Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Nanticoke River at Bridgeville

Highest listed crest 10.31 ftFlood stage 9.5 ft11 crests since 1958

The Nanticoke River at Bridgeville crested above flood stage 3 times among the 11 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1958 to 2024. The highest, 10.31 ft on February 26, 1979, was minor flooding, 0.81 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
10.31 ft
February 26, 1979; 3,020 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
9.5 ft
Major flooding from 11.5 ft
Crests at major
0
3 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
January 10, 2024
9.71 ft, minor flooding
Location
Sussex County
Near Milford (14.6 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Nanticoke River at Bridgeville
Action stage8.08Sep 30, 2016The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)9.53Jan 10, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.50—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage11.50—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

11 crests from 1958 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Nanticoke River at Bridgeville, 1958 to 2024 89101112ft Flood stage 9.5 ftMajor 11.5 ft Aug 26, 1958: 8.84 ft, action stage; 2,300 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 1967: 8.86 ft, action stage; 2,360 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1979: 10.31 ft, minor flooding; 3,020 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1994: 9.45 ft, action stage; 1,970 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1994: 8.66 ft, action stage; 1,370 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 1999: 9.19 ft, action stage; 1,760 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2007: 8.18 ft, action stageAug 28, 2011: 8.73 ft, action stageSep 30, 2016: 9.09 ft, action stageDec 19, 2023: 9.85 ft, minor floodingJan 10, 2024: 9.71 ft, minor flooding Highest, 10.31 ft, Feb 26, 1979 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Nanticoke River at Bridgeville 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 2020s: 2 2 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Nanticoke River at Bridgeville
1Feb 26, 197910.31+0.81Minor3,020
2Dec 19, 20239.85+0.35Minor—
3Jan 10, 20249.71+0.21Minor—
4Mar 3, 19949.45−0.05Action1,970
5Sep 17, 19999.19−0.31Action1,760
6Sep 30, 20169.09−0.41Action—
7Aug 5, 19678.86−0.64Action2,360
8Aug 26, 19588.84−0.66Action2,300
9Aug 28, 20118.73−0.77Action—
10Mar 29, 19948.66−0.84Action1,370
11Apr 16, 20078.18−1.32Action—

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
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
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 BGLD1, 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.