Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

White Clay Creek near Newark

Highest listed crest 23.00 ftFlood stage 13.0 ft43 crests since 1933

The White Clay Creek near Newark crested at major flood stage 8 times among the 43 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1933 to 2025. The highest, 23.00 ft on July 5, 1937, was major flooding, 10.00 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
23.00 ft
July 5, 1937; 22,300 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
13.0 ft
Major flooding from 16.5 ft
Crests at major
8
3rd of 18 gauges in Delaware
Most recent flood crest
July 10, 2025
14.89 ft, minor flooding
Location
New Castle County
Near Newark (4.6 mi), Wilmington (8.0 mi), Elkton (10.1 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, White Clay Creek near Newark
Action stage11.04Sep 7, 2011The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)13.019Jul 10, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage15.012Jan 10, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage16.58May 1, 2014Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

43 crests from 1933 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the White Clay Creek near Newark, 1933 to 2025 10152025ft Flood stage 13.0 ftMajor 16.5 ft Aug 23, 1933: 16.05 ft, moderate flooding; 6,230 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 1937: 23.00 ft, major flooding; 22,300 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 1955: 15.76 ft, moderate flooding; 6,010 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 1960: 16.11 ft, moderate flooding; 6,340 cubic feet per secondAug 10, 1967: 16.41 ft, moderate flooding; 6,640 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1972: 17.74 ft, major flooding; 9,080 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 1975: 16.15 ft, moderate flooding; 6,900 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 1989: 16.55 ft, major flooding; 11,600 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 1989: 15.31 ft, moderate flooding; 6,810 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1994: 15.18 ft, moderate flooding; 6,370 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1996: 15.90 ft, moderate flooding; 9,150 cubic feet per secondOct 19, 1996: 14.89 ft, minor flooding; 5,540 cubic feet per secondDec 4, 1996: 13.89 ft, minor flooding; 3,780 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1999: 12.22 ft, action stage; 2,390 cubic feet per secondSep 16, 1999: 17.57 ft, major flooding; 19,500 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 2000: 14.60 ft, minor flooding; 4,970 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 2003: 14.28 ft, minor floodingJun 20, 2003: 14.97 ft, minor floodingSep 15, 2003: 16.79 ft, major flooding; 13,900 cubic feet per secondOct 28, 2003: 13.25 ft, minor floodingDec 11, 2003: 13.97 ft, minor floodingFeb 6, 2004: 14.91 ft, minor flooding; 5,600 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 2004: 17.96 ft, major floodingMar 28, 2005: 14.29 ft, minor flooding; 4,451 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2006: 14.30 ft, minor flooding; 4,400 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2007: 14.66 ft, minor floodingMar 14, 2010: 12.27 ft, action stageOct 1, 2010: 15.40 ft, moderate floodingMar 11, 2011: 11.74 ft, action stage; 2,120 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2011: 17.23 ft, major floodingSep 7, 2011: 12.92 ft, action stage; 2,844 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2014: 16.90 ft, major flooding; 14,599 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 2018: 14.26 ft, minor flooding; 4,341 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 2020: 16.49 ft, moderate flooding; 12,102 cubic feet per secondAug 8, 2020: 14.56 ft, minor flooding; 4,894 cubic feet per secondNov 30, 2020: 14.15 ft, minor flooding; 4,506 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 2020: 13.99 ft, minor flooding; 4,290 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2021: 15.77 ft, moderate flooding; 8,584 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2023: 13.31 ft, minor flooding; 3,650 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2023: 14.45 ft, minor flooding; 4,937 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2023: 13.25 ft, minor flooding; 3,597 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 15.14 ft, moderate flooding; 6,242 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 2025: 14.89 ft, minor flooding Highest, 23.00 ft, Jul 5, 1937 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, White Clay Creek near Newark 1930s: 2 1940s: 0 1950s: 1 1960s: 2 1970s: 2 1980s: 2 1990s: 5 2000s: 11 11 2010s: 4 2020s: 10 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

Highest listed crests, White Clay Creek near Newark
1Jul 5, 193723.00+10.00Major22,300
2Sep 28, 200417.96+4.96Major—
3Jun 22, 197217.74+4.74Major9,080
4Sep 16, 199917.57+4.57Major19,500
5Aug 28, 201117.23+4.23Major—
6May 1, 201416.90+3.90Major14,599
7Sep 15, 200316.79+3.79Major13,900
8Jul 5, 198916.55+3.55Major11,600
9Aug 4, 202016.49+3.49Moderate12,102
10Aug 10, 196716.41+3.41Moderate6,640
11Jul 16, 197516.15+3.15Moderate6,900
12Sep 12, 196016.11+3.11Moderate6,340
13Aug 23, 193316.05+3.05Moderate6,230
14Jan 19, 199615.90+2.90Moderate9,150
15Sep 2, 202115.77+2.77Moderate8,584
16Aug 18, 195515.76+2.76Moderate6,010
17Oct 1, 201015.40+2.40Moderate—
18Jul 16, 198915.31+2.31Moderate6,810
19Jan 28, 199415.18+2.18Moderate6,370
20Jan 10, 202415.14+2.14Moderate6,242
21Jun 20, 200314.97+1.97Minor—
22Feb 6, 200414.91+1.91Minor5,600
23Oct 19, 199614.89+1.89Minor5,540
24Jul 10, 202514.89+1.89Minor—
25Apr 15, 200714.66+1.66Minor—
26Dec 17, 200014.60+1.60Minor4,970
27Aug 8, 202014.56+1.56Minor4,894
28Dec 18, 202314.45+1.45Minor4,937
29Jun 28, 200614.30+1.30Minor4,400
30Mar 28, 200514.29+1.29Minor4,451
31Feb 22, 200314.28+1.28Minor—
32Aug 13, 201814.26+1.26Minor4,341
33Nov 30, 202014.15+1.15Minor4,506
34Dec 25, 202013.99+0.99Minor4,290
35Dec 11, 200313.97+0.97Minor—
36Dec 4, 199613.89+0.89Minor3,780
37Jun 27, 202313.31+0.31Minor3,650
38Oct 28, 200313.25+0.25Minor—
39Dec 28, 202313.25+0.25Minor3,597
40Sep 7, 201112.92−0.08Action2,844
41Mar 14, 201012.27−0.73Action—
42Mar 22, 199912.22−0.78Action2,390
43Mar 11, 201111.74−1.26Action2,120

The worst floods along the White Clay Creek

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

September 28, 2004: 17.96 ft here, major flooding

  • StrickersvillePA · Sep 28, 2004 · 14.07 ft · Major
  • NewarkDE · Sep 29, 2004 · 15.71 ft · Moderate

September 16, 1999: 17.57 ft here, major flooding

  • NewarkDE · Sep 16, 1999 · 17.13 ft · Major · its highest
  • StrickersvillePA · Sep 16, 1999 · 16.71 ft · Major · its highest

August 28, 2011: 17.23 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the White Clay Creek

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

Flood gauges on the White Clay Creek
StrickersvillePA9.516.71 ft, Sep 16, 19997
NewarkDE11.517.13 ft, Sep 16, 19991
Newark this gaugeDE13.023.00 ft, Jul 5, 19378

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
Wooddale7.017.62 ft, Sep 15, 200312
Newark11.517.13 ft, Sep 16, 19991

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge DPKD1, 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.