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Schuylkill River at Norristown

Highest listed crest 26.85 ftFlood stage 13.0 ft34 crests since 1933

The Schuylkill River at Norristown crested at major flood stage 10 times among the 34 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1933 to 2024. The highest, 26.85 ft on September 2, 2021, was major flooding, 13.85 feet above flood stage. 6 other gauges on the Schuylkill River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
26.85 ft
September 2, 2021; 143,056 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
13.0 ft
Major flooding from 19.0 ft
Crests at major
10
13th of 170 gauges in Pennsylvania
Most recent flood crest
January 10, 2024
16.29 ft, minor flooding
Location
Montgomery County
Near Norristown (0.9 mi), Phoenixville (9.4 mi), Lansdale (9.7 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 Norristown
Action stage12.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)13.019Jan 10, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage17.05Oct 1, 2010Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage19.010Sep 2, 2021Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

34 crests from 1933 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Schuylkill River at Norristown, 1933 to 2024 1015202530ft Flood stage 13.0 ftMajor 19.0 ft Aug 24, 1933: 21.00 ft, major floodingAug 19, 1955: 18.40 ft, moderate floodingSep 13, 1971: 19.30 ft, major floodingJun 23, 1972: 25.10 ft, major floodingOct 19, 1991: 18.00 ft, moderate floodingDec 5, 1993: 17.60 ft, moderate floodingJan 20, 1996: 19.00 ft, major floodingSep 17, 1999: 22.00 ft, major floodingJun 21, 2003: 16.28 ft, minor flooding; 56,100 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 2004: 16.00 ft, minor flooding; 54,300 cubic feet per secondSep 29, 2004: 15.37 ft, minor flooding; 49,600 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2005: 16.06 ft, minor flooding; 54,700 cubic feet per secondOct 9, 2005: 17.92 ft, moderate flooding; 68,000 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2006: 19.13 ft, major flooding; 76,000 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 2010: 18.30 ft, moderate floodingMar 11, 2011: 14.35 ft, minor flooding; 41,950 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2011: 19.76 ft, major floodingSep 7, 2011: 16.06 ft, minor floodingMay 1, 2014: 20.81 ft, major flooding; 90,570 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 2018: 13.67 ft, minor flooding; 33,888 cubic feet per secondAug 14, 2018: 15.07 ft, minor flooding; 44,003 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 2018: 13.38 ft, minor flooding; 31,859 cubic feet per secondNov 3, 2018: 14.27 ft, minor flooding; 38,159 cubic feet per secondNov 25, 2018: 13.72 ft, minor flooding; 34,240 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 2019: 16.48 ft, minor flooding; 54,716 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2020: 13.32 ft, minor flooding; 31,349 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 2020: 20.55 ft, major flooding; 88,149 cubic feet per secondDec 1, 2020: 13.80 ft, minor flooding; 34,777 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 2020: 14.52 ft, minor flooding; 39,965 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2021: 26.85 ft, major flooding; 143,056 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2022: 13.66 ft, minor flooding; 33,812 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2023: 15.85 ft, minor flooding; 49,867 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2023: 14.94 ft, minor flooding; 43,041 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 16.29 ft, minor flooding; 53,243 cubic feet per second Highest, 26.85 ft, Sep 2, 2021 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Schuylkill River at Norristown 1930s: 1 1940s: 0 1950s: 1 1960s: 0 1970s: 2 1980s: 0 1990s: 4 2000s: 6 2010s: 11 11 2020s: 9 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

Highest listed crests, Schuylkill River at Norristown
1Sep 2, 202126.85+13.85Major143,056
2Jun 23, 197225.10+12.10Major—
3Sep 17, 199922.00+9.00Major—
4Aug 24, 193321.00+8.00Major—
5May 1, 201420.81+7.81Major90,570
6Aug 5, 202020.55+7.55Major88,149
7Aug 28, 201119.76+6.76Major—
8Sep 13, 197119.30+6.30Major—
9Jun 28, 200619.13+6.13Major76,000
10Jan 20, 199619.00+6.00Major—
11Aug 19, 195518.40+5.40Moderate—
12Oct 1, 201018.30+5.30Moderate—
13Oct 19, 199118.00+5.00Moderate—
14Oct 9, 200517.92+4.92Moderate68,000
15Dec 5, 199317.60+4.60Moderate—
16Jul 12, 201916.48+3.48Minor54,716
17Jan 10, 202416.29+3.29Minor53,243
18Jun 21, 200316.28+3.28Minor56,100
19Apr 3, 200516.06+3.06Minor54,700
20Sep 7, 201116.06+3.06Minor—
21Sep 18, 200416.00+3.00Minor54,300
22Dec 18, 202315.85+2.85Minor49,867
23Sep 29, 200415.37+2.37Minor49,600
24Aug 14, 201815.07+2.07Minor44,003
25Dec 28, 202314.94+1.94Minor43,041
26Dec 25, 202014.52+1.52Minor39,965
27Mar 11, 201114.35+1.35Minor41,950
28Nov 3, 201814.27+1.27Minor38,159
29Dec 1, 202013.80+0.80Minor34,777
30Nov 25, 201813.72+0.72Minor34,240
31Aug 4, 201813.67+0.67Minor33,888
32Apr 8, 202213.66+0.66Minor33,812
33Sep 28, 201813.38+0.38Minor31,859
34Jan 26, 202013.32+0.32Minor31,349

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.

September 2, 2021: 26.85 ft here, major flooding

June 23, 1972: 25.10 ft here, major flooding

  • ReadingPA · Jun 22, 1972 · 31.30 ft · Major · its highest
  • PottstownPA · Jun 23, 1972 · 29.97 ft · Major · its highest
  • BernePA · Jun 22, 1972 · 19.00 ft · Major · its highest
  • LandingvillePA · Jun 22, 1972 · 17.36 ft · Major · its highest
  • PhiladelphiaPA · Jun 23, 1972 · 14.65 ft · Moderate

September 17, 1999: 22.00 ft here, major flooding

  • PhiladelphiaPA · Sep 17, 1999 · 14.10 ft · Moderate
  • PottstownPA · Sep 17, 1999 · 14.42 ft · Minor
  • BernePA · Sep 16, 1999 · 13.34 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
BernePA12.019.00 ft, Jun 22, 19722
ReadingPA15.531.30 ft, Jun 22, 19722
PottstownPA12.529.97 ft, Jun 23, 19721
Norristown this gaugePA13.026.85 ft, Sep 2, 202110
PhiladelphiaPA11.016.35 ft, Sep 2, 20211
Philadelphia near 30th StreetPA9.016.28 ft, Sep 2, 20211

Other gauges in Montgomery County

Flood gauges in Montgomery County
Schwenksville8.016.89 ft, Sep 2, 20217
East Greenville5.09.66 ft, Aug 4, 20202
Graterford11.024.23 ft, Sep 2, 202111
Hillegass5.06.68 ft, Aug 4, 20200

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge NRSP1, 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.