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Schuylkill River at Philadelphia

Highest listed crest 16.35 ftFlood stage 11.0 ft32 crests since 1902

The Schuylkill River at Philadelphia crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 32 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1902 to 2024. The highest, 16.35 ft on September 2, 2021, was major flooding, 5.35 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
16.35 ft
September 2, 2021; 125,104 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
11.0 ft
Major flooding from 15.5 ft
Crests at major
1
103rd of 170 gauges in Pennsylvania
Most recent flood crest
January 10, 2024
12.13 ft, minor flooding
Location
Philadelphia County
Near Philadelphia (4.1 mi), Yeadon (4.2 mi), Camden (4.9 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 Philadelphia
Action stage10.02Mar 14, 2010The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)11.018Jan 10, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage13.011Aug 5, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage15.51Sep 2, 2021Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

32 crests from 1902 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Schuylkill River at Philadelphia, 1902 to 2024 1012141618ft Flood stage 11.0 ftMajor 15.5 ft Mar 1, 1902: 14.80 ft, moderate flooding; 98,000 cubic feet per secondAug 24, 1933: 14.70 ft, moderate flooding; 96,200 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1946: 14.57 ft, moderate flooding; 94,600 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 1971: 13.28 ft, moderate flooding; 70,300 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1972: 14.65 ft, moderate flooding; 103,000 cubic feet per secondDec 5, 1993: 12.41 ft, minor flooding; 62,000 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1995: 11.23 ft, minor flooding; 45,200 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1996: 13.36 ft, moderate flooding; 79,000 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1996: 11.76 ft, minor floodingOct 19, 1996: 11.69 ft, minor flooding; 54,000 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 1999: 14.10 ft, moderate flooding; 92,500 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 2000: 10.68 ft, action stage; 38,300 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 2003: 11.44 ft, minor flooding; 47,800 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 2004: 11.33 ft, minor floodingSep 29, 2004: 11.86 ft, minor flooding; 58,500 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2005: 11.74 ft, minor flooding; 56,900 cubic feet per secondOct 9, 2005: 12.07 ft, minor flooding; 61,500 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2006: 12.49 ft, minor flooding; 75,900 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2007: 11.34 ft, minor flooding; 51,200 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2010: 10.65 ft, action stageOct 1, 2010: 13.10 ft, moderate floodingMar 11, 2011: 11.03 ft, minor flooding; 47,090 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2011: 13.56 ft, moderate flooding; 83,900 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 2011: 12.01 ft, minor floodingMay 1, 2014: 13.91 ft, moderate flooding; 88,450 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 2019: 11.58 ft, minor flooding; 50,729 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 2020: 13.28 ft, moderate flooding; 74,038 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 2020: 11.01 ft, minor flooding; 43,756 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2021: 16.35 ft, major flooding; 125,104 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2023: 11.82 ft, minor flooding; 53,773 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2023: 11.27 ft, minor flooding; 46,892 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 12.13 ft, minor flooding; 57,798 cubic feet per second Highest, 16.35 ft, Sep 2, 2021 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Schuylkill River at Philadelphia 1900s: 1 1910s: 0 1920s: 0 1930s: 1 1940s: 1 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 2 1980s: 0 1990s: 6 2000s: 7 7 2010s: 6 2020s: 6 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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.
  3. 1 crest measured on an earlier gauge datum is left out: 17.00 ft on Oct 4, 1869.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Schuylkill River at Philadelphia
1Sep 2, 202116.35+5.35Major125,104
2Mar 1, 190214.80+3.80Moderate98,000
3Aug 24, 193314.70+3.70Moderate96,200
4Jun 23, 197214.65+3.65Moderate103,000
5Jun 2, 194614.57+3.57Moderate94,600
6Sep 17, 199914.10+3.10Moderate92,500
7May 1, 201413.91+2.91Moderate88,450
8Aug 28, 201113.56+2.56Moderate83,900
9Jan 20, 199613.36+2.36Moderate79,000
10Sep 13, 197113.28+2.28Moderate70,300
11Aug 5, 202013.28+2.28Moderate74,038
12Oct 1, 201013.10+2.10Moderate—
13Jun 28, 200612.49+1.49Minor75,900
14Dec 5, 199312.41+1.41Minor62,000
15Jan 10, 202412.13+1.13Minor57,798
16Oct 9, 200512.07+1.07Minor61,500
17Sep 7, 201112.01+1.01Minor—
18Sep 29, 200411.86+0.86Minor58,500
19Dec 18, 202311.82+0.82Minor53,773
20Jan 28, 199611.76+0.76Minor—
21Apr 3, 200511.74+0.74Minor56,900
22Oct 19, 199611.69+0.69Minor54,000
23Jul 12, 201911.58+0.58Minor50,729
24Jun 21, 200311.44+0.44Minor47,800
25Apr 15, 200711.34+0.34Minor51,200
26Sep 18, 200411.33+0.33Minor—
27Dec 28, 202311.27+0.27Minor46,892
28Jan 20, 199511.23+0.23Minor45,200
29Mar 11, 201111.03+0.03Minor47,090
30Dec 25, 202011.01+0.01Minor43,756
31Dec 17, 200010.68−0.32Action38,300
32Mar 14, 201010.65−0.35Action—

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: 16.35 ft here, major flooding

March 1, 1902: 14.80 ft here, moderate flooding

  • PottstownPA · Feb 28, 1902 · 21.00 ft · Moderate

August 24, 1933: 14.70 ft here, moderate flooding

  • NorristownPA · Aug 24, 1933 · 21.00 ft · Major
  • PottstownPA · Aug 24, 1933 · 19.20 ft · Moderate

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
NorristownPA13.026.85 ft, Sep 2, 202110
Philadelphia this gaugePA11.016.35 ft, Sep 2, 20211
Philadelphia near 30th StreetPA9.016.28 ft, Sep 2, 20211

Other gauges in Philadelphia County

Flood gauges in Philadelphia County
84th Street Bridge at Eastwick11.014.64 ft, Aug 4, 20201
Bridesburg (IN MLLW)8.510.99 ft, Jan 10, 20242
USCG Station Washington Street (IN MLLW)8.210.66 ft, Jan 10, 20246
Philadelphia7.013.94 ft, Sep 28, 200413
Philadelphia7.015.24 ft, Aug 28, 20117
Philadelphia near 30th Street9.016.28 ft, Sep 2, 20211

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PADP1, 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.