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Mill River at Northampton

Highest listed crest 16.42 ftFlood stage 11.0 ft45 crests since 1951

The Mill River at Northampton crested above flood stage 29 times among the 45 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1951 to 2025. The highest, 16.42 ft on August 28, 2011, was minor flooding, 5.42 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
16.42 ft
August 28, 2011; 7,486 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
11.0 ft
No major stage set
Crests at major
0
29 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
May 6, 2025
11.29 ft, minor flooding
Location
Hampshire County
Near Northampton (0.7 mi), Easthampton (3.7 mi), Holyoke (7.5 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Mill River at Northampton
Action stage9.016Nov 3, 2018The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)11.029May 6, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat

Every listed crest

45 crests from 1951 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Mill River at Northampton, 1951 to 2025 81012141618ft Flood stage 11.0 ft Mar 31, 1951: 9.38 ft, action stage; 3,840 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 1955: 11.78 ft, minor flooding; 6,300 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 1955: 9.81 ft, action stage; 5,010 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 1960: 9.10 ft, action stage; 3,690 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1982: 10.98 ft, action stage; 4,790 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1984: 10.42 ft, action stage; 4,450 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 1999: 11.42 ft, minor flooding; 5,050 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 2003: 12.11 ft, minor flooding; 2,910 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2005: 12.73 ft, minor flooding; 3,482 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 2005: 10.27 ft, action stage; 1,562 cubic feet per secondOct 9, 2005: 13.72 ft, minor floodingOct 15, 2005: 10.81 ft, action stageOct 25, 2005: 10.02 ft, action stageMay 13, 2006: 10.39 ft, action stage; 1,639 cubic feet per secondOct 28, 2006: 10.30 ft, action stage; 1,581 cubic feet per secondNov 9, 2006: 10.47 ft, action stage; 1,689 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2007: 15.58 ft, minor flooding; 6,553 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2008: 10.11 ft, action stage; 1,465 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2008: 10.58 ft, action stage; 1,761 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 2008: 11.81 ft, minor flooding; 2,656 cubic feet per secondDec 12, 2008: 11.55 ft, minor flooding; 2,453 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 2009: 10.29 ft, action stage; 1,574 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 2010: 10.46 ft, action stage; 1,683 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2010: 11.83 ft, minor flooding; 2,672 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 2011: 12.26 ft, minor flooding; 3,040 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2011: 16.42 ft, minor flooding; 7,486 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 2011: 11.50 ft, minor flooding; 2,415 cubic feet per secondSep 29, 2011: 12.20 ft, minor flooding; 2,985 cubic feet per secondDec 8, 2011: 11.27 ft, minor flooding; 2,243 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 2012: 11.18 ft, minor flooding; 2,178 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 2014: 11.21 ft, minor flooding; 2,199 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 2015: 12.32 ft, minor flooding; 3,095 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2016: 13.47 ft, minor flooding; 4,227 cubic feet per secondOct 30, 2017: 12.80 ft, minor flooding; 3,572 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 2018: 11.04 ft, minor flooding; 2,235 cubic feet per secondNov 3, 2018: 10.81 ft, action stageDec 21, 2018: 11.64 ft, minor flooding; 2,672 cubic feet per secondDec 1, 2020: 11.03 ft, minor flooding; 2,228 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 2020: 12.39 ft, minor flooding; 3,242 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2021: 11.45 ft, minor flooding; 2,534 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2023: 14.37 ft, minor flooding; 4,970 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 11.31 ft, minor flooding; 2,432 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 2024: 11.25 ft, minor flooding; 2,388 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2024: 12.83 ft, minor flooding; 3,590 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2025: 11.29 ft, minor flooding; 2,400 cubic feet per second Highest, 16.42 ft, Aug 28, 2011 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Mill River at Northampton 1950s: 1 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 6 2010s: 13 13 2020s: 8 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, Mill River at Northampton
1Aug 28, 201116.42+5.42Minor7,486
2Apr 16, 200715.58+4.58Minor6,553
3Dec 18, 202314.37+3.37Minor4,970
4Oct 9, 200513.72+2.72Minor—
5Feb 25, 201613.47+2.47Minor4,227
6Apr 12, 202412.83+1.83Minor3,590
7Oct 30, 201712.80+1.80Minor3,572
8Apr 3, 200512.73+1.73Minor3,482
9Dec 25, 202012.39+1.39Minor3,242
10Sep 30, 201512.32+1.32Minor3,095
11Mar 7, 201112.26+1.26Minor3,040
12Sep 29, 201112.20+1.20Minor2,985
13Sep 28, 200312.11+1.11Minor2,910
14Mar 31, 201011.83+0.83Minor2,672
15Mar 9, 200811.81+0.81Minor2,656
16Aug 19, 195511.78+0.78Minor6,300
17Dec 21, 201811.64+0.64Minor2,672
18Dec 12, 200811.55+0.55Minor2,453
19Sep 7, 201111.50+0.50Minor2,415
20Sep 2, 202111.45+0.45Minor2,534
21Sep 17, 199911.42+0.42Minor5,050
22Jan 10, 202411.31+0.31Minor2,432
23May 6, 202511.29+0.29Minor2,400
24Dec 8, 201111.27+0.27Minor2,243
25Mar 24, 202411.25+0.25Minor2,388
26Aug 13, 201411.21+0.21Minor2,199
27Dec 21, 201211.18+0.18Minor2,178
28Sep 18, 201811.04+0.04Minor2,235
29Dec 1, 202011.03+0.03Minor2,228
30Jun 6, 198210.98−0.02Action4,790
31Oct 15, 200510.81−0.19Action—
32Nov 3, 201810.81−0.19Action—
33Feb 14, 200810.58−0.42Action1,761
34Nov 9, 200610.47−0.53Action1,689
35Mar 23, 201010.46−0.54Action1,683
36Apr 5, 198410.42−0.58Action4,450
37May 13, 200610.39−0.61Action1,639
38Oct 28, 200610.30−0.70Action1,581
39Dec 27, 200910.29−0.71Action1,574
40Apr 24, 200510.27−0.73Action1,562
41Feb 7, 200810.11−0.89Action1,465
42Oct 25, 200510.02−0.98Action—
43Oct 15, 19559.81−1.19Action5,010
44Mar 31, 19519.38−1.62Action3,840
45Sep 12, 19609.10−1.90Action3,690

Other gauges in Hampshire County

Flood gauges in Hampshire County
Holyoke - Upper9.016.80 ft, Mar 19, 193610
Northampton112.0129.40 ft, Mar 19, 19363
Gibbs Crossing7.018.20 ft, Sep 21, 19383
Huntington9.016.78 ft, Aug 28, 20114

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge NMIM3, 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.