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Boston Harbor at Boston (IN MLLW)

Highest listed crest 15.16 ftFlood stage 12.5 ft67 crests since 1959

The Boston Harbor at Boston (IN MLLW) crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 67 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1959 to 2024. The highest, 15.16 ft on January 4, 2018, was major flooding, 2.66 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
15.16 ft
January 4, 2018
Flood stage
12.5 ft
Major flooding from 15.0 ft
Crests at major
2
18th of 65 gauges in Massachusetts
Most recent flood crest
November 16, 2024
13.06 ft, minor flooding
Location
Suffolk County
Near Boston (2.0 mi), Chelsea (3.1 mi), Everett (3.6 mi)
Identifiers
NWS BHBM3
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, Boston Harbor at Boston (IN MLLW)
Action stage11.52Nov 12, 1977The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.558Nov 16, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage14.05Jan 13, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage15.02Jan 4, 2018Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

67 crests from 1959 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Boston Harbor at Boston (IN MLLW), 1959 to 2024 1213141516ft Flood stage 12.5 ftMajor 15.0 ft Dec 29, 1959: 13.84 ft, minor floodingFeb 19, 1972: 13.80 ft, minor floodingApr 3, 1973: 13.09 ft, minor floodingDec 10, 1973: 12.69 ft, minor floodingJan 10, 1974: 12.40 ft, action stageDec 1, 1974: 13.14 ft, minor floodingMar 15, 1976: 13.41 ft, minor floodingMar 22, 1977: 12.51 ft, minor floodingNov 12, 1977: 12.41 ft, action stageFeb 7, 1978: 15.10 ft, major floodingFeb 25, 1979: 13.20 ft, minor floodingMar 7, 1981: 12.67 ft, minor floodingDec 11, 1981: 12.77 ft, minor floodingNov 5, 1983: 12.72 ft, minor floodingDec 12, 1985: 12.75 ft, minor floodingJan 2, 1987: 14.20 ft, moderate floodingJan 31, 1987: 12.97 ft, minor floodingDec 4, 1990: 13.01 ft, minor floodingOct 30, 1991: 14.14 ft, moderate floodingDec 12, 1992: 14.03 ft, moderate floodingMay 27, 1994: 12.84 ft, minor floodingDec 20, 1995: 13.34 ft, minor floodingJan 10, 1997: 13.27 ft, minor floodingNov 6, 2002: 13.46 ft, minor floodingJan 4, 2003: 13.40 ft, minor floodingFeb 10, 2005: 13.13 ft, minor floodingMay 25, 2005: 13.78 ft, minor floodingJan 31, 2006: 13.58 ft, minor floodingApr 18, 2007: 13.80 ft, minor floodingJan 2, 2010: 13.54 ft, minor floodingMar 1, 2010: 12.99 ft, minor floodingMar 31, 2010: 13.17 ft, minor floodingDec 27, 2010: 13.70 ft, minor floodingJun 5, 2012: 13.58 ft, minor floodingJan 3, 2014: 13.84 ft, minor floodingJan 27, 2015: 13.62 ft, minor floodingMay 26, 2017: 13.41 ft, minor floodingJan 4, 2018: 15.16 ft, major floodingJan 30, 2018: 13.24 ft, minor floodingMar 2, 2018: 14.67 ft, moderate floodingSep 10, 2018: 12.54 ft, minor floodingNov 25, 2018: 13.05 ft, minor floodingJan 20, 2019: 13.10 ft, minor floodingMar 22, 2019: 12.90 ft, minor floodingOct 17, 2019: 12.91 ft, minor floodingDec 14, 2019: 13.08 ft, minor floodingApr 9, 2020: 12.92 ft, minor floodingMay 8, 2020: 12.83 ft, minor floodingNov 16, 2020: 12.68 ft, minor floodingDec 17, 2020: 13.18 ft, minor floodingJan 16, 2021: 12.69 ft, minor floodingFeb 2, 2021: 13.25 ft, minor floodingJan 2, 2022: 13.11 ft, minor floodingJan 17, 2022: 12.62 ft, minor floodingJan 29, 2022: 12.97 ft, minor floodingMay 17, 2022: 12.76 ft, minor floodingDec 23, 2022: 13.97 ft, minor floodingJan 20, 2023: 12.75 ft, minor floodingJun 6, 2023: 12.56 ft, minor floodingDec 18, 2023: 12.69 ft, minor floodingJan 13, 2024: 14.41 ft, moderate floodingFeb 9, 2024: 12.52 ft, minor floodingFeb 13, 2024: 13.32 ft, minor floodingMar 10, 2024: 13.45 ft, minor floodingAug 20, 2024: 12.50 ft, minor floodingSep 20, 2024: 12.93 ft, minor floodingNov 16, 2024: 13.06 ft, minor flooding Highest, 15.16 ft, Jan 4, 2018 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Boston Harbor at Boston (IN MLLW) 1950s: 1 1960s: 0 1970s: 8 1980s: 6 1990s: 6 2000s: 6 2010s: 17 2020s: 21 21 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

