Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Kennebec River at North Sidney

Highest listed crest 39.31 ftFlood stage 20.0 ft22 crests since 1979

The Kennebec River at North Sidney crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 22 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1979 to 2024. The highest, 39.31 ft on April 2, 1987, was major flooding, 19.31 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Kennebec River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
39.31 ft
April 2, 1987; 232,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
20.0 ft
Major flooding from 29.0 ft
Crests at major
2
12th of 55 gauges in Maine
Most recent flood crest
April 13, 2024
20.62 ft, minor flooding
Location
Kennebec County
Near Waterville (5.2 mi), Augusta (9.8 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Kennebec River at North Sidney
Action stage17.05Mar 8, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)20.09Apr 13, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage25.04Jan 28, 1986Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage29.02Dec 19, 2023Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

22 crests from 1979 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Kennebec River at North Sidney, 1979 to 2024 10203040ft Flood stage 20.0 ftMajor 29.0 ft Apr 28, 1979: 26.40 ft, moderate flooding; 111,000 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1980: 16.66 ft, below flood stage; 51,800 cubic feet per secondSep 25, 1981: 14.72 ft, below flood stage; 33,500 cubic feet per secondOct 24, 1981: 17.33 ft, action stage; 50,300 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1983: 25.69 ft, moderate flooding; 107,000 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1984: 26.60 ft, moderate flooding; 113,000 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1986: 25.56 ft, moderate flooding; 106,000 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1987: 39.31 ft, major flooding; 232,000 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1989: 21.24 ft, minor flooding; 75,000 cubic feet per secondOct 25, 1990: 18.90 ft, action stage; 58,000 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1992: 18.77 ft, action stage; 56,600 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1993: 23.61 ft, minor flooding; 91,000 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 2003: 22.23 ft, minor flooding; 102,000 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2005: 22.29 ft, minor flooding; 53,954 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2008: 22.08 ft, minor flooding; 93,012 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 2010: 20.85 ft, minor flooding; 84,300 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 2012: 18.79 ft, action stage; 71,056 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2014: 21.25 ft, minor flooding; 86,900 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2023: 24.90 ft, minor flooding; 112,944 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 2023: 32.32 ft, major flooding; 167,025 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 2024: 17.25 ft, action stage; 58,969 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2024: 20.62 ft, minor flooding; 78,036 cubic feet per second Highest, 39.31 ft, Apr 2, 1987 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Kennebec River at North Sidney 1970s: 1 1980s: 5 5 1990s: 1 2000s: 3 2010s: 2 2020s: 3 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Kennebec River at North Sidney
1Apr 2, 198739.31+19.31Major232,000
2Dec 19, 202332.32+12.32Major167,025
3Jun 1, 198426.60+6.60Moderate113,000
4Apr 28, 197926.40+6.40Moderate111,000
5Apr 26, 198325.69+5.69Moderate107,000
6Jan 28, 198625.56+5.56Moderate106,000
7May 2, 202324.90+4.90Minor112,944
8Apr 12, 199323.61+3.61Minor91,000
9Apr 4, 200522.29+2.29Minor53,954
10Dec 19, 200322.23+2.23Minor102,000
11Apr 30, 200822.08+2.08Minor93,012
12Apr 16, 201421.25+1.25Minor86,900
13May 13, 198921.24+1.24Minor75,000
14Dec 14, 201020.85+0.85Minor84,300
15Apr 13, 202420.62+0.62Minor78,036
16Oct 25, 199018.90−1.10Action58,000
17Jun 4, 201218.79−1.21Action71,056
18Mar 29, 199218.77−1.23Action56,600
19Oct 24, 198117.33−2.67Action50,300
20Mar 8, 202417.25−2.75Action58,969
21Apr 11, 198016.66−3.34Below flood stage51,800
22Sep 25, 198114.72−5.28Below flood stage33,500

The worst floods along the Kennebec River

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

April 2, 1987: 39.31 ft here, major flooding

  • AugustaME · Apr 2, 1987 · 34.10 ft · Major · its highest
  • GardinerME · Apr 2, 1987 · 24.70 ft · Major

December 19, 2023: 32.32 ft here, major flooding

  • SkowheganME · Dec 19, 2023 · 31.00 ft · Major · its highest
  • AugustaME · Dec 19, 2023 · 26.92 ft · Major
  • HallowellME · Dec 20, 2023 · 22.49 ft · Major · its highest
  • GardinerME · Dec 19, 2023 · 19.24 ft · Major

Gauges on the Kennebec River

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

Flood gauges on the Kennebec River
AugustaME12.034.10 ft, Apr 2, 19873
GardinerME13.026.40 ft, Mar 21, 19363
HallowellME11.022.49 ft, Dec 20, 20231
North Sidney this gaugeME20.039.31 ft, Apr 2, 19872
SkowheganME15.031.00 ft, Dec 19, 20231

Other gauges in Kennebec County

Flood gauges in Kennebec County
Augusta12.034.10 ft, Apr 2, 19873
Gardiner13.026.40 ft, Mar 21, 19363
Hallowell11.022.49 ft, Dec 20, 20231

Kennebec County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Maine

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SIDM1, 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.