Flood stage

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Flood stage is the point at which the surface of a river, creek, or other body of water has risen to a sufficient level to cause damage. When a body of water rises to this level, it is considered a flood event.

[edit] Definition

Flood stage is the point at which the water level of a body of water is high enough to affect structures or roads near the body of water. ^[1]^[2] While usually this level is at the elevation of the floodplain, it can be higher (if there are no structures or roads immediately on the floodplain) or lower (if there are structures such as marinas or lakehouses low on the banks of the body of water) depending on the location. Because flood stage is defined by man-made elements, as opposed to the natural topography of the area, flood stages are usually only calculated for bodies of water near communities.