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Housatonic River at Stevenson

Highest listed crest 24.50 ftFlood stage 11.0 ft77 crests since 1936

The Housatonic River at Stevenson crested at major flood stage 9 times among the 77 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1936 to 2026. The highest, 24.50 ft on August 19, 1955, was major flooding, 13.50 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
24.50 ft
August 19, 1955; 69,400 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
11.0 ft
Major flooding from 20.0 ft
Crests at major
9
2nd of 26 gauges in Connecticut
Most recent flood crest
March 12, 2026
12.08 ft, minor flooding
Location
New Haven County
Near Shelton (5.7 mi), Ansonia (5.8 mi), Derby (6.0 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 Stevenson
Action stage8.06Jan 13, 2018The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)11.044Mar 12, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage15.018Jan 10, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage20.09Aug 18, 2024Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

77 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 Stevenson, 1936 to 2026 510152025ft Flood stage 11.0 ftMajor 20.0 ft Mar 12, 1936: 23.50 ft, major flooding; 69,500 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1936: 16.86 ft, moderate flooding; 36,300 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 1938: 21.50 ft, major flooding; 59,500 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1948: 19.97 ft, moderate flooding; 51,800 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 1955: 24.50 ft, major flooding; 69,400 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 1955: 24.50 ft, major flooding; 75,800 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1960: 15.70 ft, moderate flooding; 30,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1961: 13.60 ft, minor flooding; 21,700 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 1969: 13.50 ft, minor flooding; 21,400 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1970: 13.50 ft, minor flooding; 21,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1972: 15.90 ft, moderate flooding; 31,000 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 1972: 14.80 ft, minor flooding; 26,200 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 1975: 16.70 ft, moderate flooding; 34,600 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1976: 14.60 ft, minor flooding; 25,500 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1977: 13.50 ft, minor flooding; 21,600 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1979: 16.90 ft, moderate flooding; 35,400 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1980: 17.20 ft, moderate flooding; 36,400 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1982: 13.40 ft, minor flooding; 21,300 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1983: 13.00 ft, minor flooding; 19,800 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1984: 22.36 ft, major flooding; 64,100 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1986: 13.50 ft, minor flooding; 21,700 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1987: 17.20 ft, moderate flooding; 36,800 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1989: 12.70 ft, minor flooding; 18,700 cubic feet per secondOct 21, 1989: 13.20 ft, minor flooding; 20,400 cubic feet per secondOct 25, 1990: 9.61 ft, action stage; 10,200 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1992: 8.79 ft, action stage; 8,230 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1993: 13.80 ft, minor flooding; 22,600 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1994: 11.23 ft, minor flooding; 14,300 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1996: 18.88 ft, moderate flooding; 44,700 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 1996: 13.04 ft, minor flooding; 19,900 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1998: 9.15 ft, action stageMar 10, 1998: 10.18 ft, action stageMar 5, 1999: 9.05 ft, action stageMar 30, 2001: 11.96 ft, minor flooding; 16,400 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 2004: 11.82 ft, minor flooding; 16,013 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 2005: 15.08 ft, moderate flooding; 27,526 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2005: 12.32 ft, minor flooding; 17,554 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2005: 13.60 ft, minor flooding; 21,886 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 2005: 18.09 ft, moderate floodingApr 16, 2007: 19.98 ft, moderate flooding; 50,400 cubic feet per secondDec 12, 2008: 15.50 ft, moderate flooding; 29,200 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 2010: 11.44 ft, minor flooding; 14,907 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2010: 13.23 ft, minor flooding; 20,535 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 2011: 21.68 ft, major flooding; 59,900 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2011: 15.41 ft, moderate flooding; 28,840 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2011: 20.93 ft, major flooding; 55,608 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 2011: 20.53 ft, major flooding; 53,368 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 2011: 11.11 ft, minor flooding; 13,963 cubic feet per secondDec 8, 2011: 12.09 ft, minor flooding; 16,852 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2013: 11.38 ft, minor flooding; 14,716 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2013: 13.48 ft, minor flooding; 21,427 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2014: 12.31 ft, minor floodingMay 1, 2014: 13.12 ft, minor flooding; 20,184 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2016: 12.04 ft, minor flooding; 16,712 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 2018: 10.96 ft, action stageApr 16, 2018: 11.34 ft, minor flooding; 14,130 cubic feet per secondNov 3, 2018: 12.44 ft, minor flooding; 17,596 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 2019: 12.06 ft, minor flooding; 16,736 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2020: 11.71 ft, minor flooding; 15,677 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 2020: 12.31 ft, minor flooding; 17,517 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2021: 16.97 ft, moderate flooding; 35,614 cubic feet per secondOct 26, 2021: 11.67 ft, minor flooding; 15,559 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2022: 13.59 ft, minor flooding; 21,849 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2023: 11.83 ft, minor flooding; 16,037 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 2023: 14.14 ft, minor flooding; 23,874 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 2023: 13.30 ft, minor flooding; 20,820 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 2023: 16.71 ft, moderate flooding; 34,441 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2023: 16.49 ft, moderate flooding; 33,464 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2023: 13.94 ft, minor flooding; 23,127 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 16.58 ft, moderate flooding; 33,864 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 2024: 11.01 ft, minor flooding; 13,701 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 2024: 12.64 ft, minor flooding; 18,582 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 2024: 12.48 ft, minor flooding; 18,058 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 2024: 20.51 ft, major flooding; 53,267 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2025: 11.76 ft, minor flooding; 15,250 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 2025: 11.96 ft, minor flooding; 15,878 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2026: 12.08 ft, minor flooding; 15,998 cubic feet per second Highest, 24.50 ft, Aug 19, 1955 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Housatonic River at Stevenson 1930s: 3 1940s: 1 1950s: 2 1960s: 3 1970s: 7 1980s: 8 1990s: 4 2000s: 8 2010s: 16 2020s: 19 19 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

