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Schuylkill River at Pottstown

Highest listed crest 29.97 ftFlood stage 12.5 ft34 crests since 1902

The Schuylkill River at Pottstown crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 34 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1902 to 2025. The highest, 29.97 ft on June 23, 1972, was major flooding, 17.47 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
29.97 ft
June 23, 1972; 95,900 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
12.5 ft
Major flooding from 22.0 ft
Crests at major
1
103rd of 170 gauges in Pennsylvania
Most recent flood crest
January 10, 2024
13.65 ft, minor flooding
Location
Chester County
Near Pottstown (0.7 mi), Phoenixville (10.0 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 Pottstown
Action stage11.03Jul 2, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.523Jan 10, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage18.06Sep 9, 2011Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage22.01Jun 23, 1972Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

34 crests from 1902 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Schuylkill River at Pottstown, 1902 to 2025 1015202530ft Flood stage 12.5 ftMajor 22.0 ft Feb 28, 1902: 21.00 ft, moderate flooding; 53,900 cubic feet per secondAug 24, 1933: 19.20 ft, moderate flooding; 47,800 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1936: 15.13 ft, minor flooding; 31,800 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1942: 20.15 ft, moderate flooding; 50,800 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 1955: 17.98 ft, minor flooding; 42,300 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1972: 29.97 ft, major flooding; 95,900 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1976: 17.88 ft, minor flooding; 41,800 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1979: 18.21 ft, moderate flooding; 43,000 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 1987: 15.34 ft, minor flooding; 33,200 cubic feet per secondNov 29, 1993: 13.64 ft, minor flooding; 26,000 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1996: 14.84 ft, minor flooding; 29,900 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1996: 14.14 ft, minor floodingOct 20, 1996: 14.41 ft, minor flooding; 27,600 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 1996: 13.05 ft, minor floodingSep 17, 1999: 14.42 ft, minor flooding; 27,300 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2000: 12.66 ft, minor flooding; 22,300 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 2003: 13.04 ft, minor floodingAug 13, 2004: 11.27 ft, action stage; 18,700 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 2004: 14.59 ft, minor flooding; 27,800 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2005: 13.41 ft, minor flooding; 24,500 cubic feet per secondOct 8, 2005: 16.28 ft, minor flooding; 33,100 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 2006: 20.84 ft, moderate flooding; 49,000 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 2010: 12.10 ft, action stageMar 12, 2011: 14.13 ft, minor flooding; 27,190 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2011: 10.29 ft, below flood stageSep 9, 2011: 18.27 ft, moderate flooding; 42,080 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2014: 12.90 ft, minor flooding; 23,399 cubic feet per secondAug 14, 2018: 12.94 ft, minor flooding; 23,500 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 2019: 12.90 ft, minor flooding; 23,381 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 2020: 13.75 ft, minor floodingSep 2, 2021: 16.79 ft, minor flooding; 36,411 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 2023: 13.92 ft, minor flooding; 26,523 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 13.65 ft, minor flooding; 25,659 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 2025: 12.22 ft, action stage Highest, 29.97 ft, Jun 23, 1972 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Schuylkill River at Pottstown 1900s: 1 1910s: 0 1920s: 0 1930s: 2 1940s: 1 1950s: 1 1960s: 0 1970s: 3 1980s: 1 1990s: 6 6 2000s: 6 2010s: 5 2020s: 4 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.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Schuylkill River at Pottstown
1Jun 23, 197229.97+17.47Major95,900
2Feb 28, 190221.00+8.50Moderate53,900
3Jun 29, 200620.84+8.34Moderate49,000
4May 23, 194220.15+7.65Moderate50,800
5Aug 24, 193319.20+6.70Moderate47,800
6Sep 9, 201118.27+5.77Moderate42,080
7Jan 25, 197918.21+5.71Moderate43,000
8Aug 19, 195517.98+5.48Minor42,300
9Jan 27, 197617.88+5.38Minor41,800
10Sep 2, 202116.79+4.29Minor36,411
11Oct 8, 200516.28+3.78Minor33,100
12Sep 9, 198715.34+2.84Minor33,200
13Mar 12, 193615.13+2.63Minor31,800
14Jan 20, 199614.84+2.34Minor29,900
15Sep 19, 200414.59+2.09Minor27,800
16Sep 17, 199914.42+1.92Minor27,300
17Oct 20, 199614.41+1.91Minor27,600
18Jan 28, 199614.14+1.64Minor—
19Mar 12, 201114.13+1.63Minor27,190
20Dec 19, 202313.92+1.42Minor26,523
21Aug 5, 202013.75+1.25Minor—
22Jan 10, 202413.65+1.15Minor25,659
23Nov 29, 199313.64+1.14Minor26,000
24Apr 3, 200513.41+0.91Minor24,500
25Dec 2, 199613.05+0.55Minor—
26Jun 20, 200313.04+0.54Minor—
27Aug 14, 201812.94+0.44Minor23,500
28May 1, 201412.90+0.40Minor23,399
29Jul 12, 201912.90+0.40Minor23,381
30Mar 22, 200012.66+0.16Minor22,300
31Jul 2, 202512.22−0.28Action—
32Oct 1, 201012.10−0.40Action—
33Aug 13, 200411.27−1.23Action18,700
34Aug 28, 201110.29−2.21Below 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 23, 1972: 29.97 ft here, major flooding

  • ReadingPA · Jun 22, 1972 · 31.30 ft · Major · its highest
  • NorristownPA · Jun 23, 1972 · 25.10 ft · Major
  • 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

February 28, 1902: 21.00 ft here, moderate flooding

June 29, 2006: 20.84 ft here, moderate flooding

  • ReadingPA · Jun 28, 2006 · 23.75 ft · Major
  • NorristownPA · Jun 28, 2006 · 19.13 ft · Major
  • BernePA · Jun 28, 2006 · 18.57 ft · Major
  • PhiladelphiaPA · Jun 28, 2006 · 12.49 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
Pottstown this gaugePA12.529.97 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 Chester County

Flood gauges in Chester County
Downingtown7.019.11 ft, Sep 2, 202122
PA Turnpike Bridge near Valley Forge10.016.44 ft, Sep 1, 20211
Coatesville7.010.08 ft, Jun 29, 19730
Honeybrook7.011.62 ft, Jan 19, 19964
Modena9.013.38 ft, Sep 2, 20212
Strickersville9.516.71 ft, Sep 16, 19997

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PTNP1, 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.