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Conemaugh River at Seward

Highest listed crest 27.06 ftFlood stage 12.0 ft19 crests since 1936

The Conemaugh River at Seward crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 19 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1936 to 2024. The highest, 27.06 ft on July 20, 1977, was major flooding, 15.06 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Conemaugh River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
27.06 ft
July 20, 1977; 115,500 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
12.0 ft
Major flooding from 16.0 ft
Crests at major
4
56th of 170 gauges in Pennsylvania
Most recent flood crest
April 3, 2024
14.34 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Westmoreland County
Near Johnstown (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, Conemaugh River at Seward
Action stage8.85Feb 8, 2019The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.02Dec 20, 2008Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage14.08Apr 3, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage16.04Jan 19, 1996Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

19 crests from 1936 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Conemaugh River at Seward, 1936 to 2024 51015202530ft Flood stage 12.0 ftMajor 16.0 ft Mar 18, 1936: 26.40 ft, major flooding; 75,000 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1940: 15.22 ft, moderate flooding; 35,000 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 1954: 19.20 ft, major flooding; 54,000 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 1977: 27.06 ft, major flooding; 115,500 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1996: 20.68 ft, major floodingMay 25, 1997: 14.63 ft, moderate floodingNov 8, 1997: 15.10 ft, moderate floodingSep 18, 2004: 12.10 ft, minor flooding; 22,600 cubic feet per secondJan 6, 2005: 11.73 ft, action stage; 20,100 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2008: 10.39 ft, action stage; 16,428 cubic feet per secondDec 20, 2008: 12.76 ft, minor flooding; 23,150 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2010: 10.30 ft, action stage; 16,188 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2010: 14.35 ft, moderate flooding; 32,261 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2015: 9.92 ft, action stage; 15,190 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 2018: 14.87 ft, moderate flooding; 30,282 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 2018: 14.55 ft, moderate flooding; 29,184 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 2019: 10.64 ft, action stage; 17,087 cubic feet per secondSep 1, 2021: 14.15 ft, moderate flooding; 30,331 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2024: 14.34 ft, moderate flooding; 30,976 cubic feet per second Highest, 27.06 ft, Jul 20, 1977 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Conemaugh River at Seward 1930s: 1 1940s: 1 1950s: 1 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 3 3 2000s: 2 2010s: 3 2020s: 2 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

Highest listed crests, Conemaugh River at Seward
1Jul 20, 197727.06+15.06Major115,500
2Mar 18, 193626.40+14.40Major75,000
3Jan 19, 199620.68+8.68Major—
4Oct 16, 195419.20+7.20Major54,000
5Mar 31, 194015.22+3.22Moderate35,000
6Nov 8, 199715.10+3.10Moderate—
7Feb 16, 201814.87+2.87Moderate30,282
8May 25, 199714.63+2.63Moderate—
9Sep 10, 201814.55+2.55Moderate29,184
10Mar 14, 201014.35+2.35Moderate32,261
11Apr 3, 202414.34+2.34Moderate30,976
12Sep 1, 202114.15+2.15Moderate30,331
13Dec 20, 200812.76+0.76Minor23,150
14Sep 18, 200412.10+0.10Minor22,600
15Jan 6, 200511.73−0.27Action20,100
16Feb 8, 201910.64−1.36Action17,087
17Mar 5, 200810.39−1.61Action16,428
18Jan 26, 201010.30−1.70Action16,188
19Mar 15, 20159.92−2.08Action15,190

The worst floods along the Conemaugh River

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

July 20, 1977: 27.06 ft here, major flooding

  • JohnstownPA · Jul 20, 1977 · 34.00 ft · Major

March 18, 1936: 26.40 ft here, major flooding

  • JohnstownPA · Mar 18, 1936 · 39.00 ft · Major

Gauges on the Conemaugh River

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

Flood gauges on the Conemaugh River
JohnstownPA28.041.60 ft, May 31, 18893
Seward this gaugePA12.027.06 ft, Jul 20, 19774

Other gauges in Westmoreland County

Flood gauges in Westmoreland County
Vandergrift25.041.64 ft, Mar 18, 19361
Latrobe17.020.10 ft, Oct 30, 20120
Charleroi Lock and Dam28.042.70 ft, Nov 5, 198514

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SWDP1, 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.