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Sandy River (ME) at Mercer

Highest listed crest 19.25 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft28 crests since 1936

The Sandy River (ME) at Mercer crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 28 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1936 to 2023. The highest, 19.25 ft on April 1, 1987, was major flooding, 9.25 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
19.25 ft
April 1, 1987; 51,100 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 16.0 ft
Crests at major
4
4th of 55 gauges in Maine
Most recent flood crest
December 19, 2023
17.35 ft, major flooding
Location
Somerset County
Maine

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Sandy River (ME) at Mercer
Action stage8.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.017Dec 14, 2010Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage14.07May 2, 2023Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage16.04Dec 19, 2023Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

28 crests from 1936 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Sandy River (ME) at Mercer, 1936 to 2023 101214161820ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 16.0 ft Mar 13, 1936: 15.85 ft, moderate flooding; 21,000 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1936: 16.75 ft, major flooding; 38,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 1937: 13.95 ft, minor floodingMar 28, 1945: 14.20 ft, moderate floodingFeb 6, 1946: 14.47 ft, moderate floodingApr 21, 1950: 12.49 ft, minor flooding; 19,900 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1951: 12.68 ft, minor flooding; 20,400 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1953: 16.34 ft, major flooding; 36,900 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 1954: 12.40 ft, minor flooding; 21,100 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1959: 12.60 ft, minor floodingOct 25, 1959: 12.38 ft, minor flooding; 20,100 cubic feet per secondNov 9, 1963: 12.05 ft, minor flooding; 19,200 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 1969: 14.65 ft, moderate flooding; 29,100 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1973: 14.52 ft, moderate floodingDec 22, 1973: 13.63 ft, minor flooding; 25,600 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 1978: 13.50 ft, minor flooding; 25,000 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1979: 13.48 ft, minor flooding; 24,900 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1987: 19.25 ft, major flooding; 51,100 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1989: 13.33 ft, minor flooding; 25,300 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1993: 12.64 ft, minor flooding; 22,500 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1996: 12.98 ft, minor flooding; 23,900 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 1996: 13.30 ft, minor flooding; 25,200 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1998: 14.20 ft, moderate flooding; 28,800 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2003: 13.03 ft, minor flooding; 24,100 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2005: 13.73 ft, minor flooding; 27,300 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 2010: 12.00 ft, minor flooding; 21,100 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2023: 14.62 ft, moderate flooding; 31,304 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 2023: 17.35 ft, major flooding; 42,724 cubic feet per second Highest, 19.25 ft, Apr 1, 1987 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Sandy River (ME) at Mercer 1930s: 3 1940s: 2 1950s: 6 6 1960s: 2 1970s: 4 1980s: 2 1990s: 4 2000s: 2 2010s: 1 2020s: 2 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Sandy River (ME) at Mercer
1Apr 1, 198719.25+9.25Major51,100
2Dec 19, 202317.35+7.35Major42,724
3Mar 19, 193616.75+6.75Major38,600
4Mar 28, 195316.34+6.34Major36,900
5Mar 13, 193615.85+5.85Moderate21,000
6Dec 28, 196914.65+4.65Moderate29,100
7May 2, 202314.62+4.62Moderate31,304
8Mar 18, 197314.52+4.52Moderate—
9Feb 6, 194614.47+4.47Moderate—
10Mar 28, 194514.20+4.20Moderate—
11Jun 15, 199814.20+4.20Moderate28,800
12Feb 15, 193713.95+3.95Minor—
13Apr 4, 200513.73+3.73Minor27,300
14Dec 22, 197313.63+3.63Minor25,600
15Jan 10, 197813.50+3.50Minor25,000
16Apr 28, 197913.48+3.48Minor24,900
17May 13, 198913.33+3.33Minor25,300
18Dec 2, 199613.30+3.30Minor25,200
19Dec 18, 200313.03+3.03Minor24,100
20Jan 28, 199612.98+2.98Minor23,900
21Apr 4, 195112.68+2.68Minor20,400
22Apr 18, 199312.64+2.64Minor22,500
23Apr 3, 195912.60+2.60Minor—
24Apr 21, 195012.49+2.49Minor19,900
25Sep 12, 195412.40+2.40Minor21,100
26Oct 25, 195912.38+2.38Minor20,100
27Nov 9, 196312.05+2.05Minor19,200
28Dec 14, 201012.00+2.00Minor21,100

Other gauges in Somerset County

Flood gauges in Somerset County
North Anson15.026.66 ft, Apr 1, 19873
Skowhegan15.031.00 ft, Dec 19, 20231

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MERM1, 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.