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Lehigh River at White Haven

Highest listed crest 9.85 ftFlood stage 8.0 ft18 crests since 1957

The Lehigh River at White Haven crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 18 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1957 to 2024. The highest, 9.85 ft on December 21, 1957, was major flooding, 1.85 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
9.85 ft
December 21, 1957; 13,800 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
8.0 ft
Major flooding from 9.8 ft
Crests at major
1
103rd of 170 gauges in Pennsylvania
Most recent flood crest
January 11, 2024
8.04 ft, minor flooding
Location
Luzerne County
Near Wilkes-Barre (12.3 mi), Kingston (13.7 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 White Haven
Action stage7.06Sep 30, 2011The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)8.09Jan 11, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage9.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage9.81Dec 21, 1957Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

18 crests from 1957 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Lehigh River at White Haven, 1957 to 2024 678910ft Flood stage 8.0 ftMajor 9.8 ft Dec 21, 1957: 9.85 ft, major flooding; 13,800 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1963: 8.70 ft, minor floodingMar 31, 1978: 8.70 ft, minor flooding; 9,140 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1984: 8.69 ft, minor flooding; 8,870 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 1985: 8.61 ft, minor flooding; 8,620 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1989: 8.47 ft, minor flooding; 8,280 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1993: 8.86 ft, minor flooding; 11,700 cubic feet per secondNov 29, 1993: 7.92 ft, action stage; 8,550 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1995: 6.34 ft, below flood stage; 4,140 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 1996: 8.80 ft, minor floodingNov 10, 1996: 8.40 ft, minor flooding; 10,100 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1998: 6.64 ft, below flood stage; 4,780 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1999: 7.08 ft, action stage; 5,990 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 2004: 7.49 ft, action stage; 7,160 cubic feet per secondAug 30, 2011: 7.52 ft, action stageSep 11, 2011: 7.09 ft, action stageSep 30, 2011: 7.19 ft, action stageJan 11, 2024: 8.04 ft, minor flooding; 7,465 cubic feet per second Highest, 9.85 ft, Dec 21, 1957 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Lehigh River at White Haven 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 1 1980s: 3 3 1990s: 3 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 2020s: 1 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, Lehigh River at White Haven
1Dec 21, 19579.85+1.85Major13,800
2Apr 13, 19938.86+0.86Minor11,700
3Jan 29, 19968.80+0.80Minor—
4Mar 30, 19638.70+0.70Minor—
5Mar 31, 19788.70+0.70Minor9,140
6May 31, 19848.69+0.69Minor8,870
7Sep 28, 19858.61+0.61Minor8,620
8May 9, 19898.47+0.47Minor8,280
9Nov 10, 19968.40+0.40Minor10,100
10Jan 11, 20248.04+0.04Minor7,465
11Nov 29, 19937.92−0.08Action8,550
12Aug 30, 20117.52−0.48Action—
13Sep 18, 20047.49−0.51Action7,160
14Sep 30, 20117.19−0.81Action—
15Sep 11, 20117.09−0.91Action—
16Jan 25, 19997.08−0.92Action5,990
17Mar 10, 19986.64−1.36Below flood stage4,780
18Jan 16, 19956.34−1.66Below flood stage4,140

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.

December 21, 1957: 9.85 ft here, major flooding

April 13, 1993: 8.86 ft here, minor flooding

  • LehightonPA · Apr 11, 1993 · 10.48 ft · Minor
  • WalnutportPA · Apr 11, 1993 · 9.49 ft · Minor

January 29, 1996: 8.80 ft here, minor flooding

  • LehightonPA · Jan 27, 1996 · 12.55 ft · Moderate
  • WalnutportPA · Jan 27, 1996 · 11.52 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 Haven this gaugePA8.09.85 ft, Dec 21, 19571
LehightonPA10.020.80 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 Luzerne County

Flood gauges in Luzerne County
Wilkes Barre22.042.66 ft, Sep 9, 201115

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WHTP1, 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.