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Saco River at Cornish

Highest listed crest 21.90 ftFlood stage 13.5 ft15 crests since 1923

The Saco River at Cornish crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 15 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1923 to 2023. The highest, 21.90 ft on March 21, 1936, was major flooding, 8.40 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Saco River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
21.90 ft
March 21, 1936; 46,600 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
13.5 ft
Major flooding from 16.0 ft
Crests at major
3
8th of 55 gauges in Maine
Most recent flood crest
June 18, 1998
15.11 ft, moderate flooding
Location
York County
Maine

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Saco River at Cornish
Action stage10.06Dec 21, 2023The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)13.54Jan 30, 1986Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage15.01Jun 18, 1998Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage16.03Apr 3, 1987Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

15 crests from 1923 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Saco River at Cornish, 1923 to 2023 510152025ft Flood stage 13.5 ftMajor 16.0 ft May 2, 1923: 14.72 ft, minor flooding; 23,000 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1936: 21.90 ft, major flooding; 46,600 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1953: 20.51 ft, major flooding; 42,400 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 1956: 14.17 ft, minor floodingApr 23, 1969: 14.39 ft, minor flooding; 25,600 cubic feet per secondJan 30, 1986: 14.58 ft, minor flooding; 15,400 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1987: 16.54 ft, major flooding; 31,300 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 1989: 11.67 ft, action stage; 18,300 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1998: 15.11 ft, moderate flooding; 27,500 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2014: 12.26 ft, action stage; 19,700 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2016: 7.30 ft, below flood stage; 7,820 cubic feet per secondNov 2, 2017: 10.30 ft, action stage; 14,700 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 2019: 12.97 ft, action stage; 20,600 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 2023: 13.03 ft, action stage; 20,745 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 2023: 12.84 ft, action stage; 20,300 cubic feet per second Highest, 21.90 ft, Mar 21, 1936 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Saco River at Cornish 1920s: 1 1930s: 1 1940s: 0 1950s: 2 2 1960s: 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 2 1990s: 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 2020s: 0 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Saco River at Cornish
1Mar 21, 193621.90+8.40Major46,600
2Mar 29, 195320.51+7.01Major42,400
3Apr 3, 198716.54+3.04Major31,300
4Jun 18, 199815.11+1.61Moderate27,500
5May 2, 192314.72+1.22Minor23,000
6Jan 30, 198614.58+1.08Minor15,400
7Apr 23, 196914.39+0.89Minor25,600
8Jan 13, 195614.17+0.67Minor—
9May 5, 202313.03−0.47Action20,745
10Apr 23, 201912.97−0.53Action20,600
11Dec 21, 202312.84−0.66Action20,300
12Apr 18, 201412.26−1.24Action19,700
13May 15, 198911.67−1.83Action18,300
14Nov 2, 201710.30−3.20Action14,700
15Mar 15, 20167.30−6.20Below flood stage7,820

The worst floods along the Saco River

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

March 21, 1936: 21.90 ft here, major flooding

  • ConwayNH · Mar 19, 1936 · 16.45 ft · Major

March 29, 1953: 20.51 ft here, major flooding

  • ConwayNH · Mar 27, 1953 · 17.20 ft · Major

April 3, 1987: 16.54 ft here, major flooding

  • ConwayNH · Apr 1, 1987 · 17.04 ft · Major

Gauges on the Saco River

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

Flood gauges on the Saco River
BartlettNH10.014.83 ft, Aug 28, 20113
ConwayNH9.017.71 ft, Dec 19, 20236
Cornish this gaugeME13.521.90 ft, Mar 21, 19363

Other gauges in York County

Flood gauges in York County
Atlantic Coast at Saco (IN MLLW)12.814.60 ft, Jan 13, 20241
Atlantic Coast at Seavey Island (IN MLLW)11.512.41 ft, Dec 23, 20220

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CNHM1, 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.