Great Miami River at Franklin, OH
River level and flood forecast · Warren County
Normal1.2 ftas of Mon 4 PM
The river is 12.8 ft below flood stage (14 ft).
Forecast to hold near 1.2 ft through Sat, Oct 17, 8 AM.
Flow: 1,280 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 10:22 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 22 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 17 ft |
| Flood stage | 14 ft |
| Action stage | 11 ft |
| Record crest (January 22, 1959) | 17.6 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 22 ftMiami Conservancy flood protective levees would be overtopped resulting in flooding of protected areas of Franklin. Much of Franklin west of the river is impacted, although many areas between Main Street and the river along the east bank are also flooded. North Main Street north of Central Avenue floods. Many homes and businesses in the Chautauqua area and parts of southern Carlisle are impacted. Dayton-Oxford Road to Franklin-Trenton Road as well as parts of Central Avenue are flooded.
- 20 ftFlood waters affect numerous homes in the Chautauqua area. Dayton-Oxford Road to Franklin-Trenton Road is flooded, and flood waters start to affect Central Avenue on the west side of the river. Areas of Franklin protected by Miami Conservancy District Levees do not flood until stages at and above 22 feet. However, parts of Franklin outside of the flood protection but near the river do incur flooding. North Main Street north of Central Avenue and further up on to North Dixie Highway are flooded.
- 19 ftFlood waters affect numerous homes in the Chautauqua area. Large portions of Dayton-Oxford Road to Franklin-Trenton Road are flooded. Areas of Franklin protected by Miami Conservancy District Levees do not flood until stages at and above 22 feet. However, parts of Franklin outside of the flood protection but near the river do incur flooding. North Dixie Highway is also flooded.
- 18 ftThis is roughly equal to the FEMA 1 percent flood. Flood waters extend into yards of numerous homes in the Chautauqua area, with water into homes closest to the river. Large portions of Dayton-Oxford Road to Franklin-Trenton Road are flooded. Areas of Franklin protected by Miami Conservancy District Levees do not flood until stages at and above 22 feet. However, locations of Franklin outside of flood protection near the river do incur flooding. North Dixie Highway is flooded.
- 17 ftPortions of Dayton-Oxford Road flood, and homes along this road in Chautauqua have flood waters nearing them. Franklin-Trenton Road and North Dixie Highway also flood. Areas of Franklin protected by Miami Conservancy District Levees do not flood until stages at and above 22 feet.
- 16 ftIn addition to flooding onto low areas of Oxford Road near the railway bridge, water floods basements of riverside apartments along Dayton-Oxford Road. Water extends nearly to Dayton-Oxford Road itself in Chautauqua in Warren County on the west bank and onto North Dixie Highway on the east bank. Areas of Franklin protected by Miami Conservancy District Levees do not flood until stages at and above 22 feet.
- 15 ftIn addition to flooding along low areas of Oxford Road near the railway bridge, water approaches riverside apartments along Dayton-Oxford Road and flooding of basement apartments may occur. Areas of Franklin protected by Miami Conservancy District Levees do not flood until stages at and above 22 feet.
- 14 ftFlooding occurs along Oxford Road at the railway underpass.
Highest crests on record
- 17.6 ft — January 22, 1959
- 16.7 ft — January 22, 1937
- 16.6 ft — March 6, 1963
- 16.5 ft — January 7, 2005
- 15.59 ft — December 22, 2013
Recent crests: 14.61 ft (April 6, 2025) · 14.86 ft (March 20, 2020) · 14.5 ft (April 5, 2018) · 14.33 ft (February 25, 2018) · 15.59 ft (December 22, 2013)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (FKNO1); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.