Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Lehigh River at Walnutport

Highest listed crest 20.60 ftFlood stage 8.0 ft32 crests since 1942

The Lehigh River at Walnutport crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 32 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1942 to 2024. The highest, 20.60 ft on May 23, 1942, was major flooding, 12.60 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Lehigh River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
20.60 ft
May 23, 1942
Flood stage
8.0 ft
Major flooding from 16.0 ft
Crests at major
2
82nd of 170 gauges in Pennsylvania
Most recent flood crest
January 10, 2024
9.20 ft, minor flooding
Location
Northampton County
Near Northampton (7.7 mi), Allentown (13.0 mi)

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 Walnutport
Action stage7.52Sep 17, 1999The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)8.021Jan 10, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage12.06Sep 2, 2021Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage16.02Aug 19, 1955Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

32 crests from 1942 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Lehigh River at Walnutport, 1942 to 2024 510152025ft Flood stage 8.0 ftMajor 16.0 ft May 23, 1942: 20.60 ft, major floodingDec 4, 1950: 12.66 ft, moderate flooding; 46,000 cubic feet per secondNov 22, 1952: 10.97 ft, minor flooding; 36,100 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 1955: 17.68 ft, major flooding; 77,800 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 1957: 11.35 ft, minor flooding; 37,600 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1972: 11.65 ft, minor flooding; 39,000 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1983: 11.28 ft, minor flooding; 37,400 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 1983: 9.16 ft, minor flooding; 25,400 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1986: 8.69 ft, minor flooding; 21,800 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 1987: 10.56 ft, minor flooding; 31,200 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1989: 9.84 ft, minor flooding; 29,000 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1990: 8.39 ft, minor flooding; 21,500 cubic feet per secondDec 4, 1990: 7.85 ft, action stage; 18,800 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1993: 9.49 ft, minor flooding; 25,000 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1993: 9.27 ft, minor floodingJan 19, 1996: 12.32 ft, moderate flooding; 40,100 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1996: 11.52 ft, minor floodingDec 2, 1996: 9.47 ft, minor flooding; 24,200 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 1999: 7.53 ft, action stage; 15,300 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 2003: 9.39 ft, minor floodingSep 18, 2004: 12.30 ft, moderate flooding; 40,000 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2005: 10.49 ft, minor flooding; 30,000 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2006: 12.49 ft, moderate flooding; 41,100 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 2010: 9.10 ft, minor floodingMar 11, 2011: 12.72 ft, moderate flooding; 42,520 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2011: 7.23 ft, below flood stageSep 9, 2011: 8.80 ft, minor flooding; 21,600 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 2020: 9.40 ft, minor flooding; 24,442 cubic feet per secondAug 23, 2021: 9.18 ft, minor flooding; 23,374 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2021: 13.19 ft, moderate flooding; 45,308 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2023: 9.01 ft, minor flooding; 22,563 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 9.20 ft, minor flooding; 23,470 cubic feet per second Highest, 20.60 ft, May 23, 1942 1960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Lehigh River at Walnutport 1940s: 1 1950s: 4 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1980s: 5 1990s: 6 6 2000s: 4 2010s: 3 2020s: 5 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 Walnutport
1May 23, 194220.60+12.60Major—
2Aug 19, 195517.68+9.68Major77,800
3Sep 2, 202113.19+5.19Moderate45,308
4Mar 11, 201112.72+4.72Moderate42,520
5Dec 4, 195012.66+4.66Moderate46,000
6Jun 28, 200612.49+4.49Moderate41,100
7Jan 19, 199612.32+4.32Moderate40,100
8Sep 18, 200412.30+4.30Moderate40,000
9Jun 23, 197211.65+3.65Minor39,000
10Jan 27, 199611.52+3.52Minor—
11Dec 21, 195711.35+3.35Minor37,600
12Apr 16, 198311.28+3.28Minor37,400
13Nov 22, 195210.97+2.97Minor36,100
14Sep 13, 198710.56+2.56Minor31,200
15Apr 3, 200510.49+2.49Minor30,000
16May 6, 19899.84+1.84Minor29,000
17Apr 11, 19939.49+1.49Minor25,000
18Dec 2, 19969.47+1.47Minor24,200
19Dec 25, 20209.40+1.40Minor24,442
20Sep 23, 20039.39+1.39Minor—
21Nov 28, 19939.27+1.27Minor—
22Jan 10, 20249.20+1.20Minor23,470
23Aug 23, 20219.18+1.18Minor23,374
24Dec 14, 19839.16+1.16Minor25,400
25Oct 1, 20109.10+1.10Minor—
26Dec 18, 20239.01+1.01Minor22,563
27Sep 9, 20118.80+0.80Minor21,600
28Mar 15, 19868.69+0.69Minor21,800
29May 17, 19908.39+0.39Minor21,500
30Dec 4, 19907.85−0.15Action18,800
31Sep 17, 19997.53−0.47Action15,300
32Aug 28, 20117.23−0.77Below 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.

May 23, 1942: 20.60 ft here, major flooding

  • BethlehemPA · May 23, 1942 · 25.90 ft · Major · its highest
  • LehightonPA · May 23, 1942 · 20.70 ft · Major

August 19, 1955: 17.68 ft here, major flooding

  • BethlehemPA · Aug 19, 1955 · 23.38 ft · Major
  • LehightonPA · Aug 19, 1955 · 20.30 ft · Major

September 2, 2021: 13.19 ft here, moderate flooding

  • GlendonPA · Sep 2, 2021 · 24.11 ft · Major
  • LehightonPA · Sep 2, 2021 · 14.11 ft · Major
  • BethlehemPA · Sep 2, 2021 · 19.53 ft · Minor

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
LehightonPA10.020.80 ft, Feb 28, 19026
Walnutport this gaugePA8.020.60 ft, May 23, 19422
BethlehemPA16.025.90 ft, May 23, 19423
GlendonPA19.027.90 ft, Apr 3, 200510

Other gauges in Northampton County

Flood gauges in Northampton County
Easton22.044.40 ft, Aug 19, 19557
Glendon19.027.90 ft, Apr 3, 200510

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WNTP1, 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.