The 50 highest of 77 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Housatonic River at Stevenson
1Aug 19, 195524.50+13.50Major69,400
2Oct 16, 195524.50+13.50Major75,800
3Mar 12, 193623.50+12.50Major69,500
4May 30, 198422.36+11.36Major64,100
5Mar 7, 201121.68+10.68Major59,900
6Sep 22, 193821.50+10.50Major59,500
7Aug 28, 201120.93+9.93Major55,608
8Sep 8, 201120.53+9.53Major53,368
9Aug 18, 202420.51+9.51Major53,267
10Apr 16, 200719.98+8.98Moderate50,400
11Dec 31, 194819.97+8.97Moderate51,800
12Jan 27, 199618.88+7.88Moderate44,700
13Oct 15, 200518.09+7.09Moderate—
14Mar 22, 198017.20+6.20Moderate36,400
15Apr 5, 198717.20+6.20Moderate36,800
16Sep 2, 202116.97+5.97Moderate35,614
17Mar 7, 197916.90+5.90Moderate35,400
18Mar 18, 193616.86+5.86Moderate36,300
19Sep 30, 202316.71+5.71Moderate34,441
20Sep 27, 197516.70+5.70Moderate34,600
21Jan 10, 202416.58+5.58Moderate33,864
22Dec 18, 202316.49+5.49Moderate33,464
23Feb 3, 197215.90+4.90Moderate31,000
24Apr 5, 196015.70+4.70Moderate30,100
25Dec 12, 200815.50+4.50Moderate29,200
26Mar 12, 201115.41+4.41Moderate28,840
27Jan 14, 200515.08+4.08Moderate27,526
28Dec 22, 197214.80+3.80Minor26,200
29Jan 28, 197614.60+3.60Minor25,500
30Jul 10, 202314.14+3.14Minor23,874
31Dec 28, 202313.94+2.94Minor23,127
32Apr 1, 199313.80+2.80Minor22,600
33Feb 26, 196113.60+2.60Minor21,700
34Apr 3, 200513.60+2.60Minor21,886
35Apr 8, 202213.59+2.59Minor21,849
36Aug 5, 196913.50+2.50Minor21,400
37Apr 3, 197013.50+2.50Minor21,500
38Mar 15, 197713.50+2.50Minor21,600
39Jan 27, 198613.50+2.50Minor21,700
40Jun 14, 201313.48+2.48Minor21,427
41Jun 6, 198213.40+2.40Minor21,300
42Jul 16, 202313.30+2.30Minor20,820
43Mar 30, 201013.23+2.23Minor20,535
44Oct 21, 198913.20+2.20Minor20,400
45May 1, 201413.12+2.12Minor20,184
46Dec 2, 199613.04+2.04Minor19,900
47Apr 20, 198313.00+2.00Minor19,800
48May 17, 198912.70+1.70Minor18,700
49Mar 10, 202412.64+1.64Minor18,582
50Mar 24, 202412.48+1.48Minor18,058

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.

August 19, 1955: 24.50 ft here, major flooding

October 16, 1955: 24.50 ft here, major flooding

March 12, 1936: 23.50 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 VillageCT7.019.00 ft, Jan 1, 19493
GaylordsvilleCT8.018.58 ft, Aug 19, 19552
Stevenson this gaugeCT11.024.50 ft, Aug 19, 19559

Other gauges in New Haven County

Flood gauges in New Haven County
New Haven (IN MLLW)8.710.58 ft, Sep 21, 19380
Beacon Falls12.014.36 ft, Aug 28, 20111
Southbury9.021.80 ft, Aug 19, 19557

New Haven County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Connecticut

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge STVC3, 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.