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Genesee River at Wellsville

Highest listed crest 20.70 ftFlood stage 11.0 ft22 crests since 1918

The Genesee River at Wellsville crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 22 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1918 to 2022. The highest, 20.70 ft on June 23, 1972, was major flooding, 9.70 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Genesee River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
20.70 ft
June 23, 1972; 38,500 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
11.0 ft
Major flooding from 17.0 ft
Crests at major
1
98th of 160 gauges in New York
Most recent flood crest
February 18, 2022
11.69 ft, minor flooding
Location
Allegany 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, Genesee River at Wellsville
Action stage9.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)11.016Feb 18, 2022Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage14.05Jan 19, 1996Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage17.01Jun 23, 1972Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

22 crests from 1918 to 2022. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Genesee River at Wellsville, 1918 to 2022 10121416182022ft Flood stage 11.0 ftMajor 17.0 ft Mar 14, 1918: 12.70 ft, minor flooding; 13,100 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1919: 12.90 ft, minor flooding; 13,900 cubic feet per secondJul 18, 1942: 11.90 ft, minor flooding; 11,200 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1946: 14.40 ft, moderate flooding; 17,900 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1948: 12.70 ft, minor flooding; 13,300 cubic feet per secondNov 25, 1950: 16.20 ft, moderate flooding; 23,300 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1956: 12.65 ft, minor flooding; 15,800 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1959: 14.90 ft, moderate flooding; 19,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1961: 13.10 ft, minor flooding; 14,400 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1964: 14.80 ft, moderate flooding; 19,200 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1972: 20.70 ft, major flooding; 38,500 cubic feet per secondDec 6, 1972: 13.80 ft, minor flooding; 9,200 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1973: 12.20 ft, minor flooding; 5,200 cubic feet per secondOct 28, 1981: 13.60 ft, minor flooding; 15,800 cubic feet per secondAug 14, 1984: 11.26 ft, minor flooding; 9,680 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 1987: 11.28 ft, minor flooding; 9,520 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1989: 13.26 ft, minor flooding; 14,400 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1996: 16.13 ft, moderate flooding; 22,700 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2007: 11.64 ft, minor flooding; 10,700 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2010: 11.55 ft, minor flooding; 10,500 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 2017: 11.11 ft, minor floodingFeb 18, 2022: 11.69 ft, minor flooding; 10,800 cubic feet per second Highest, 20.70 ft, Jun 23, 1972 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Genesee River at Wellsville 1910s: 2 1920s: 0 1930s: 0 1940s: 3 1950s: 3 1960s: 2 1970s: 3 1980s: 4 4 1990s: 1 2000s: 1 2010s: 2 2020s: 1 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Genesee River at Wellsville
1Jun 23, 197220.70+9.70Major38,500
2Nov 25, 195016.20+5.20Moderate23,300
3Jan 19, 199616.13+5.13Moderate22,700
4Jan 22, 195914.90+3.90Moderate19,500
5Mar 5, 196414.80+3.80Moderate19,200
6May 28, 194614.40+3.40Moderate17,900
7Dec 6, 197213.80+2.80Minor9,200
8Oct 28, 198113.60+2.60Minor15,800
9Jun 20, 198913.26+2.26Minor14,400
10Feb 26, 196113.10+2.10Minor14,400
11May 22, 191912.90+1.90Minor13,900
12Mar 14, 191812.70+1.70Minor13,100
13Mar 22, 194812.70+1.70Minor13,300
14Mar 8, 195612.65+1.65Minor15,800
15Mar 17, 197312.20+1.20Minor5,200
16Jul 18, 194211.90+0.90Minor11,200
17Feb 18, 202211.69+0.69Minor10,800
18Mar 15, 200711.64+0.64Minor10,700
19Jan 25, 201011.55+0.55Minor10,500
20Sep 13, 198711.28+0.28Minor9,520
21Aug 14, 198411.26+0.26Minor9,680
22Jan 13, 201711.11+0.11Minor—

The worst floods along the Genesee River

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

June 23, 1972: 20.70 ft here, major flooding

November 25, 1950: 16.20 ft here, moderate flooding

January 19, 1996: 16.13 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Genesee River

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

Flood gauges on the Genesee River
Avon - NEW USGS gage on the old railroad bridgeNY33.040.67 ft, Jun 25, 19721
PortagevilleNY19.035.25 ft, Jun 23, 19723
RochesterNY15.024.50 ft, Mar 18, 18651
Wellsville this gaugeNY11.020.70 ft, Jun 23, 19721

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WLLN6, 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.