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Lehigh River at Lehighton

Highest listed crest 20.80 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft18 crests since 1902

The Lehigh River at Lehighton crested at major flood stage 6 times among the 18 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1902 to 2021. The highest, 20.80 ft on February 28, 1902, was major flooding, 10.80 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Lehigh River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
20.80 ft
February 28, 1902
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 14.0 ft
Crests at major
6
37th of 170 gauges in Pennsylvania
Most recent flood crest
September 2, 2021
14.11 ft, major flooding
Location
Carbon County
Pennsylvania

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Lehigh River at Lehighton
Action stage9.01Dec 2, 1996The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.03Apr 11, 1993Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage12.07Mar 11, 2011Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage14.06Sep 2, 2021Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

18 crests from 1902 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Lehigh River at Lehighton, 1902 to 2021 510152025ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 14.0 ft Feb 28, 1902: 20.80 ft, major floodingJul 10, 1935: 15.90 ft, major floodingMar 18, 1936: 13.10 ft, moderate floodingMay 23, 1942: 20.70 ft, major floodingAug 19, 1955: 20.30 ft, major floodingJun 23, 1972: 11.50 ft, minor floodingDec 22, 1973: 10.00 ft, minor floodingSep 27, 1985: 18.22 ft, major flooding; 25,500 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 1987: 12.16 ft, moderate flooding; 22,100 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1993: 10.48 ft, minor flooding; 17,300 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1996: 12.16 ft, moderate floodingJan 27, 1996: 12.55 ft, moderate flooding; 22,900 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 1996: 9.42 ft, action stage; 14,400 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 2004: 12.01 ft, moderate flooding; 21,200 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2006: 13.51 ft, moderate flooding; 25,500 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2011: 12.95 ft, moderate flooding; 24,100 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 2011: 8.64 ft, below flood stageSep 2, 2021: 14.11 ft, major flooding; 27,087 cubic feet per second Highest, 20.80 ft, Feb 28, 1902 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Lehigh River at Lehighton 1900s: 1 1910s: 0 1920s: 0 1930s: 2 1940s: 1 1950s: 1 1960s: 0 1970s: 2 1980s: 2 1990s: 3 3 2000s: 2 2010s: 1 2020s: 1 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Lehigh River at Lehighton
1Feb 28, 190220.80+10.80Major—
2May 23, 194220.70+10.70Major—
3Aug 19, 195520.30+10.30Major—
4Sep 27, 198518.22+8.22Major25,500
5Jul 10, 193515.90+5.90Major—
6Sep 2, 202114.11+4.11Major27,087
7Jun 28, 200613.51+3.51Moderate25,500
8Mar 18, 193613.10+3.10Moderate—
9Mar 11, 201112.95+2.95Moderate24,100
10Jan 27, 199612.55+2.55Moderate22,900
11Sep 13, 198712.16+2.16Moderate22,100
12Jan 20, 199612.16+2.16Moderate—
13Sep 18, 200412.01+2.01Moderate21,200
14Jun 23, 197211.50+1.50Minor—
15Apr 11, 199310.48+0.48Minor17,300
16Dec 22, 197310.000.00Minor—
17Dec 2, 19969.42−0.58Action14,400
18Sep 8, 20118.64−1.36Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Lehigh River

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

February 28, 1902: 20.80 ft here, major flooding

  • BethlehemPA · Feb 28, 1902 · 24.90 ft · Major

May 23, 1942: 20.70 ft here, major flooding

  • BethlehemPA · May 23, 1942 · 25.90 ft · Major · its highest
  • WalnutportPA · May 23, 1942 · 20.60 ft · Major · its highest

August 19, 1955: 20.30 ft here, major flooding

  • BethlehemPA · Aug 19, 1955 · 23.38 ft · Major
  • WalnutportPA · Aug 19, 1955 · 17.68 ft · Major

Gauges on the Lehigh River

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

Flood gauges on the Lehigh River
White HavenPA8.09.85 ft, Dec 21, 19571
Lehighton this gaugePA10.020.80 ft, Feb 28, 19026
WalnutportPA8.020.60 ft, May 23, 19422
BethlehemPA16.025.90 ft, May 23, 19423
GlendonPA19.027.90 ft, Apr 3, 200510

Other gauges in Carbon County

Flood gauges in Carbon County
Beltzville Lake at Parryville5.55.99 ft, Jun 22, 20030

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge LHTP1, 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.