Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Red Clay Creek at Wooddale

Highest listed crest 17.62 ftFlood stage 7.0 ft40 crests since 1960

The Red Clay Creek at Wooddale crested at major flood stage 12 times among the 40 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1960 to 2025. The highest, 17.62 ft on September 15, 2003, was major flooding, 10.62 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Red Clay Creek crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
17.62 ft
September 15, 2003; 32,400 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
7.0 ft
Major flooding from 10.0 ft
Crests at major
12
1st of 18 gauges in Delaware
Most recent flood crest
July 10, 2025
10.03 ft, major flooding
Location
New Castle County
Near Wilmington (5.8 mi), Newark (8.7 mi), West Chester (13.7 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Red Clay Creek at Wooddale
Action stage5.57Sep 7, 2011The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)7.011Dec 25, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage8.510Jan 10, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage10.012Jul 10, 2025Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

40 crests from 1960 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Red Clay Creek at Wooddale, 1960 to 2025 05101520ft Flood stage 7.0 ftMajor 10.0 ft Sep 12, 1960: 9.93 ft, moderate flooding; 4,780 cubic feet per secondJul 28, 1968: 9.50 ft, moderate flooding; 4,500 cubic feet per secondJul 21, 1975: 10.32 ft, major flooding; 5,010 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 1989: 8.59 ft, moderate flooding; 3,860 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1994: 8.92 ft, moderate flooding; 4,080 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1994: 7.12 ft, minor flooding; 2,790 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1996: 9.00 ft, moderate flooding; 4,130 cubic feet per secondOct 19, 1996: 6.98 ft, action stage; 2,670 cubic feet per secondDec 6, 1996: 5.73 ft, action stage; 1,880 cubic feet per secondSep 16, 1999: 13.93 ft, major flooding; 7,650 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 2003: 10.13 ft, major floodingSep 15, 2003: 17.62 ft, major flooding; 32,400 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 2003: 5.87 ft, action stageSep 23, 2003: 7.23 ft, minor floodingOct 27, 2003: 6.57 ft, action stageNov 20, 2003: 6.18 ft, action stageDec 11, 2003: 7.64 ft, minor floodingJul 28, 2004: 8.64 ft, moderate floodingAug 13, 2004: 7.81 ft, minor floodingSep 28, 2004: 13.53 ft, major floodingMar 28, 2005: 8.43 ft, minor flooding; 3,323 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2006: 10.88 ft, major flooding; 5,850 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2010: 6.99 ft, action stageOct 1, 2010: 10.90 ft, major floodingMar 11, 2011: 7.30 ft, minor flooding; 2,440 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2011: 12.99 ft, major floodingSep 7, 2011: 6.50 ft, action stage; 1,890 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 2013: 7.15 ft, minor flooding; 2,190 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2014: 11.41 ft, major flooding; 5,841 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 2018: 7.55 ft, minor flooding; 2,462 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 2018: 8.44 ft, minor flooding; 3,111 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2020: 7.62 ft, minor flooding; 2,511 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 2020: 10.85 ft, major flooding; 5,278 cubic feet per secondAug 8, 2020: 12.18 ft, major flooding; 6,726 cubic feet per secondDec 1, 2020: 9.37 ft, moderate flooding; 3,860 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 2020: 8.04 ft, minor flooding; 2,810 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2021: 9.20 ft, moderate flooding; 3,717 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2023: 8.50 ft, moderate flooding; 3,157 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 9.03 ft, moderate flooding; 3,575 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 2025: 10.03 ft, major flooding Highest, 17.62 ft, Sep 15, 2003 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Red Clay Creek at Wooddale 1960s: 2 1970s: 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 4 2000s: 9 9 2010s: 7 2020s: 9 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Red Clay Creek at Wooddale
1Sep 15, 200317.62+10.62Major32,400
2Sep 16, 199913.93+6.93Major7,650
3Sep 28, 200413.53+6.53Major—
4Aug 28, 201112.99+5.99Major—
5Aug 8, 202012.18+5.18Major6,726
6May 1, 201411.41+4.41Major5,841
7Oct 1, 201010.90+3.90Major—
8Jun 28, 200610.88+3.88Major5,850
9Aug 4, 202010.85+3.85Major5,278
10Jul 21, 197510.32+3.32Major5,010
11Jun 20, 200310.13+3.13Major—
12Jul 10, 202510.03+3.03Major—
13Sep 12, 19609.93+2.93Moderate4,780
14Jul 28, 19689.50+2.50Moderate4,500
15Dec 1, 20209.37+2.37Moderate3,860
16Sep 2, 20219.20+2.20Moderate3,717
17Jan 10, 20249.03+2.03Moderate3,575
18Jan 19, 19969.00+2.00Moderate4,130
19Jan 28, 19948.92+1.92Moderate4,080
20Jul 28, 20048.64+1.64Moderate—
21Jul 5, 19898.59+1.59Moderate3,860
22Dec 18, 20238.50+1.50Moderate3,157
23Aug 13, 20188.44+1.44Minor3,111
24Mar 28, 20058.43+1.43Minor3,323
25Dec 25, 20208.04+1.04Minor2,810
26Aug 13, 20047.81+0.81Minor—
27Dec 11, 20037.64+0.64Minor—
28Jan 25, 20207.62+0.62Minor2,511
29Jun 3, 20187.55+0.55Minor2,462
30Mar 11, 20117.30+0.30Minor2,440
31Sep 23, 20037.23+0.23Minor—
32Oct 11, 20137.15+0.15Minor2,190
33Mar 10, 19947.12+0.12Minor2,790
34Mar 13, 20106.99−0.01Action—
35Oct 19, 19966.98−0.02Action2,670
36Oct 27, 20036.57−0.43Action—
37Sep 7, 20116.50−0.50Action1,890
38Nov 20, 20036.18−0.82Action—
39Sep 19, 20035.87−1.13Action—
40Dec 6, 19965.73−1.27Action1,880

The worst floods along the Red Clay Creek

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

September 15, 2003: 17.62 ft here, major flooding

  • StantonDE · Sep 15, 2003 · 25.52 ft · Major · its highest

September 16, 1999: 13.93 ft here, major flooding

  • StantonDE · Sep 16, 1999 · 23.50 ft · Major

September 28, 2004: 13.53 ft here, major flooding

  • StantonDE · Sep 29, 2004 · 23.43 ft · Major

Gauges on the Red Clay Creek

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

Flood gauges on the Red Clay Creek
Wooddale this gaugeDE7.017.62 ft, Sep 15, 200312
StantonDE17.025.52 ft, Sep 15, 20034

Other gauges in New Castle County

Flood gauges in New Castle County
Coochs Bridge11.014.00 ft, Aug 4, 20206
Newport (IN MLLW)7.210.11 ft, Oct 30, 20125
Wilmington (IN MLLW)7.49.91 ft, Oct 30, 20123
Delaware Bay at Reedy Point (IN MLLW)7.29.24 ft, Apr 16, 20111
Delaware City (IN MLLW)7.59.73 ft, Oct 30, 20122
Stanton17.025.52 ft, Sep 15, 20034
Newark11.517.13 ft, Sep 16, 19991
Newark13.023.00 ft, Jul 5, 19378

New Castle County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Delaware

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge RCCD1, 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.