Rivers in Ohio
Grand River at Painesville
Below flood stage
1.74ftStage
Observed Tue, Sep 22, 4:00 AM EDT
- Flood stage
- 12.50 ft
- Forecast crest
- 1.70 ftTue, Sep 22, 8:00 AM EDT
- Record crest
- 19.35 ft2006
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 17.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 15.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 12.50 ft |
| Action | 8.00 ft |
- 28.00 ftOld river gage house near Beaty Landing lower parking lot flooded. Historic flooding along the river. Major damage to property in low lying areas.
- 19.50 ftRecord flooding. Major flooding in the City of Painesville. Route 2 and the Richmond Street bridges will be flooded. Homes and businesses along Steele and Grand River Avenues, as well as Huntington Road will be completely inundated. The City of Painesville Pollution Control Plant will be flooded.
- 19.00 ftFEMA 0.2 percent flood level. Major flooding in the City of Painesville. Route 2 and the Richmond Street bridges will be flooded. Homes and business along Steele and Grand River Avenue, as well as Huntington Road will be completely inundated. The City of Painesville Pollution Control Plant will be flooded.
- 17.00 ftFEMA 1 percent flood level. Steele and Grand River Avenues completely flooded. Painesville City Pollution Control Plant inundated. Kiwanis recreational park will be flooded. Rising water may inundate businesses near the Route 20 bridge.
- 16.00 ftSteele and Grand River Avenues flooded with evacuations needed. Painesville City Pollution Control Plant threatened. Kiwanis recreational park will begin to flood.
- 15.00 ftRiver near bankful along Grand River and Steele Avenues. Homes and apartments threatened.
- 13.00 ftYacht club near mouth of the river threatened by flood waters.
- 8.50 ftLow land flooding adjacent to the river in the metropark.
- 8.00 ftWater levels will overrun the banks along the metropark south of Painesville.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 6% |
| Moderate flooding | Under 5% |
| Major flooding | Under 5% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 15, 2026.
Crest history
55 crests on NOAA’s list since 1975.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 28, 2006 | 19.35 ft |
| 2 | February 6, 2008 | 13.70 ft |
| 3 | October 30, 2012 | 13.27 ft |
| 4 | February 28, 2011 | 13.25 ft |
| 5 | December 25, 1979 | 13.16 ft |
| 6 | June 11, 1986 | 13.07 ft |
| 7 | May 26, 1989 | 12.93 ft |
| 8 | February 17, 1976 | 12.55 ft |
| 9 | March 15, 1978 | 12.52 ft |
| 10 | February 24, 1985 | 12.11 ft |
| 11 | December 22, 2013 | 12.07 ft |
| 12 | February 19, 1981 | 12.01 ft |
| 13 | March 4, 1979 | 11.81 ft |
| 14 | January 19, 1996 | 11.66 ft |
| 15 | January 16, 1995 | 11.54 ft |
| 16 | January 12, 2017 | 11.36 ft |
| 17 | February 23, 2022 | 11.34 ft |
| 18 | June 3, 1997 | 11.33 ft |
| 19 | February 12, 2009 | 11.32 ft |
| 20 | December 15, 1977 | 11.30 ft |
| 21 | March 15, 2007 | 11.15 ft |
| 22 | January 25, 1987 | 10.99 ft |
| 23 | December 30, 1990 | 10.93 ft |
| 24 | October 21, 2020 | 10.91 ft |
| 25 | March 13, 1982 | 10.73 ft |
Most recent crests
- May 6, 2025: 10.59 ft
- August 25, 2023: 9.75 ft
- February 23, 2022: 11.34 ft
- July 17, 2021: 9.64 ft
- October 21, 2020: 10.91 ft
- July 20, 2019: 10.12 ft
- January 12, 2018: 10.40 ft
- January 12, 2017: 11.36 ft
- December 27, 2016: 9.54 ft
- June 29, 2015: 10.68 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
What this means
Forecasts by the Ohio River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued routinely year-round. Gauge reading may be affected by ice. Forecast flows are unadjusted for ice.
Sources
Stage, flood stages, impacts and crest history from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service. Streamflow and the daily record from the U.S. Geological Survey.