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Jordan Creek at Allentown

Highest listed crest 11.82 ftFlood stage 8.0 ft13 crests since 1955

The Jordan Creek at Allentown crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 13 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1955 to 2021. The highest, 11.82 ft on August 5, 2020, was major flooding, 3.82 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
11.82 ft
August 5, 2020; 16,856 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
8.0 ft
Major flooding from 11.0 ft
Crests at major
2
82nd of 170 gauges in Pennsylvania
Most recent flood crest
September 2, 2021
10.71 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Lehigh County
Near Allentown (2.0 mi), Northampton (4.5 mi), Bethlehem (6.0 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Jordan Creek at Allentown
Action stage6.07Sep 8, 2011The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)8.02Oct 19, 1996Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.02Sep 2, 2021Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage11.02Aug 5, 2020Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

13 crests from 1955 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Jordan Creek at Allentown, 1955 to 2021 681012ft Flood stage 8.0 ftMajor 11.0 ft Aug 19, 1955: 8.00 ft, minor flooding; 9,520 cubic feet per secondJul 23, 1972: 11.61 ft, major flooding; 16,200 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 1987: 10.91 ft, moderate flooding; 14,300 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1996: 7.68 ft, action stage; 6,950 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1996: 7.15 ft, action stage; 5,710 cubic feet per secondOct 19, 1996: 8.01 ft, minor flooding; 7,680 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1999: 7.25 ft, action stage; 5,930 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 2004: 7.90 ft, action stage; 7,440 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2011: 6.53 ft, action stage; 4,175 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2011: 7.22 ft, action stageSep 8, 2011: 6.10 ft, action stage; 3,200 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 2020: 11.82 ft, major flooding; 16,856 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2021: 10.71 ft, moderate flooding; 13,185 cubic feet per second Highest, 11.82 ft, Aug 5, 2020 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Jordan Creek at Allentown 1950s: 1 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 2020s: 2 2 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, Jordan Creek at Allentown
1Aug 5, 202011.82+3.82Major16,856
2Jul 23, 197211.61+3.61Major16,200
3Sep 9, 198710.91+2.91Moderate14,300
4Sep 2, 202110.71+2.71Moderate13,185
5Oct 19, 19968.01+0.01Minor7,680
6Aug 19, 19558.000.00Minor9,520
7Sep 18, 20047.90−0.10Action7,440
8Jan 20, 19967.68−0.32Action6,950
9Jan 19, 19997.25−0.75Action5,930
10Aug 28, 20117.22−0.78Action—
11Jan 28, 19967.15−0.85Action5,710
12Mar 11, 20116.53−1.47Action4,175
13Sep 8, 20116.10−1.90Action3,200

Other gauges in Lehigh County

Flood gauges in Lehigh County
Bethlehem16.025.90 ft, May 23, 19423
Allentown8.012.69 ft, Aug 4, 20201
Allentown5.012.76 ft, Aug 4, 20205
Trexlertown4.56.74 ft, Jan 10, 20240
Trexlertown4.56.70 ft, Jan 10, 20240

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge ALNP1, 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.