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Housatonic River at Falls Village

Highest listed crest 19.00 ftFlood stage 7.0 ft49 crests since 1936

The Housatonic River at Falls Village crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 49 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1936 to 2026. The highest, 19.00 ft on January 1, 1949, was major flooding, 12.00 feet above flood stage. 4 other gauges on the Housatonic River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
19.00 ft
January 1, 1949; 23,900 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
7.0 ft
Major flooding from 15.0 ft
Crests at major
3
10th of 26 gauges in Connecticut
Most recent flood crest
March 13, 2026
7.20 ft, minor flooding
Location
Litchfield County
Near Torrington (14.9 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Housatonic River at Falls Village
Action stage6.03Dec 3, 1996The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)7.034Mar 13, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.07Sep 9, 2011Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage15.03Aug 19, 1955Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

49 crests from 1936 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Housatonic River at Falls Village, 1936 to 2026 5101520ft Flood stage 7.0 ftMajor 15.0 ft Mar 20, 1936: 13.00 ft, moderate flooding; 14,500 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 1938: 16.80 ft, major flooding; 19,900 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1949: 19.00 ft, major flooding; 23,900 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 1955: 18.90 ft, major flooding; 22,700 cubic feet per secondDec 15, 1983: 7.08 ft, minor flooding; 5,480 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1984: 7.49 ft, minor flooding; 6,000 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1984: 7.48 ft, minor flooding; 5,990 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1984: 6.27 ft, action stage; 4,440 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1984: 10.56 ft, moderate flooding; 19,400 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1993: 9.71 ft, minor flooding; 9,060 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1994: 7.62 ft, minor flooding; 6,190 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1995: 6.63 ft, action stage; 4,820 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1996: 9.21 ft, minor flooding; 8,390 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 1996: 6.60 ft, action stage; 4,770 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1998: 5.81 ft, below flood stageDec 18, 2000: 7.16 ft, minor flooding; 5,610 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2001: 5.85 ft, below flood stage; 3,830 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2001: 8.56 ft, minor flooding; 7,500 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2001: 7.40 ft, minor flooding; 5,930 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 2004: 7.47 ft, minor flooding; 5,999 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 2005: 7.21 ft, minor flooding; 5,667 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2005: 8.10 ft, minor flooding; 6,830 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2005: 9.65 ft, minor flooding; 8,975 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2007: 7.22 ft, minor flooding; 5,690 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2007: 11.14 ft, moderate flooding; 11,168 cubic feet per secondDec 13, 2008: 10.29 ft, moderate flooding; 9,922 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2010: 7.07 ft, minor flooding; 5,492 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2010: 7.73 ft, minor flooding; 6,372 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 2010: 7.04 ft, minor flooding; 5,452 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2010: 7.76 ft, minor flooding; 6,414 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 2011: 11.57 ft, moderate flooding; 11,784 cubic feet per secondAug 30, 2011: 11.74 ft, moderate flooding; 