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Allegheny River at West Hickory

Highest listed crest 17.83 ftFlood stage 14.0 ft23 crests since 1942

The Allegheny River at West Hickory crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 23 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1942 to 2019. The highest, 17.83 ft on January 25, 1964, was major flooding, 3.83 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
17.83 ft
January 25, 1964; 10,600 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
14.0 ft
Major flooding from 17.0 ft
Crests at major
3
68th of 170 gauges in Pennsylvania
Most recent flood crest
February 8, 1965
15.13 ft, minor flooding
Location
Forest County
Pennsylvania

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Allegheny River at West Hickory
Action stage10.73Jan 12, 2017The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)14.05Feb 8, 1965Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage16.02Mar 22, 1948Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage17.03Jan 25, 1964Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

23 crests from 1942 to 2019. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Allegheny River at West Hickory, 1942 to 2019 681012141618ft Flood stage 14.0 ftMajor 17.0 ft Dec 30, 1942: 14.76 ft, minor floodingFeb 23, 1945: 17.76 ft, major flooding; 106,000 cubic feet per secondJan 6, 1946: 15.28 ft, minor flooding; 77,200 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1947: 16.22 ft, moderate flooding; 88,400 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1948: 16.18 ft, moderate flooding; 88,400 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1956: 17.20 ft, major flooding; 101,000 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1959: 15.85 ft, minor flooding; 84,900 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1964: 17.83 ft, major flooding; 10,600 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1964: 14.23 ft, minor flooding; 67,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 1965: 15.13 ft, minor flooding; 76,100 cubic feet per secondNov 18, 1993: 8.53 ft, below flood stage; 24,300 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1993: 12.22 ft, action stage; 49,900 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 1994: 8.73 ft, below flood stage; 25,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1994: 7.42 ft, below flood stage; 17,600 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1994: 9.79 ft, below flood stage; 32,500 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1994: 9.27 ft, below flood stage; 28,900 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1994: 9.67 ft, below flood stage; 31,700 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1994: 10.17 ft, below flood stage; 35,200 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2014: 12.10 ft, action stage; 49,100 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 2015: 10.24 ft, below flood stage; 34,700 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 2017: 12.38 ft, action stage; 51,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 2019: 8.26 ft, below flood stage; 21,747 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 2019: 9.16 ft, below flood stage; 27,300 cubic feet per second Highest, 17.83 ft, Jan 25, 1964 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Allegheny River at West Hickory 1940s: 5 5 1950s: 2 1960s: 3 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Allegheny River at West Hickory
1Jan 25, 196417.83+3.83Major10,600
2Feb 23, 194517.76+3.76Major106,000
3Mar 8, 195617.20+3.20Major101,000
4Apr 6, 194716.22+2.22Moderate88,400
5Mar 22, 194816.18+2.18Moderate88,400
6Jan 22, 195915.85+1.85Minor84,900
7Jan 6, 194615.28+1.28Minor77,200
8Feb 8, 196515.13+1.13Minor76,100
9Dec 30, 194214.76+0.76Minor—
10Mar 6, 196414.23+0.23Minor67,000
11Jan 12, 201712.38−1.62Action51,500
12Dec 31, 199312.22−1.78Action49,900
13May 21, 201412.10−1.90Action49,100
14Dec 27, 201510.24−3.76Below flood stage34,700
15Apr 16, 199410.17−3.83Below flood stage35,200
16Mar 25, 19949.79−4.21Below flood stage32,500
17Apr 10, 19949.67−4.33Below flood stage31,700
18Apr 3, 19949.27−4.73Below flood stage28,900
19Jun 21, 20199.16−4.84Below flood stage27,300
20Jan 11, 19948.73−5.27Below flood stage25,500
21Nov 18, 19938.53−5.47Below flood stage24,300
22Feb 8, 20198.26−5.74Below flood stage21,747
23Feb 21, 19947.42−6.58Below flood stage17,600

The worst floods along the Allegheny River

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

March 8, 1956: 17.20 ft here, major flooding

  • WarrenPA · Mar 8, 1956 · 18.30 ft · Major
  • OleanNY · Mar 8, 1956 · 19.50 ft · Moderate
  • SalamancaNY · Mar 8, 1956 · 15.11 ft · Moderate
  • Rimer Lock and DamPA · Mar 9, 1956 · 20.30 ft · Minor

April 6, 1947: 16.22 ft here, moderate flooding

  • WarrenPA · Apr 6, 1947 · 17.00 ft · Major
  • OleanNY · Apr 7, 1947 · 17.80 ft · Moderate
  • SalamancaNY · Apr 6, 1947 · 12.84 ft · Minor

March 22, 1948: 16.18 ft here, moderate flooding

  • WarrenPA · Mar 22, 1948 · 17.10 ft · Major
  • OleanNY · Mar 23, 1948 · 18.50 ft · Moderate
  • SalamancaNY · Mar 22, 1948 · 13.27 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Allegheny River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Allegheny River
EldredPA23.029.10 ft, Jun 23, 19722
OleanNY12.026.20 ft, Jun 23, 19722
SalamancaNY12.024.01 ft, Jun 23, 19721
WarrenPA14.019.40 ft, Mar 17, 18656
West Hickory this gaugePA14.017.83 ft, Jan 25, 19643
FranklinPA17.026.00 ft, Feb 27, 19173
ParkerPA20.029.60 ft, Jan 22, 19592
Rimer Lock and DamPA19.021.80 ft, Jan 22, 19590
Mosgrove Lock and DamPA19.027.70 ft, Mar 10, 19642
Kittanning Lock and DamPA21.030.70 ft, Mar 26, 19136
Clinton Lock and DamPA21.026.40 ft, Mar 18, 19361
Freeport Lock and DamPA23.033.30 ft, Mar 18, 19361
Natrona Lock and DamPA21.032.10 ft, Mar 18, 19365
C.W. Bill Young Lock and DamPA17.031.10 ft, Mar 18, 19362
Sharpsburg Lock and DamPA21.026.90 ft, Jun 24, 19721

Forest County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Pennsylvania

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WHKP1, 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.