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Monongahela River at Charleroi Lock and Dam

Highest listed crest 42.70 ftFlood stage 28.0 ft53 crests since 1936

The Monongahela River at Charleroi Lock and Dam crested at major flood stage 14 times among the 53 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1936 to 2024. The highest, 42.70 ft on November 5, 1985, was major flooding, 14.70 feet above flood stage. 5 other gauges on the Monongahela River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
42.70 ft
November 5, 1985
Flood stage
28.0 ft
Major flooding from 35.0 ft
Crests at major
14
6th of 170 gauges in Pennsylvania
Most recent flood crest
April 4, 2024
32.35 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Westmoreland County
Near Jefferson Hills (10.4 mi), McKeesport (13.6 mi), Bethel Park (14.0 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Monongahela River at Charleroi Lock and Dam
Action stage22.65Mar 15, 2015The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)28.017Feb 5, 2022Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage31.016Apr 4, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage35.014Jul 30, 2017Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

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

Listed crests at the Monongahela River at Charleroi Lock and Dam, 1936 to 2024 202530354045ft Flood stage 28.0 ftMajor 35.0 ft Mar 18, 1936: 39.90 ft, major floodingJun 4, 1941: 39.20 ft, major floodingDec 30, 1942: 35.00 ft, major floodingFeb 2, 1951: 34.60 ft, moderate floodingOct 16, 1954: 38.00 ft, major floodingAug 6, 1956: 37.20 ft, major floodingMar 5, 1963: 39.40 ft, major floodingMar 28, 1963: 36.10 ft, major floodingJan 2, 1965: 31.90 ft, moderate floodingFeb 14, 1966: 35.90 ft, major floodingMar 9, 1967: 41.10 ft, major floodingMay 25, 1968: 31.30 ft, moderate floodingJun 23, 1972: 35.40 ft, major floodingJan 12, 1974: 33.40 ft, moderate floodingApr 26, 1975: 28.00 ft, minor floodingOct 10, 1976: 28.30 ft, minor floodingJan 27, 1978: 34.20 ft, moderate floodingDec 9, 1978: 31.30 ft, moderate floodingFeb 26, 1979: 31.60 ft, moderate floodingMar 5, 1979: 28.00 ft, minor floodingAug 19, 1980: 30.80 ft, minor floodingJun 7, 1981: 31.10 ft, moderate floodingNov 5, 1985: 42.70 ft, major floodingFeb 5, 1986: 28.70 ft, minor floodingDec 19, 1990: 29.30 ft, minor floodingDec 31, 1990: 28.30 ft, minor floodingJan 29, 1994: 32.80 ft, moderate floodingFeb 10, 1994: 34.80 ft, moderate floodingJan 20, 1996: 39.80 ft, major floodingFeb 19, 2000: 38.50 ft, major flooding; 156,000 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2002: 28.10 ft, minor flooding; 81,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 2003: 28.70 ft, minor floodingNov 20, 2003: 34.60 ft, moderate flooding; 126,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2004: 30.20 ft, minor flooding; 94,900 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 2004: 27.30 ft, action stage; 76,700 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2004: 28.70 ft, minor flooding; 85,500 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 2004: 26.30 ft, action stage; 69,600 cubic feet per secondJan 6, 2005: 28.50 ft, minor flooding; 84,200 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 2005: 27.50 ft, action stage; 77,900 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2005: 28.08 ft, minor flooding; 81,596 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 2007: 31.92 ft, moderate flooding; 105,815 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2008: 27.43 ft, action stage; 77,191 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2010: 29.30 ft, minor flooding; 88,925 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2015: 33.13 ft, moderate flooding; 114,722 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2015: 25.37 ft, action stage; 63,990 cubic feet per secondJul 30, 2017: 35.90 ft, major flooding; 136,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 2018: 33.54 ft, moderate flooding; 117,790 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 2018: 30.15 ft, minor flooding; 94,250 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2019: 20.01 ft, below flood stage; 36,745 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2019: 28.33 ft, minor flooding; 83,062 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 2021: 31.56 ft, moderate flooding; 103,432 cubic feet per secondFeb 5, 2022: 28.16 ft, minor flooding; 82,053 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2024: 32.35 ft, moderate flooding; 109,042 cubic feet per second Highest, 42.70 ft, Nov 5, 1985 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Monongahela River at Charleroi Lock and Dam 1930s: 1 1940s: 2 1950s: 3 1960s: 6 1970s: 8 1980s: 4 1990s: 5 2000s: 9 9 2010s: 6 2020s: 3 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