12,088 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 2011: 13.47 ft, moderate flooding; 14,652 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 2011: 7.02 ft, minor floodingJun 15, 2013: 8.75 ft, minor floodingApr 1, 2014: 7.84 ft, minor floodingFeb 26, 2016: 7.59 ft, minor flooding; 6,462 cubic feet per secondNov 4, 2018: 7.49 ft, minor flooding; 6,337 cubic feet per secondDec 15, 2019: 7.45 ft, minor flooding; 6,284 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 2020: 7.09 ft, minor flooding; 5,804 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 2021: 7.25 ft, minor flooding; 6,020 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 2021: 8.15 ft, minor flooding; 7,155 cubic feet per secondSep 3, 2021: 8.44 ft, minor flooding; 7,523 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 2023: 8.40 ft, minor flooding; 7,472 cubic feet per secondJul 17, 2023: 7.15 ft, minor flooding; 5,925 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 2023: 8.88 ft, minor flooding; 8,089 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 2024: 7.12 ft, minor flooding; 5,890 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 2024: 7.32 ft, minor flooding; 6,130 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2026: 7.20 ft, minor flooding; 5,722 cubic feet per second Highest, 19.00 ft, Jan 1, 1949 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Housatonic River at Falls Village 1930s: 2 1940s: 1 1950s: 1 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 4 1990s: 3 2000s: 10 2010s: 13 13 2020s: 10 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Housatonic River at Falls Village
1Jan 1, 194919.00+12.00Major23,900
2Aug 19, 195518.90+11.90Major22,700
3Sep 23, 193816.80+9.80Major19,900
4Sep 9, 201113.47+6.47Moderate14,652
5Mar 20, 193613.00+6.00Moderate14,500
6Aug 30, 201111.74+4.74Moderate12,088
7Mar 9, 201111.57+4.57Moderate11,784
8Apr 18, 200711.14+4.14Moderate11,168
9May 31, 198410.56+3.56Moderate19,400
10Dec 13, 200810.29+3.29Moderate9,922
11Apr 1, 19939.71+2.71Minor9,060
12Apr 4, 20059.65+2.65Minor8,975
13Jan 28, 19969.21+2.21Minor8,390
14Dec 19, 20238.88+1.88Minor8,089
15Jun 15, 20138.75+1.75Minor—
16Apr 12, 20018.56+1.56Minor7,500
17Sep 3, 20218.44+1.44Minor7,523
18Jul 11, 20238.40+1.40Minor7,472
19Jul 20, 20218.15+1.15Minor7,155
20Mar 30, 20058.10+1.10Minor6,830
21Apr 1, 20147.84+0.84Minor—
22Mar 31, 20107.76+0.76Minor6,414
23Mar 16, 20107.73+0.73Minor6,372
24Apr 14, 19947.62+0.62Minor6,190
25Feb 26, 20167.59+0.59Minor6,462
26Feb 18, 19847.49+0.49Minor6,000
27Nov 4, 20187.49+0.49Minor6,337
28Apr 6, 19847.48+0.48Minor5,990
29Sep 19, 20047.47+0.47Minor5,999
30Dec 15, 20197.45+0.45Minor6,284
31Apr 16, 20017.40+0.40Minor5,930
32Mar 24, 20247.32+0.32Minor6,130
33Jul 13, 20217.25+0.25Minor6,020
34Mar 29, 20077.22+0.22Minor5,690
35Jan 15, 20057.21+0.21Minor5,667
36Mar 13, 20267.20+0.20Minor5,722
37Dec 18, 20007.16+0.16Minor5,610
38Jul 17, 20237.15+0.15Minor5,925
39Jan 11, 20247.12+0.12Minor5,890
40Dec 26, 20207.09+0.09Minor5,804
41Dec 15, 19837.08+0.08Minor5,480
42Jan 26, 20107.07+0.07Minor5,492
43Mar 24, 20107.04+0.04Minor5,452
44Sep 30, 20117.02+0.02Minor—
45Mar 9, 19956.63−0.37Action4,820
46Dec 3, 19966.60−0.40Action4,770
47Apr 17, 19846.27−0.73Action4,440
48Mar 31, 20015.85−1.15Below flood stage3,830
49Mar 11, 19985.81−1.19Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Housatonic River

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

January 1, 1949: 19.00 ft here, major flooding

August 19, 1955: 18.90 ft here, major flooding

September 23, 1938: 16.80 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Housatonic River

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

Flood gauges on the Housatonic River
E Br at ColtsvilleMA5.010.80 ft, Sep 21, 19383
Great BarringtonMA9.012.08 ft, Jan 1, 19491
Falls Village this gaugeCT7.019.00 ft, Jan 1, 19493
GaylordsvilleCT8.018.58 ft, Aug 19, 19552
StevensonCT11.024.50 ft, Aug 19, 19559

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge FLVC3, 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.