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Esopus Creek at Cold Brook

Highest listed crest 23.34 ftFlood stage 11.0 ft76 crests since 1933

The Esopus Creek at Cold Brook crested at major flood stage 10 times among the 76 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1933 to 2026. The highest, 23.34 ft on August 28, 2011, was major flooding, 12.34 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Esopus Creek crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
23.34 ft
August 28, 2011; 75,856 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
11.0 ft
Major flooding from 18.0 ft
Crests at major
10
9th of 160 gauges in New York
Most recent flood crest
July 29, 2026
13.91 ft, minor flooding
Location
Ulster County
New York

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Esopus Creek at Cold Brook
Action stage8.08Mar 4, 1999The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)11.048Jul 29, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage15.010Mar 11, 2011Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage18.010Dec 25, 2020Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

76 crests from 1933 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Esopus Creek at Cold Brook, 1933 to 2026 510152025ft Flood stage 11.0 ftMajor 18.0 ft Aug 24, 1933: 20.40 ft, major flooding; 55,000 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1936: 17.90 ft, moderate flooding; 38,500 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 1948: 14.37 ft, minor flooding; 21,500 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1951: 20.70 ft, major flooding; 59,600 cubic feet per secondDec 11, 1952: 17.03 ft, moderate flooding; 34,700 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 1955: 12.30 ft, minor flooding; 13,600 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 1955: 20.00 ft, major flooding; 54,000 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 1957: 18.98 ft, major flooding; 46,900 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1962: 11.12 ft, minor flooding; 9,820 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1968: 11.73 ft, minor flooding; 11,600 cubic feet per secondJul 28, 1969: 14.37 ft, minor flooding; 21,400 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 1971: 11.50 ft, minor flooding; 11,400 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1972: 12.10 ft, minor flooding; 13,100 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1973: 11.84 ft, minor flooding; 12,400 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 1973: 15.67 ft, moderate flooding; 27,400 cubic feet per secondDec 8, 1974: 14.43 ft, minor flooding; 21,700 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1976: 13.10 ft, minor flooding; 15,400 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1977: 12.91 ft, minor flooding; 14,700 cubic feet per secondNov 8, 1977: 16.32 ft, moderate flooding; 30,000 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 1979: 13.60 ft, minor flooding; 17,900 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1980: 21.94 ft, major flooding; 65,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1981: 15.63 ft, moderate flooding; 26,400 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1982: 11.12 ft, minor flooding; 9,820 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1983: 11.19 ft, minor flooding; 10,100 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1984: 17.75 ft, moderate flooding; 37,400 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 1985: 10.67 ft, action stage; 8,700 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1986: 11.93 ft, minor flooding; 12,200 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1987: 20.06 ft, major flooding; 51,700 cubic feet per secondOct 28, 1987: 9.53 ft, action stage; 6,240 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1989: 12.87 ft, minor flooding; 15,300 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 1989: 8.54 ft, action stageMay 16, 1989: 10.60 ft, action stageOct 20, 1989: 11.47 ft, minor flooding; 10,900 cubic feet per secondNov 10, 1990: 11.39 ft, minor flooding; 10,600 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1992: 10.58 ft, action stage; 8,470 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1993: 11.72 ft, minor flooding; 11,600 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1993: 14.21 ft, minor flooding; 20,300 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1995: 10.47 ft, action stage; 8,200 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1996: 20.33 ft, major flooding; 53,600 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1996: 15.36 ft, moderate floodingDec 2, 1996: 13.38 ft, minor flooding; 17,100 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1998: 9.97 ft, action stageJun 14, 1998: 12.46 ft, minor flooding; 13,900 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1999: 9.25 ft, action stage; 5,490 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 2003: 12.08 ft, minor flooding; 12,676 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 2004: 13.59 ft, minor flooding; 17,865 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 2004: 11.69 ft, minor flooding; 11,502 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 2005: 11.56 ft, minor flooding; 11,117 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2005: 20.58 ft, major flooding; 55,308 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2006: 15.52 ft, moderate flooding; 25,900 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2007: 13.36 ft, minor flooding; 17,000 cubic feet per secondDec 12, 2008: 11.39 ft, minor flooding; 10,603 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2010: 15.85 ft, moderate flooding; 27,480 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 2010: 14.45 ft, minor flooding; 21,290 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 2011: 12.87 ft, minor flooding; 15,684 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2011: 15.80 ft, moderate flooding; 27,320 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2011: 23.34 ft, major flooding; 75,856 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 2011: 14.21 ft, minor flooding; 20,540 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 2011: 13.30 ft, minor flooding; 17,160 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 2012: 14.65 ft, minor flooding; 22,299 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 2012: 12.40 ft, minor flooding; 14,119 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2013: 11.00 ft, minor flooding; 10,100 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2014: 11.40 ft, minor flooding; 11,219 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2016: 12.39 ft, minor flooding; 14,092 cubic feet per secondOct 30, 2017: 12.23 ft, minor flooding; 13,634 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 2018: 11.81 ft, minor flooding; 12,346 cubic feet per secondNov 1, 2019: 11.34 ft, minor flooding; 11,022 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2020: 11.21 ft, minor flooding; 10,939 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2020: 11.02 ft, minor flooding; 10,167 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 2020: 18.12 ft, major flooding; 39,262 cubic feet per secondOct 26, 2021: 12.48 ft, minor flooding; 14,386 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2022: 12.89 ft, minor flooding; 15,729 cubic feet per secondOct 7, 2023: 11.06 ft, minor flooding; 10,405 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2023: 14.35 ft, minor flooding; 21,073 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2024: 11.04 ft, minor flooding; 10,220 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 2026: 13.91 ft, minor flooding; 19,367 cubic feet per second Highest, 23.34 ft, Aug 28, 2011 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Esopus Creek at Cold Brook 1930s: 2 1940s: 1 1950s: 5 1960s: 3 1970s: 9 1980s: 9 1990s: 7 2000s: 8 2010s: 15 15 2020s: 9 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

