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Clarion River at Johnsonburg

Highest listed crest 16.70 ftFlood stage 7.0 ft13 crests since 1942

The Clarion River at Johnsonburg crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 13 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1942 to 2019. The highest, 16.70 ft on July 1, 1942, was major flooding, 9.70 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Clarion River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
16.70 ft
July 1, 1942
Flood stage
7.0 ft
Major flooding from 10.0 ft
Crests at major
2
82nd of 170 gauges in Pennsylvania
Most recent flood crest
November 1, 2019
7.00 ft, minor flooding
Location
Elk County
Near St. Marys (8.5 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Clarion River at Johnsonburg
Action stage5.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)7.07Nov 1, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage9.04Dec 1, 2010Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage10.02Jan 19, 1996Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

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

Listed crests at the Clarion River at Johnsonburg, 1942 to 2019 681012141618ft Flood stage 7.0 ftMajor 10.0 ft Jul 1, 1942: 16.70 ft, major floodingMay 28, 1946: 9.20 ft, moderate floodingJun 22, 1972: 9.99 ft, moderate floodingJun 20, 1989: 9.86 ft, moderate floodingSep 22, 1992: 7.49 ft, minor floodingJan 19, 1996: 12.60 ft, major floodingSep 9, 2004: 7.23 ft, minor floodingSep 18, 2004: 7.43 ft, minor floodingDec 1, 2010: 9.72 ft, moderate flooding; 10,747 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 2011: 7.06 ft, minor flooding; 4,545 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 2011: 7.12 ft, minor flooding; 4,620 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 2019: 7.02 ft, minor flooding; 4,436 cubic feet per secondNov 1, 2019: 7.00 ft, minor flooding; 4,411 cubic feet per second Highest, 16.70 ft, Jul 1, 1942 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Clarion River at Johnsonburg 1940s: 2 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 2 2000s: 2 2010s: 5 5 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, Clarion River at Johnsonburg
1Jul 1, 194216.70+9.70Major—
2Jan 19, 199612.60+5.60Major—
3Jun 22, 19729.99+2.99Moderate—
4Jun 20, 19899.86+2.86Moderate—
5Dec 1, 20109.72+2.72Moderate10,747
6May 28, 19469.20+2.20Moderate—
7Sep 22, 19927.49+0.49Minor—
8Sep 18, 20047.43+0.43Minor—
9Sep 9, 20047.23+0.23Minor—
10Mar 6, 20117.12+0.12Minor4,620
11Feb 28, 20117.06+0.06Minor4,545
12Jun 21, 20197.02+0.02Minor4,436
13Nov 1, 20197.000.00Minor4,411

The worst floods along the Clarion River

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

July 1, 1942: 16.70 ft here, major flooding

  • RidgwayPA · Jul 1, 1942 · 16.40 ft · Minor

January 19, 1996: 12.60 ft here, major flooding

  • RidgwayPA · Jan 19, 1996 · 20.27 ft · Major
  • CooksburgPA · Jan 19, 1996 · 16.40 ft · Moderate

June 22, 1972: 9.99 ft here, moderate flooding

  • CooksburgPA · Jun 23, 1972 · 18.84 ft · Major
  • RidgwayPA · Jun 23, 1972 · 19.50 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Clarion River

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

Flood gauges on the Clarion River
Johnsonburg this gaugePA7.016.70 ft, Jul 1, 19422
RidgwayPA16.023.10 ft, Jul 19, 19643
CooksburgPA13.019.00 ft, Mar 17, 19367

Other gauges in Elk County

Flood gauges in Elk County
Ridgway16.023.10 ft, Jul 19, 19643

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge JHNP1, 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.