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Shenango River at New Castle

Highest listed crest 20.60 ftFlood stage 19.0 ft10 crests since 1942

The Shenango River at New Castle crested above flood stage 1 time among the 10 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1942 to 1964. The highest, 20.60 ft on January 22, 1959, was minor flooding, 1.60 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
20.60 ft
January 22, 1959; 21,400 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
19.0 ft
Major flooding from 23.0 ft
Crests at major
0
1 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
January 22, 1959
20.60 ft, minor flooding
Location
Lawrence County
Near New Castle (1.8 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Shenango River at New Castle
Action stage15.97Mar 11, 1964The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)19.01Jan 22, 1959Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage21.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage23.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

10 crests from 1942 to 1964. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Shenango River at New Castle, 1942 to 1964 141618202224ft Flood stage 19.0 ftMajor 23.0 ft Dec 31, 1942: 16.70 ft, action stageMay 28, 1946: 17.00 ft, action stageJan 28, 1952: 17.00 ft, action stageOct 17, 1954: 17.60 ft, action stage; 15,242 cubic feet per secondJul 17, 1958: 17.50 ft, action stageJan 22, 1959: 20.60 ft, minor flooding; 21,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 1959: 16.80 ft, action stage; 13,717 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1960: 15.00 ft, below flood stageMar 7, 1964: 15.80 ft, below flood stageMar 11, 1964: 16.00 ft, action stage Highest, 20.60 ft, Jan 22, 1959 19451950195519601965

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Shenango River at New Castle 1940s: 0 1950s: 1 1 1960s: 0 1940s1950s1960s
  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, Shenango River at New Castle
1Jan 22, 195920.60+1.60Minor21,400
2Oct 17, 195417.60−1.40Action15,242
3Jul 17, 195817.50−1.50Action—
4May 28, 194617.00−2.00Action—
5Jan 28, 195217.00−2.00Action—
6Feb 11, 195916.80−2.20Action13,717
7Dec 31, 194216.70−2.30Action—
8Mar 11, 196416.00−3.00Action—
9Mar 7, 196415.80−3.20Below flood stage—
10Apr 1, 196015.00−4.00Below flood stage—

Gauges on the Shenango River

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

Flood gauges on the Shenango River
Shenango Dam TailwaterPA6.89.20 ft, Sep 4, 19370
New Castle this gaugePA19.020.60 ft, Jan 22, 19590

Other gauges in Lawrence County

Flood gauges in Lawrence County
Wampum21.029.90 ft, Mar 26, 19131
Wurtemburg9.012.05 ft, Jan 25, 19370

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge NCSP1, 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.