The 50 highest of 76 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Esopus Creek at Cold Brook
1Aug 28, 201123.34+12.34Major75,856
2Mar 21, 198021.94+10.94Major65,300
3Mar 30, 195120.70+9.70Major59,600
4Apr 3, 200520.58+9.58Major55,308
5Aug 24, 193320.40+9.40Major55,000
6Jan 19, 199620.33+9.33Major53,600
7Apr 4, 198720.06+9.06Major51,700
8Oct 15, 195520.00+9.00Major54,000
9Dec 21, 195718.98+7.98Major46,900
10Dec 25, 202018.12+7.12Major39,262
11Mar 12, 193617.90+6.90Moderate38,500
12Apr 5, 198417.75+6.75Moderate37,400
13Dec 11, 195217.03+6.03Moderate34,700
14Nov 8, 197716.32+5.32Moderate30,000
15Jan 25, 201015.85+4.85Moderate27,480
16Mar 11, 201115.80+4.80Moderate27,320
17Dec 21, 197315.67+4.67Moderate27,400
18Feb 20, 198115.63+4.63Moderate26,400
19Jun 28, 200615.52+4.52Moderate25,900
20Jan 27, 199615.36+4.36Moderate—
21Sep 19, 201214.65+3.65Minor22,299
22Mar 23, 201014.45+3.45Minor21,290
23Dec 8, 197414.43+3.43Minor21,700
24Dec 30, 194814.37+3.37Minor21,500
25Jul 28, 196914.37+3.37Minor21,400
26Dec 18, 202314.35+3.35Minor21,073
27Nov 28, 199314.21+3.21Minor20,300
28Sep 7, 201114.21+3.21Minor20,540
29Jul 29, 202613.91+2.91Minor19,367
30Sep 6, 197913.60+2.60Minor17,900
31Sep 18, 200413.59+2.59Minor17,865
32Dec 2, 199613.38+2.38Minor17,100
33Apr 16, 200713.36+2.36Minor17,000
34Sep 28, 201113.30+2.30Minor17,160
35Jan 27, 197613.10+2.10Minor15,400
36Mar 13, 197712.91+1.91Minor14,700
37Apr 8, 202212.89+1.89Minor15,729
38May 6, 198912.87+1.87Minor15,300
39Mar 7, 201112.87+1.87Minor15,684
40Oct 26, 202112.48+1.48Minor14,386
41Jun 14, 199812.46+1.46Minor13,900
42Dec 21, 201212.40+1.40Minor14,119
43Feb 25, 201612.39+1.39Minor14,092
44Aug 19, 195512.30+1.30Minor13,600
45Oct 30, 201712.23+1.23Minor13,634
46Jun 22, 197212.10+1.10Minor13,100
47Sep 28, 200312.08+1.08Minor12,676
48Mar 15, 198611.93+0.93Minor12,200
49Jun 30, 197311.84+0.84Minor12,400
50Aug 18, 201811.81+0.81Minor12,346

The worst floods along the Esopus Creek

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

August 28, 2011: 23.34 ft here, major flooding

March 21, 1980: 21.94 ft here, major flooding

March 30, 1951: 20.70 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Esopus Creek

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

Flood gauges on the Esopus Creek
Ashokan Reservoir EastNY589.0592.23 ft, Mar 31, 19512
Cold Brook this gaugeNY11.023.34 ft, Aug 28, 201110
Mount MarionNY20.026.46 ft, Apr 3, 20056

Other gauges in Ulster County

Flood gauges in Ulster County
Ashokan Reservoir East589.0592.23 ft, Mar 31, 19512
Mount Marion20.026.46 ft, Apr 3, 20056
Rondout Rsvr841.0842.77 ft, Apr 3, 20050
Rosendale18.026.96 ft, Aug 28, 20112
Gardiner13.019.81 ft, Oct 16, 19552

Ulster County: every hazard · River floods across the country · New York

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MTRN6, 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.