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Indian River near Indian River Inlet (IN MLLW)

Highest listed crest 7.66 ftFlood stage 4.2 ft56 crests since 1991

The Indian River near Indian River Inlet (IN MLLW) crested at major flood stage 12 times among the 56 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1991 to 2026. The highest, 7.66 ft on October 29, 2012, was major flooding, 3.46 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Indian River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
7.66 ft
October 29, 2012
Flood stage
4.2 ft
Major flooding from 6.2 ft
Crests at major
12
1st of 18 gauges in Delaware
Most recent flood crest
October 21, 2026
5.28 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Sussex County
Delaware

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Indian River near Indian River Inlet (IN MLLW)
Flood stage (minor)4.20—Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage5.244Oct 21, 2026Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage6.212Sep 26, 2026Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

56 crests from 1991 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Indian River near Indian River Inlet (IN MLLW), 1991 to 2026 45678ft Flood stage 4.2 ftMajor 6.2 ft Oct 31, 1991: 6.36 ft, major floodingJan 4, 1992: 5.98 ft, moderate floodingSep 25, 1992: 5.55 ft, moderate floodingDec 12, 1992: 6.25 ft, major floodingJan 7, 1996: 6.10 ft, moderate floodingOct 8, 1996: 5.78 ft, moderate floodingNov 14, 1997: 5.28 ft, moderate floodingJan 28, 1998: 6.13 ft, moderate floodingFeb 5, 1998: 7.01 ft, major floodingJan 25, 2000: 6.81 ft, major floodingJan 3, 2003: 5.54 ft, moderate floodingFeb 17, 2003: 6.16 ft, moderate floodingMay 25, 2005: 5.60 ft, moderate floodingJan 31, 2006: 5.31 ft, moderate floodingOct 7, 2006: 6.09 ft, moderate floodingMay 12, 2008: 6.94 ft, major floodingOct 18, 2009: 6.52 ft, major floodingNov 13, 2009: 6.99 ft, major floodingDec 19, 2009: 5.83 ft, moderate floodingJun 4, 2012: 5.31 ft, moderate floodingOct 29, 2012: 7.66 ft, major floodingMar 6, 2013: 6.26 ft, major floodingOct 2, 2015: 5.88 ft, moderate floodingJan 23, 2016: 6.59 ft, major floodingFeb 9, 2016: 5.49 ft, moderate floodingSep 29, 2016: 5.52 ft, moderate floodingSep 19, 2017: 5.59 ft, moderate floodingMar 4, 2018: 5.29 ft, moderate floodingSep 9, 2018: 5.72 ft, moderate floodingOct 27, 2018: 5.86 ft, moderate floodingOct 11, 2019: 5.75 ft, moderate floodingNov 18, 2019: 5.44 ft, moderate floodingApr 4, 2020: 5.26 ft, moderate floodingOct 30, 2020: 5.51 ft, moderate floodingFeb 1, 2021: 5.64 ft, moderate floodingMay 30, 2021: 5.29 ft, moderate floodingOct 11, 2021: 5.41 ft, moderate floodingOct 29, 2021: 5.79 ft, moderate floodingJan 3, 2022: 5.35 ft, moderate floodingApr 18, 2022: 6.18 ft, moderate floodingMay 8, 2022: 5.69 ft, moderate floodingOct 3, 2022: 5.97 ft, moderate floodingJun 3, 2023: 5.33 ft, moderate floodingSep 23, 2023: 5.75 ft, moderate floodingOct 15, 2023: 5.22 ft, moderate floodingDec 18, 2023: 5.45 ft, moderate floodingJan 13, 2024: 5.21 