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Delaware Bay at Lewes (IN MLLW)

Highest listed crest 9.26 ftFlood stage 6.0 ft65 crests since 1936

The Delaware Bay at Lewes (IN MLLW) crested at major flood stage 8 times among the 65 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1936 to 2026. The highest, 9.26 ft on January 23, 2016, was major flooding, 3.26 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
9.26 ft
January 23, 2016
Flood stage
6.0 ft
Major flooding from 8.0 ft
Crests at major
8
3rd of 18 gauges in Delaware
Most recent flood crest
September 26, 2026
8.27 ft, major flooding
Location
Sussex County
Delaware
Identifiers
NWS LWSD1
No USGS station

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Delaware Bay at Lewes (IN MLLW)
Flood stage (minor)6.00—Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage7.057Oct 12, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage8.08Sep 26, 2026Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

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

Listed crests at the Delaware Bay at Lewes (IN MLLW), 1936 to 2026 678910ft Flood stage 6.0 ftMajor 8.0 ft Sep 18, 1936: 7.42 ft, moderate floodingNov 1, 1947: 7.02 ft, moderate floodingOct 22, 1961: 7.72 ft, moderate floodingMar 6, 1962: 9.22 ft, major floodingNov 3, 1962: 7.42 ft, moderate floodingJan 13, 1964: 7.22 ft, moderate floodingNov 10, 1969: 7.12 ft, moderate floodingDec 22, 1972: 7.42 ft, moderate floodingDec 9, 1973: 7.32 ft, moderate floodingOct 14, 1977: 7.62 ft, moderate floodingOct 25, 1980: 7.94 ft, moderate floodingNov 15, 1981: 7.03 ft, moderate floodingMar 29, 1984: 7.90 ft, moderate floodingSep 27, 1985: 8.03 ft, major floodingDec 2, 1986: 7.02 ft, moderate floodingJan 2, 1987: 7.35 ft, moderate floodingOct 19, 1989: 7.02 ft, moderate floodingOct 31, 1991: 7.54 ft, moderate floodingJan 4, 1992: 8.75 ft, major floodingSep 25, 1992: 7.19 ft, moderate floodingDec 12, 1992: 7.81 ft, moderate floodingMar 3, 1994: 7.98 ft, moderate floodingJan 7, 1996: 7.84 ft, moderate floodingOct 8, 1996: 7.33 ft, moderate floodingNov 14, 1997: 7.42 ft, moderate floodingJan 28, 1998: 8.62 ft, major floodingFeb 5, 1998: 8.49 ft, major floodingJan 25, 2000: 7.36 ft, moderate floodingJan 3, 2003: 7.03 ft, moderate floodingFeb 17, 2003: 7.56 ft, moderate floodingMay 25, 2005: 7.19 ft, moderate floodingJan 31, 2006: 7.13 ft, moderate floodingOct 7, 2006: 7.38 ft, moderate floodingMay 12, 2008: 7.71 ft, moderate floodingOct 17, 2009: 7.34 ft, moderate floodingNov 13, 2009: 7.75 ft, moderate floodingDec 19, 2009: 7.13 ft, moderate floodingAug 27, 2011: 7.98 ft, moderate floodingOct 29, 2011: 7.68 ft, moderate floodingJun 4, 2012: 7.30 ft, moderate floodingOct 29, 2012: 8.69 ft, major floodingMar 6, 2013: 7.26 ft, moderate floodingDec 9, 2014: 7.05 ft, moderate floodingOct 2, 2015: 7.54 ft, moderate floodingJan 23, 2016: 9.26 ft, major floodingFeb 9, 2016: 7.24 ft, moderate floodingSep 29, 2016: 7.01 ft, moderate floodingSep 19, 2017: 7.21 ft, moderate floodingSep 9, 2018: 7.88 ft, moderate floodingOct 27, 2018: 7.52 ft, moderate floodingOct 11, 2019: 