FEMA 1 percent flood. Several busineeses and homes along the Cuyahoga River flooded. Industrial and residential properties north of Rockside Road impacted.
21 ftProperty along Canal, Frances, Murray, Rockside, and Cloverleaf Roads in the village of Valley View inundated. Water extends to Commerce Parkway, Wall Street, Exchange Road, and Cloverleaf Parkway.
19.5 ftHomes and businesses flooded in Valley View. Numerous road closures.
19 ftWater inundates along Gleeson, Charles, Frances, and Stone Streets in Valley View. Many roads may become impassable. Water is out of banks in Brecksville Reservation and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
18.5 ftWater backs up on Murray and Fosdick Roads in Valley View. Portions of Exchange Road, Wall Street, and Cloverleaf Road inundated.
17 ftTinkers Creek and Mill Creek backup due to high flows on the Cuyahoga River. Canal Road inundated.
16 ftFloodwaters begin encroaching on Canal Road in the village of Valley View.

Highest crests on record

23.29 ft — June 23, 2006
22.73 ft — February 28, 2011
22.41 ft — January 22, 1959
22.06 ft — September 15, 1979
21.77 ft — December 30, 1990

Recent crests: 17.73 ft (June 19, 2025) · 17.62 ft (April 26, 2025) · 15.77 ft (August 24, 2023) · 18.1 ft (February 18, 2022) · 20.71 ft (September 7, 2020)

Up and down the river, and nearby

See it on the live map →Radar & warnings for Cuyahoga County NWS gauge page USGS gauge 04208000

Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (INDO1); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.