ft, moderate floodingFeb 13, 2024: 5.42 ft, moderate floodingSep 23, 2024: 5.22 ft, moderate floodingNov 15, 2024: 5.33 ft, moderate floodingAug 21, 2025: 6.22 ft, major floodingOct 12, 2025: 6.14 ft, moderate floodingOct 30, 2025: 5.31 ft, moderate floodingFeb 23, 2026: 5.71 ft, moderate floodingSep 26, 2026: 6.93 ft, major floodingOct 21, 2026: 5.28 ft, moderate flooding Highest, 7.66 ft, Oct 29, 2012 200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Indian River near Indian River Inlet (IN MLLW) 1990s: 9 2000s: 10 2010s: 13 2020s: 24 24 1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 56 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Indian River near Indian River Inlet (IN MLLW)
1Oct 29, 20127.66+3.46Major—
2Feb 5, 19987.01+2.81Major—
3Nov 13, 20096.99+2.79Major—
4May 12, 20086.94+2.74Major—
5Sep 26, 20266.93+2.73Major—
6Jan 25, 20006.81+2.61Major—
7Jan 23, 20166.59+2.39Major—
8Oct 18, 20096.52+2.32Major—
9Oct 31, 19916.36+2.16Major—
10Mar 6, 20136.26+2.06Major—
11Dec 12, 19926.25+2.05Major—
12Aug 21, 20256.22+2.02Major—
13Apr 18, 20226.18+1.98Moderate—
14Feb 17, 20036.16+1.96Moderate—
15Oct 12, 20256.14+1.94Moderate—
16Jan 28, 19986.13+1.93Moderate—
17Jan 7, 19966.10+1.90Moderate—
18Oct 7, 20066.09+1.89Moderate—
19Jan 4, 19925.98+1.78Moderate—
20Oct 3, 20225.97+1.77Moderate—
21Oct 2, 20155.88+1.68Moderate—
22Oct 27, 20185.86+1.66Moderate—
23Dec 19, 20095.83+1.63Moderate—
24Oct 29, 20215.79+1.59Moderate—
25Oct 8, 19965.78+1.58Moderate—
26Oct 11, 20195.75+1.55Moderate—
27Sep 23, 20235.75+1.55Moderate—
28Sep 9, 20185.72+1.52Moderate—
29Feb 23, 20265.71+1.51Moderate—
30May 8, 20225.69+1.49Moderate—
31Feb 1, 20215.64+1.44Moderate—
32May 25, 20055.60+1.40Moderate—
33Sep 19, 20175.59+1.39Moderate—
34Sep 25, 19925.55+1.35Moderate—
35Jan 3, 20035.54+1.34Moderate—
36Sep 29, 20165.52+1.32Moderate—
37Oct 30, 20205.51+1.31Moderate—
38Feb 9, 20165.49+1.29Moderate—
39Dec 18, 20235.45+1.25Moderate—
40Nov 18, 20195.44+1.24Moderate—
41Feb 13, 20245.42+1.22Moderate—
42Oct 11, 20215.41+1.21Moderate—
43Jan 3, 20225.35+1.15Moderate—
44Jun 3, 20235.33+1.13Moderate—
45Nov 15, 20245.33+1.13Moderate—
46Jan 31, 20065.31+1.11Moderate—
47Jun 4, 20125.31+1.11Moderate—
48Oct 30, 20255.31+1.11Moderate—
49Mar 4, 20185.29+1.09Moderate—
50May 30, 20215.29+1.09Moderate—

The worst floods along the Indian River

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

October 29, 2012: 7.66 ft here, major flooding

February 5, 1998: 7.01 ft here, major flooding

November 13, 2009: 6.99 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Indian River

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

Flood gauges on the Indian River
Rosedale Beach (IN MLLW)DE4.57.71 ft, Feb 5, 19985
Indian River Inlet (IN MLLW) this gaugeDE4.27.66 ft, Oct 29, 201212

Other gauges in Sussex County

Flood gauges in Sussex County
Delaware Bay at Lewes (IN MLLW)6.09.26 ft, Jan 23, 20168
Rosedale Beach (IN MLLW)4.57.71 ft, Feb 5, 19985
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 INRD1, 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.