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Schuylkill River at Berne

Highest listed crest 19.00 ftFlood stage 12.0 ft32 crests since 1942

The Schuylkill River at Berne crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 32 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1942 to 2024. The highest, 19.00 ft on June 22, 1972, was major flooding, 7.00 feet above flood stage. 5 other gauges on the Schuylkill River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 3 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
19.00 ft
June 22, 1972; 42,800 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
12.0 ft
Major flooding from 16.0 ft
Crests at major
2
82nd of 170 gauges in Pennsylvania
Most recent flood crest
January 10, 2024
12.57 ft, minor flooding
Location
Berks County
Near Wyomissing (13.1 mi), Reading (13.2 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Schuylkill River at Berne
Action stage10.01Nov 9, 1996The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.018Jan 10, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage14.010Sep 2, 2021Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage16.02Jun 28, 2006Extensive 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 Schuylkill River at Berne, 1942 to 2024 8101214161820ft Flood stage 12.0 ftMajor 16.0 ft May 23, 1942: 15.00 ft, moderate flooding; 26,900 cubic feet per secondDec 4, 1950: 14.46 ft, moderate flooding; 24,200 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1952: 12.02 ft, minor flooding; 17,000 cubic feet per secondNov 22, 1952: 12.86 ft, minor flooding; 19,900 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 1955: 15.73 ft, moderate flooding; 29,400 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1970: 12.12 ft, minor flooding; 17,300 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1972: 19.00 ft, major flooding; 42,800 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1976: 12.79 ft, minor flooding; 18,300 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1979: 13.77 ft, minor flooding; 21,700 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1983: 14.71 ft, moderate flooding; 25,300 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 1983: 13.31 ft, minor flooding; 20,100 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1984: 12.52 ft, minor flooding; 17,300 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1988: 12.18 ft, minor flooding; 15,500 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1989: 12.60 ft, minor flooding; 17,600 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1996: 14.31 ft, moderate flooding; 22,000 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1996: 13.91 ft, minor floodingOct 19, 1996: 14.02 ft, moderate flooding; 21,000 cubic feet per secondNov 9, 1996: 11.24 ft, action stage; 12,100 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 1996: 12.91 ft, minor floodingSep 16, 1999: 13.34 ft, minor flooding; 18,700 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 2000: 12.05 ft, minor flooding; 14,500 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 2004: 12.89 ft, minor flooding; 17,200 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 2004: 15.05 ft, moderate flooding; 24,900 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2006: 18.57 ft, major flooding; 39,900 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2011: 14.20 ft, moderate flooding; 19,100 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2011: 8.88 ft, below flood stageSep 8, 2011: 15.45 ft, moderate flooding; 23,950 cubic feet per secondAug 14, 2018: 12.91 ft, minor flooding; 14,844 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 2020: 12.20 ft, minor flooding; 14,128 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2021: 15.67 ft, moderate flooding; 26,038 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2023: 13.35 ft, minor flooding; 17,749 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 12.57 ft, minor flooding; 15,256 cubic feet per second Highest, 19.00 ft, Jun 22, 1972 1960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Schuylkill River at Berne 1940s: 1 1950s: 4 1960s: 0 1970s: 4 1980s: 5 5 1990s: 5 2000s: 4 2010s: 3 2020s: 4 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, Schuylkill River at Berne
1Jun 22, 197219.00+7.00Major42,800
2Jun 28, 200618.57+6.57Major39,900
3Aug 19, 195515.73+3.73Moderate29,400
4Sep 2, 202115.67+3.67Moderate26,038
5Sep 8, 201115.45+3.45Moderate23,950
6Sep 18, 200415.05+3.05Moderate24,900
7May 23, 194215.00+3.00Moderate26,900
8Apr 16, 198314.71+2.71Moderate25,300
9Dec 4, 195014.46+2.46Moderate24,200
10Jan 19, 199614.31+2.31Moderate22,000
11Mar 11, 201114.20+2.20Moderate19,100
12Oct 19, 199614.02+2.02Moderate21,000
13Jan 27, 199613.91+1.91Minor—
14Jan 25, 197913.77+1.77Minor21,700
15Dec 18, 202313.35+1.35Minor17,749
16Sep 16, 199913.34+1.34Minor18,700
17Dec 14, 198313.31+1.31Minor20,100
18Dec 2, 199612.91+0.91Minor—
19Aug 14, 201812.91+0.91Minor14,844
20Aug 13, 200412.89+0.89Minor17,200
21Nov 22, 195212.86+0.86Minor19,900
22Jan 26, 197612.79+0.79Minor18,300
23May 6, 198912.60+0.60Minor17,600
24Jan 10, 202412.57+0.57Minor15,256
25May 29, 198412.52+0.52Minor17,300
26Dec 25, 202012.20+0.20Minor14,128
27May 19, 198812.18+0.18Minor15,500
28Apr 2, 197012.12+0.12Minor17,300
29Dec 17, 200012.05+0.05Minor14,500
30Mar 11, 195212.02+0.02Minor17,000
31Nov 9, 199611.24−0.76Action12,100
32Aug 28, 20118.88−3.12Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Schuylkill River

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

June 22, 1972: 19.00 ft here, major flooding

  • ReadingPA · Jun 22, 1972 · 31.30 ft · Major · its highest
  • PottstownPA · Jun 23, 1972 · 29.97 ft · Major · its highest
  • NorristownPA · Jun 23, 1972 · 25.10 ft · Major
  • LandingvillePA · Jun 22, 1972 · 17.36 ft · Major · its highest
  • PhiladelphiaPA · Jun 23, 1972 · 14.65 ft · Moderate

June 28, 2006: 18.57 ft here, major flooding

  • ReadingPA · Jun 28, 2006 · 23.75 ft · Major
  • NorristownPA · Jun 28, 2006 · 19.13 ft · Major
  • PottstownPA · Jun 29, 2006 · 20.84 ft · Moderate
  • PhiladelphiaPA · Jun 28, 2006 · 12.49 ft · Minor

August 19, 1955: 15.73 ft here, moderate flooding

  • NorristownPA · Aug 19, 1955 · 18.40 ft · Moderate
  • PottstownPA · Aug 19, 1955 · 17.98 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Schuylkill River

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

Flood gauges on the Schuylkill River
LandingvillePA8.017.36 ft, Jun 22, 19722
Berne this gaugePA12.019.00 ft, Jun 22, 19722
ReadingPA15.531.30 ft, Jun 22, 19722
PottstownPA12.529.97 ft, Jun 23, 19721
NorristownPA13.026.85 ft, Sep 2, 202110
PhiladelphiaPA11.016.35 ft, Sep 2, 20211
Philadelphia near 30th StreetPA9.016.28 ft, Sep 2, 20211

Other gauges in Berks County

Flood gauges in Berks County
Reading15.531.30 ft, Jun 22, 19722
Reading10.515.65 ft, Jun 23, 19721

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BREP1, 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.