The 50 highest of 53 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Monongahela River at Charleroi Lock and Dam
1Nov 5, 198542.70+14.70Major—
2Mar 9, 196741.10+13.10Major—
3Mar 18, 193639.90+11.90Major—
4Jan 20, 199639.80+11.80Major—
5Mar 5, 196339.40+11.40Major—
6Jun 4, 194139.20+11.20Major—
7Feb 19, 200038.50+10.50Major156,000
8Oct 16, 195438.00+10.00Major—
9Aug 6, 195637.20+9.20Major—
10Mar 28, 196336.10+8.10Major—
11Feb 14, 196635.90+7.90Major—
12Jul 30, 201735.90+7.90Major136,300
13Jun 23, 197235.40+7.40Major—
14Dec 30, 194235.00+7.00Major—
15Feb 10, 199434.80+6.80Moderate—
16Feb 2, 195134.60+6.60Moderate—
17Nov 20, 200334.60+6.60Moderate126,000
18Jan 27, 197834.20+6.20Moderate—
19Feb 17, 201833.54+5.54Moderate117,790
20Jan 12, 197433.40+5.40Moderate—
21Mar 5, 201533.13+5.13Moderate114,722
22Jan 29, 199432.80+4.80Moderate—
23Apr 4, 202432.35+4.35Moderate109,042
24Dec 14, 200731.92+3.92Moderate105,815
25Jan 2, 196531.90+3.90Moderate—
26Feb 26, 197931.60+3.60Moderate—
27Mar 2, 202131.56+3.56Moderate103,432
28May 25, 196831.30+3.30Moderate—
29Dec 9, 197831.30+3.30Moderate—
30Jun 7, 198131.10+3.10Moderate—
31Aug 19, 198030.80+2.80Minor—
32Feb 7, 200430.20+2.20Minor94,900
33Sep 11, 201830.15+2.15Minor94,250
34Dec 19, 199029.30+1.30Minor—
35Jan 26, 201029.30+1.30Minor88,925
36Feb 5, 198628.70+0.70Minor—
37Feb 24, 200328.70+0.70Minor—
38Apr 14, 200428.70+0.70Minor85,500
39Jan 6, 200528.50+0.50Minor84,200
40Dec 18, 201928.33+0.33Minor83,062
41Oct 10, 197628.30+0.30Minor—
42Dec 31, 199028.30+0.30Minor—
43Feb 5, 202228.16+0.16Minor82,053
44Mar 21, 200228.10+0.10Minor81,700
45Mar 29, 200528.08+0.08Minor81,596
46Apr 26, 197528.000.00Minor—
47Mar 5, 197928.000.00Minor—
48Jan 12, 200527.50−0.50Action77,900
49Jun 5, 200827.43−0.57Action77,191
50Mar 7, 200427.30−0.70Action76,700

The worst floods along the Monongahela River

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

November 5, 1985: 42.70 ft here, major flooding

March 9, 1967: 41.10 ft here, major flooding

March 18, 1936: 39.90 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Monongahela River

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

Flood gauges on the Monongahela River
Morgantown Lock and DamWV22.027.70 ft, Nov 6, 19851
Point Marion Lock and Dam (lower pool)PA26.034.00 ft, Jan 19, 19967
Grays Landing Lock and DamPA21.036.00 ft, Jul 1, 18883
Maxwell Lock and Dam (lower pool)PA32.044.40 ft, Nov 5, 19855
Charleroi Lock and Dam this gaugePA28.042.70 ft, Nov 5, 198514
Elizabeth Lock and DamPA20.032.50 ft, Mar 18, 19369
Braddock Lock and DamPA22.035.30 ft, Mar 18, 19368

Other gauges in Westmoreland County

Flood gauges in Westmoreland County
Seward12.027.06 ft, Jul 20, 19774
Vandergrift25.041.64 ft, Mar 18, 19361
Latrobe17.020.10 ft, Oct 30, 20120

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CHRP1, 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.