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Ipswich River at South Middleton

Highest listed crest 8.46 ftFlood stage 7.0 ft25 crests since 1938

The Ipswich River at South Middleton crested above flood stage 10 times among the 25 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1938 to 2010. The highest, 8.46 ft on May 15, 2006, was moderate flooding, 1.46 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Ipswich River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
8.46 ft
May 15, 2006; 1,298 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
7.0 ft
Major flooding from 10.0 ft
Crests at major
0
10 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
March 31, 2010
7.67 ft, minor flooding
Location
Essex County
Near Peabody (3.8 mi), Lynn (7.3 mi), Melrose (8.0 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Ipswich River at South Middleton
Action stage6.07Jun 15, 1998The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)7.07Mar 31, 2010Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage8.03Mar 16, 2010Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage10.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

25 crests from 1938 to 2010. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Ipswich River at South Middleton, 1938 to 2010 246810ft Flood stage 7.0 ftMajor 10.0 ft Jul 24, 1938: 5.72 ft, below flood stage; 608 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1948: 5.89 ft, below flood stage; 646 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 1956: 5.68 ft, below flood stage; 497 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1958: 6.49 ft, action stage; 682 cubic feet per secondOct 7, 1962: 6.99 ft, action stage; 808 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1968: 7.09 ft, minor flooding; 833 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1969: 6.51 ft, action stage; 688 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 1969: 5.90 ft, below flood stage; 550 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1972: 5.53 ft, below flood stage; 476 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1979: 7.12 ft, minor flooding; 839 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1982: 6.55 ft, action stage; 697 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1983: 6.32 ft, action stage; 641 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1984: 6.54 ft, action stage; 694 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1987: 7.51 ft, minor flooding; 1,010 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1993: 7.05 ft, minor flooding; 690 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1994: 5.81 ft, below flood stage; 547 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1996: 5.77 ft, below flood stage; 436 cubic feet per secondOct 21, 1996: 7.88 ft, minor flooding; 896 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1998: 6.69 ft, action stage; 604 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 2001: 8.39 ft, moderate flooding; 1,200 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 2004: 7.06 ft, minor flooding; 783 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 2005: 3.86 ft, below flood stageMay 15, 2006: 8.46 ft, moderate flooding; 1,298 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2010: 8.43 ft, moderate flooding; 1,317 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2010: 7.67 ft, minor flooding; 1,074 cubic feet per second Highest, 8.46 ft, May 15, 2006 19401950196019701980199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Ipswich River at South Middleton 1930s: 0 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 1 1970s: 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 2 2000s: 3 3 2010s: 2 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Ipswich River at South Middleton
1May 15, 20068.46+1.46Moderate1,298
2Mar 16, 20108.43+1.43Moderate1,317
3Mar 23, 20018.39+1.39Moderate1,200
4Oct 21, 19967.88+0.88Minor896
5Mar 31, 20107.67+0.67Minor1,074
6Apr 7, 19877.51+0.51Minor1,010
7Jan 26, 19797.12+0.12Minor839
8Mar 19, 19687.09+0.09Minor833
9Apr 2, 20047.06+0.06Minor783
10Apr 1, 19937.05+0.05Minor690
11Oct 7, 19626.99−0.01Action808
12Jun 15, 19986.69−0.31Action604
13Jun 7, 19826.55−0.45Action697
14Jun 3, 19846.54−0.46Action694
15Mar 27, 19696.51−0.49Action688
16Jan 27, 19586.49−0.51Action682
17Mar 12, 19836.32−0.68Action641
18Dec 27, 19695.90−1.10Below flood stage550
19Mar 21, 19485.89−1.11Below flood stage646
20Mar 25, 19945.81−1.19Below flood stage547
21Jan 28, 19965.77−1.23Below flood stage436
22Jul 24, 19385.72−1.28Below flood stage608
23Jan 13, 19565.68−1.32Below flood stage497
24Mar 23, 19725.53−1.47Below flood stage476
25Oct 16, 20053.86−3.14Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Ipswich River

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

May 15, 2006: 8.46 ft here, moderate flooding

  • IpswichMA · May 15, 2006 · 10.53 ft · Major · its highest

March 16, 2010: 8.43 ft here, moderate flooding

  • IpswichMA · Mar 17, 2010 · 9.96 ft · Moderate

March 23, 2001: 8.39 ft here, moderate flooding

  • IpswichMA · Mar 24, 2001 · 8.88 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Ipswich River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Ipswich River
South Middleton this gaugeMA7.08.46 ft, May 15, 20060
IpswichMA7.010.53 ft, May 15, 20061

Other gauges in Essex County

Flood gauges in Essex County
Atlantic Coast at Gloucester (IN MLLW)11.513.13 ft, Jan 4, 20180
Ipswich7.010.53 ft, May 15, 20061
Lawrence24.025.37 ft, Dec 20, 20230
Haverhill11.025.75 ft, Mar 20, 19363
Byfield5.57.85 ft, May 15, 20062
Andover29.037.45 ft, May 15, 20062
Methuen8.012.15 ft, May 16, 20061

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SMMM3, 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.