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Chester Creek near Chester

Highest listed crest 24.60 ftFlood stage 8.0 ft39 crests since 1950

The Chester Creek near Chester crested at major flood stage 9 times among the 39 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1950 to 2026. The highest, 24.60 ft on September 13, 1971, was major flooding, 16.60 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
24.60 ft
September 13, 1971; 21,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
8.0 ft
Major flooding from 14.0 ft
Crests at major
9
17th of 170 gauges in Pennsylvania
Most recent flood crest
July 10, 2026
8.72 ft, minor flooding
Location
Delaware County
Near Chester (2.5 mi), Lansdowne (8.6 mi), Darby (8.6 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Chester Creek near Chester
Action stage7.02Jun 15, 2026The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)8.014Jul 10, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.014Jan 10, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage14.09Aug 8, 2020Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

39 crests from 1950 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Chester Creek near Chester, 1950 to 2026 510152025ft Flood stage 8.0 ftMajor 14.0 ft Nov 25, 1950: 16.21 ft, major flooding; 8,937 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 1971: 24.60 ft, major flooding; 21,000 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1972: 12.90 ft, moderate flooding; 5,780 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 1979: 13.77 ft, moderate flooding; 6,545 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 1989: 13.88 ft, moderate flooding; 6,645 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1994: 11.58 ft, moderate flooding; 4,740 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1996: 11.20 ft, moderate floodingOct 19, 1996: 11.29 ft, moderate flooding; 4,510 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1999: 7.68 ft, action stageSep 16, 1999: 19.55 ft, major flooding; 13,400 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 2003: 14.65 ft, major flooding; 7,500 cubic feet per secondSep 15, 2003: 8.15 ft, minor floodingFeb 6, 2004: 9.43 ft, minor flooding; 3,190 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 2004: 8.58 ft, minor flooding; 2,650 cubic feet per secondSep 29, 2004: 16.43 ft, major flooding; 9,450 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 2005: 12.20 ft, moderate flooding; 5,200 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2006: 10.52 ft, moderate flooding; 3,950 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2007: 10.42 ft, moderate floodingMar 13, 2010: 9.54 ft, minor floodingMar 29, 2010: 8.22 ft, minor floodingOct 1, 2010: 17.54 ft, major floodingMar 11, 2011: 8.05 ft, minor flooding; 2,490 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2011: 8.70 ft, minor floodingAug 28, 2011: 15.76 ft, major floodingSep 7, 2011: 9.43 ft, minor flooding; 3,215 cubic feet per secondNov 27, 2013: 8.14 ft, minor flooding; 2,490 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2014: 13.70 ft, moderate flooding; 5,740 cubic feet per secondNov 25, 2018: 9.61 ft, minor flooding; 3,308 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2020: 9.42 ft, minor flooding; 3,202 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 2020: 17.10 ft, major flooding; 8,003 cubic feet per secondAug 8, 2020: 17.38 ft, major flooding; 8,220 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 2020: 12.11 ft, moderate flooding; 4,769 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2021: 10.46 ft, moderate flooding; 3,790 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2023: 8.89 ft, minor flooding; 2,908 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2023: 11.87 ft, moderate flooding; 4,624 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2023: 8.19 ft, minor flooding; 2,517 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 12.55 ft, moderate flooding; 5,039 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 2026: 7.74 ft, action stageJul 10, 2026: 8.72 ft, minor flooding Highest, 24.60 ft, Sep 13, 1971 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Chester Creek near Chester 1950s: 1 1960s: 0 1970s: 3 1980s: 1 1990s: 4 2000s: 8 2010s: 10 10 2020s: 10 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Chester Creek near Chester
1Sep 13, 197124.60+16.60Major21,000
2Sep 16, 199919.55+11.55Major13,400
3Oct 1, 201017.54+9.54Major—
4Aug 8, 202017.38+9.38Major8,220
5Aug 4, 202017.10+9.10Major8,003
6Sep 29, 200416.43+8.43Major9,450
7Nov 25, 195016.21+8.21Major8,937
8Aug 28, 201115.76+7.76Major—
9Jun 20, 200314.65+6.65Major7,500
10Jul 5, 198913.88+5.88Moderate6,645
11Sep 30, 197913.77+5.77Moderate6,545
12May 1, 201413.70+5.70Moderate5,740
13Jun 22, 197212.90+4.90Moderate5,780
14Jan 10, 202412.55+4.55Moderate5,039
15Apr 2, 200512.20+4.20Moderate5,200
16Dec 25, 202012.11+4.11Moderate4,769
17Dec 18, 202311.87+3.87Moderate4,624
18Jan 28, 199411.58+3.58Moderate4,740
19Oct 19, 199611.29+3.29Moderate4,510
20Jan 19, 199611.20+3.20Moderate—
21Jun 28, 200610.52+2.52Moderate3,950
22Sep 2, 202110.46+2.46Moderate3,790
23Apr 15, 200710.42+2.42Moderate—
24Nov 25, 20189.61+1.61Minor3,308
25Mar 13, 20109.54+1.54Minor—
26Feb 6, 20049.43+1.43Minor3,190
27Sep 7, 20119.43+1.43Minor3,215
28Jan 25, 20209.42+1.42Minor3,202
29Jun 27, 20238.89+0.89Minor2,908
30Jul 10, 20268.72+0.72Minor—
31Apr 17, 20118.70+0.70Minor—
32Sep 18, 20048.58+0.58Minor2,650
33Mar 29, 20108.22+0.22Minor—
34Dec 28, 20238.19+0.19Minor2,517
35Sep 15, 20038.15+0.15Minor—
36Nov 27, 20138.14+0.14Minor2,490
37Mar 11, 20118.05+0.05Minor2,490
38Jun 15, 20267.74−0.26Action—
39Mar 22, 19997.68−0.32Action—

Other gauges in Delaware County

Flood gauges in Delaware County
Chadds Ford9.021.04 ft, Sep 2, 202117
Mt. Moriah Cemetery11.018.05 ft, Aug 4, 20201
Marcus Hook (IN MLLW)7.710.14 ft, Oct 30, 20124

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CHSP1, 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.