The 50 highest of 67 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Boston Harbor at Boston (IN MLLW)
1Jan 4, 201815.16+2.66Major—
2Feb 7, 197815.10+2.60Major—
3Mar 2, 201814.67+2.17Moderate—
4Jan 13, 202414.41+1.91Moderate—
5Jan 2, 198714.20+1.70Moderate—
6Oct 30, 199114.14+1.64Moderate—
7Dec 12, 199214.03+1.53Moderate—
8Dec 23, 202213.97+1.47Minor—
9Dec 29, 195913.84+1.34Minor—
10Jan 3, 201413.84+1.34Minor—
11Feb 19, 197213.80+1.30Minor—
12Apr 18, 200713.80+1.30Minor—
13May 25, 200513.78+1.28Minor—
14Dec 27, 201013.70+1.20Minor—
15Jan 27, 201513.62+1.12Minor—
16Jan 31, 200613.58+1.08Minor—
17Jun 5, 201213.58+1.08Minor—
18Jan 2, 201013.54+1.04Minor—
19Nov 6, 200213.46+0.96Minor—
20Mar 10, 202413.45+0.95Minor—
21Mar 15, 197613.41+0.91Minor—
22May 26, 201713.41+0.91Minor—
23Jan 4, 200313.40+0.90Minor—
24Dec 20, 199513.34+0.84Minor—
25Feb 13, 202413.32+0.82Minor—
26Jan 10, 199713.27+0.77Minor—
27Feb 2, 202113.25+0.75Minor—
28Jan 30, 201813.24+0.74Minor—
29Feb 25, 197913.20+0.70Minor—
30Dec 17, 202013.18+0.68Minor—
31Mar 31, 201013.17+0.67Minor—
32Dec 1, 197413.14+0.64Minor—
33Feb 10, 200513.13+0.63Minor—
34Jan 2, 202213.11+0.61Minor—
35Jan 20, 201913.10+0.60Minor—
36Apr 3, 197313.09+0.59Minor—
37Dec 14, 201913.08+0.58Minor—
38Nov 16, 202413.06+0.56Minor—
39Nov 25, 201813.05+0.55Minor—
40Dec 4, 199013.01+0.51Minor—
41Mar 1, 201012.99+0.49Minor—
42Jan 31, 198712.97+0.47Minor—
43Jan 29, 202212.97+0.47Minor—
44Sep 20, 202412.93+0.43Minor—
45Apr 9, 202012.92+0.42Minor—
46Oct 17, 201912.91+0.41Minor—
47Mar 22, 201912.90+0.40Minor—
48May 27, 199412.84+0.34Minor—
49May 8, 202012.83+0.33Minor—
50Dec 11, 198112.77+0.27Minor—

Other gauges in Suffolk County

Flood gauges in Suffolk County
Brookline15.016.63 ft, Dec 10, 20140

Suffolk County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Massachusetts

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BHBM3, 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.