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Farmington River at Simsbury

Highest listed crest 30.10 ftFlood stage 12.0 ft42 crests since 1927

The Farmington River at Simsbury crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 42 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1927 to 2024. The highest, 30.10 ft on August 20, 1955, was major flooding, 18.10 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Farmington River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
30.10 ft
August 20, 1955
Flood stage
12.0 ft
Major flooding from 18.0 ft
Crests at major
3
10th of 26 gauges in Connecticut
Most recent flood crest
January 11, 2024
13.67 ft, minor flooding
Location
Hartford County
Near Hartford (9.3 mi), New Britain (13.4 mi), Bristol (15.0 mi)

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Farmington River at Simsbury
Action stage10.02Mar 10, 1998The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.029Jan 11, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage15.08Aug 29, 2011Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage18.03Oct 17, 1955Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

42 crests from 1927 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Farmington River at Simsbury, 1927 to 2024 101520253035ft Flood stage 12.0 ftMajor 18.0 ft Nov 5, 1927: 17.80 ft, moderate floodingJan 2, 1949: 18.20 ft, major floodingAug 20, 1955: 30.10 ft, major floodingOct 17, 1955: 22.10 ft, major floodingApr 24, 1969: 12.70 ft, minor floodingApr 3, 1970: 12.30 ft, minor floodingDec 23, 1973: 14.00 ft, minor floodingSep 27, 1975: 14.50 ft, minor floodingJan 29, 1976: 13.90 ft, minor floodingJan 11, 1978: 13.20 ft, minor floodingMar 8, 1979: 15.00 ft, moderate floodingMar 22, 1980: 16.00 ft, moderate floodingFeb 27, 1981: 12.10 ft, minor floodingApr 21, 1983: 14.24 ft, minor floodingApr 8, 1984: 14.30 ft, minor floodingJun 1, 1984: 16.17 ft, moderate floodingApr 6, 1987: 15.30 ft, moderate floodingOct 25, 1990: 11.10 ft, action stageJun 7, 1992: 13.00 ft, minor floodingJan 29, 1996: 13.70 ft, minor floodingApr 18, 1996: 12.20 ft, minor floodingOct 21, 1996: 12.50 ft, minor floodingMar 10, 1998: 11.70 ft, action stageMay 12, 1998: 12.20 ft, minor floodingSep 17, 1999: 13.30 ft, minor floodingApr 4, 2005: 12.88 ft, minor flooding; 7,680 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 2005: 14.70 ft, minor flooding; 10,080 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2006: 14.49 ft, minor flooding; 9,786 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2007: 16.64 ft, moderate flooding; 14,919 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 2008: 13.06 ft, minor flooding; 7,878 cubic feet per secondDec 13, 2008: 12.61 ft, minor flooding; 7,409 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2010: 12.61 ft, minor flooding; 7,409 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 2010: 13.81 ft, minor flooding; 8,853 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 2011: 15.50 ft, moderate flooding; 11,750 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2011: 13.71 ft, minor flooding; 8,723 cubic feet per secondAug 29, 2011: 16.98 ft, moderate flooding; 15,939 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 2011: 14.23 ft, minor flooding; 9,421 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 2013: 13.81 ft, minor flooding; 8,853 cubic feet per secondSep 3, 2021: 14.38 ft, minor flooding; 9,632 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 2023: 13.97 ft, minor flooding; 9,061 cubic feet per secondDec 20, 2023: 13.92 ft, minor flooding; 8,996 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 2024: 13.67 ft, minor flooding; 8,671 cubic feet per second Highest, 30.10 ft, Aug 20, 1955 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Farmington River at Simsbury 1920s: 1 1930s: 0 1940s: 1 1950s: 2 1960s: 1 1970s: 6 1980s: 6 1990s: 6 2000s: 6 2010s: 7 7 2020s: 4 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Farmington River at Simsbury
1Aug 20, 195530.10+18.10Major—
2Oct 17, 195522.10+10.10Major—
3Jan 2, 194918.20+6.20Major—
4Nov 5, 192717.80+5.80Moderate—
5Aug 29, 201116.98+4.98Moderate15,939
6Apr 17, 200716.64+4.64Moderate14,919
7Jun 1, 198416.17+4.17Moderate—
8Mar 22, 198016.00+4.00Moderate—
9Mar 8, 201115.50+3.50Moderate11,750
10Apr 6, 198715.30+3.30Moderate—
11Mar 8, 197915.00+3.00Moderate—
12Oct 16, 200514.70+2.70Minor10,080
13Sep 27, 197514.50+2.50Minor—
14May 14, 200614.49+2.49Minor9,786
15Sep 3, 202114.38+2.38Minor9,632
16Apr 8, 198414.30+2.30Minor—
17Apr 21, 198314.24+2.24Minor—
18Sep 9, 201114.23+2.23Minor9,421
19Dec 23, 197314.00+2.00Minor—
20Oct 1, 202313.97+1.97Minor9,061
21Dec 20, 202313.92+1.92Minor8,996
22Jan 29, 197613.90+1.90Minor—
23Apr 1, 201013.81+1.81Minor8,853
24Jun 15, 201313.81+1.81Minor8,853
25Mar 12, 201113.71+1.71Minor8,723
26Jan 29, 199613.70+1.70Minor—
27Jan 11, 202413.67+1.67Minor8,671
28Sep 17, 199913.30+1.30Minor—
29Jan 11, 197813.20+1.20Minor—
30Mar 10, 200813.06+1.06Minor7,878
31Jun 7, 199213.00+1.00Minor—
32Apr 4, 200512.88+0.88Minor7,680
33Apr 24, 196912.70+0.70Minor—
34Dec 13, 200812.61+0.61Minor7,409
35Mar 16, 201012.61+0.61Minor7,409
36Oct 21, 199612.50+0.50Minor—
37Apr 3, 197012.30+0.30Minor—
38Apr 18, 199612.20+0.20Minor—
39May 12, 199812.20+0.20Minor—
40Feb 27, 198112.10+0.10Minor—
41Mar 10, 199811.70−0.30Action—
42Oct 25, 199011.10−0.90Action—

The worst floods along the Farmington River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Farmington River that crested above flood stage within a week.

August 20, 1955: 30.10 ft here, major flooding

October 17, 1955: 22.10 ft here, major flooding

January 2, 1949: 18.20 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Farmington River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Farmington River
W. Br. Nr. New BostonMA8.014.06 ft, Aug 19, 19552
UnionvilleCT12.018.55 ft, Aug 28, 20110
Simsbury this gaugeCT12.030.10 ft, Aug 20, 19553
TariffvilleCT9.014.00 ft, Sep 22, 19381

Other gauges in Hartford County

Flood gauges in Hartford County
Broad Brook7.08.78 ft, Oct 15, 20050
Burlington7.09.33 ft, Oct 15, 20052
Hartford16.037.60 ft, Mar 21, 19367
Thompsonville15.026.60 ft, Mar 20, 19367
Tariffville9.014.00 ft, Sep 22, 19381
Unionville12.018.55 ft, Aug 28, 20110
East Hartford9.013.78 ft, Sep 21, 19381
Hartford8.018.80 ft, Aug 19, 19551
Southington8.510.49 ft, Jan 10, 20240

Hartford County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Connecticut

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SIMC3, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.