7.26 ft, moderate floodingOct 30, 2020: 7.16 ft, moderate floodingFeb 1, 2021: 7.20 ft, moderate floodingMay 30, 2021: 7.05 ft, moderate floodingOct 29, 2021: 7.08 ft, moderate floodingJan 3, 2022: 7.51 ft, moderate floodingApr 18, 2022: 7.34 ft, moderate floodingOct 3, 2022: 7.43 ft, moderate floodingJun 3, 2023: 7.24 ft, moderate floodingSep 26, 2023: 7.20 ft, moderate floodingFeb 13, 2024: 7.06 ft, moderate floodingNov 15, 2024: 7.02 ft, moderate floodingAug 21, 2025: 7.70 ft, moderate floodingOct 12, 2025: 7.73 ft, moderate floodingSep 26, 2026: 8.27 ft, major flooding Highest, 9.26 ft, Jan 23, 2016 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Delaware Bay at Lewes (IN MLLW) 1930s: 1 1940s: 1 1950s: 0 1960s: 5 1970s: 3 1980s: 7 1990s: 10 2000s: 10 2010s: 14 14 2020s: 14 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 65 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Delaware Bay at Lewes (IN MLLW)
1Jan 23, 20169.26+3.26Major—
2Mar 6, 19629.22+3.22Major—
3Jan 4, 19928.75+2.75Major—
4Oct 29, 20128.69+2.69Major—
5Jan 28, 19988.62+2.62Major—
6Feb 5, 19988.49+2.49Major—
7Sep 26, 20268.27+2.27Major—
8Sep 27, 19858.03+2.03Major—
9Mar 3, 19947.98+1.98Moderate—
10Aug 27, 20117.98+1.98Moderate—
11Oct 25, 19807.94+1.94Moderate—
12Mar 29, 19847.90+1.90Moderate—
13Sep 9, 20187.88+1.88Moderate—
14Jan 7, 19967.84+1.84Moderate—
15Dec 12, 19927.81+1.81Moderate—
16Nov 13, 20097.75+1.75Moderate—
17Oct 12, 20257.73+1.73Moderate—
18Oct 22, 19617.72+1.72Moderate—
19May 12, 20087.71+1.71Moderate—
20Aug 21, 20257.70+1.70Moderate—
21Oct 29, 20117.68+1.68Moderate—
22Oct 14, 19777.62+1.62Moderate—
23Feb 17, 20037.56+1.56Moderate—
24Oct 31, 19917.54+1.54Moderate—
25Oct 2, 20157.54+1.54Moderate—
26Oct 27, 20187.52+1.52Moderate—
27Jan 3, 20227.51+1.51Moderate—
28Oct 3, 20227.43+1.43Moderate—
29Sep 18, 19367.42+1.42Moderate—
30Nov 3, 19627.42+1.42Moderate—
31Dec 22, 19727.42+1.42Moderate—
32Nov 14, 19977.42+1.42Moderate—
33Oct 7, 20067.38+1.38Moderate—
34Jan 25, 20007.36+1.36Moderate—
35Jan 2, 19877.35+1.35Moderate—
36Oct 17, 20097.34+1.34Moderate—
37Apr 18, 20227.34+1.34Moderate—
38Oct 8, 19967.33+1.33Moderate—
39Dec 9, 19737.32+1.32Moderate—
40Jun 4, 20127.30+1.30Moderate—
41Mar 6, 20137.26+1.26Moderate—
42Oct 11, 20197.26+1.26Moderate—
43Feb 9, 20167.24+1.24Moderate—
44Jun 3, 20237.24+1.24Moderate—
45Jan 13, 19647.22+1.22Moderate—
46Sep 19, 20177.21+1.21Moderate—
47Feb 1, 20217.20+1.20Moderate—
48Sep 26, 20237.20+1.20Moderate—
49Sep 25, 19927.19+1.19Moderate—
50May 25, 20057.19+1.19Moderate—

Other gauges in Sussex County

Flood gauges in Sussex County
Rosedale Beach (IN MLLW)4.57.71 ft, Feb 5, 19985
Indian River Inlet (IN MLLW)4.27.66 ft, Oct 29, 201212
South Bethany Beach (IN MLLW)2.65.71 ft, Oct 29, 20121
Little Assawoman Bay at Fenwick Island (IN MLLW)2.55.07 ft, Oct 29, 20121
Bridgeville9.510.31 ft, Feb 26, 19790
Rehoboth Bay at Dewey Beach (IN MLLW)3.37.34 ft, Mar 6, 19624

Sussex County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Delaware

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge LWSD1, 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.