Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Susquehanna River at Harrisburg

Highest listed crest 33.27 ftFlood stage 17.0 ft33 crests since 1889

The Susquehanna River at Harrisburg crested at major flood stage 8 times among the 33 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1889 to 2018. The highest, 33.27 ft on June 24, 1972, was major flooding, 16.27 feet above flood stage. 11 other gauges on the Susquehanna River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 5 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
33.27 ft
June 24, 1972; 1,020,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
17.0 ft
Major flooding from 23.0 ft
Crests at major
8
21st of 170 gauges in Pennsylvania
Most recent flood crest
July 26, 2018
17.32 ft, minor flooding
Location
Dauphin County
Near Harrisburg (1.5 mi), Mechanicsburg (7.0 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Susquehanna River at Harrisburg
Action stage11.01Apr 4, 1970The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)17.017Jul 26, 2018Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage20.07Mar 12, 2011Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage23.08Sep 9, 2011Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

33 crests from 1889 to 2018. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Susquehanna River at Harrisburg, 1889 to 2018 1520253035ft Flood stage 17.0 ftMajor 23.0 ft Jun 2, 1889: 26.80 ft, major flooding; 654,000 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1894: 25.70 ft, major flooding; 613,000 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1936: 20.52 ft, moderate floodingMar 19, 1936: 29.23 ft, major flooding; 740,000 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1940: 19.80 ft, minor floodingJan 1, 1943: 19.40 ft, minor floodingMay 29, 1946: 21.80 ft, moderate floodingNov 27, 1950: 19.30 ft, minor floodingApr 2, 1960: 18.20 ft, minor floodingFeb 27, 1961: 18.48 ft, minor floodingMar 12, 1964: 21.51 ft, moderate floodingApr 4, 1970: 16.87 ft, action stageJun 24, 1972: 33.27 ft, major flooding; 1,020,000 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 1975: 23.81 ft, major floodingMar 7, 1979: 20.43 ft, moderate floodingFeb 5, 1982: 17.64 ft, minor floodingDec 15, 1983: 17.55 ft, minor floodingFeb 16, 1984: 20.74 ft, moderate floodingApr 7, 1984: 18.88 ft, minor floodingMar 16, 1986: 18.53 ft, minor floodingApr 2, 1993: 20.50 ft, moderate floodingFeb 23, 1994: 17.02 ft, minor floodingMar 26, 1994: 17.96 ft, minor floodingJan 20, 1996: 25.08 ft, major floodingJan 10, 1998: 17.30 ft, minor floodingSep 19, 2004: 24.40 ft, major floodingMar 30, 2005: 17.43 ft, minor floodingApr 4, 2005: 18.87 ft, minor floodingJun 29, 2006: 19.66 ft, minor floodingMar 12, 2011: 20.09 ft, moderate flooding; 397,600 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2011: 18.39 ft, minor flooding; 346,699 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 2011: 25.17 ft, major flooding; 589,800 cubic feet per secondJul 26, 2018: 17.32 ft, minor flooding; 317,768 cubic feet per second Highest, 33.27 ft, Jun 24, 1972 190019201940196019802000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Susquehanna River at Harrisburg 1880s: 1 1890s: 1 1900s: 0 1910s: 0 1920s: 0 1930s: 2 1940s: 3 1950s: 1 1960s: 3 1970s: 3 1980s: 5 5 1990s: 5 2000s: 4 2010s: 4 1880s1890s1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Susquehanna River at Harrisburg
1Jun 24, 197233.27+16.27Major1,020,000
2Mar 19, 193629.23+12.23Major740,000
3Jun 2, 188926.80+9.80Major654,000
4May 22, 189425.70+8.70Major613,000
5Sep 9, 201125.17+8.17Major589,800
6Jan 20, 199625.08+8.08Major—
7Sep 19, 200424.40+7.40Major—
8Sep 27, 197523.81+6.81Major—
9May 29, 194621.80+4.80Moderate—
10Mar 12, 196421.51+4.51Moderate—
11Feb 16, 198420.74+3.74Moderate—
12Mar 13, 193620.52+3.52Moderate—
13Apr 2, 199320.50+3.50Moderate—
14Mar 7, 197920.43+3.43Moderate—
15Mar 12, 201120.09+3.09Moderate397,600
16Apr 2, 194019.80+2.80Minor—
17Jun 29, 200619.66+2.66Minor—
18Jan 1, 194319.40+2.40Minor—
19Nov 27, 195019.30+2.30Minor—
20Apr 7, 198418.88+1.88Minor—
21Apr 4, 200518.87+1.87Minor—
22Mar 16, 198618.53+1.53Minor—
23Feb 27, 196118.48+1.48Minor—
24Apr 29, 201118.39+1.39Minor346,699
25Apr 2, 196018.20+1.20Minor—
26Mar 26, 199417.96+0.96Minor—
27Feb 5, 198217.64+0.64Minor—
28Dec 15, 198317.55+0.55Minor—
29Mar 30, 200517.43+0.43Minor—
30Jul 26, 201817.32+0.32Minor317,768
31Jan 10, 199817.30+0.30Minor—
32Feb 23, 199417.02+0.02Minor—
33Apr 4, 197016.87−0.13Action—

The worst floods along the Susquehanna River

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

June 24, 1972: 33.27 ft here, major flooding

  • MariettaPA · Jun 23, 1972 · 64.54 ft · Major · its highest
  • MeshoppenPA · Jun 23, 1972 · 43.51 ft · Major
  • Wilkes BarrePA · Jun 24, 1972 · 40.91 ft · Major
  • Conowingo DamMD · Jun 24, 1972 · 36.83 ft · Major · its highest
  • SunburyPA · Jun 24, 1972 · 35.80 ft · Major · its highest
  • TowandaPA · Jun 24, 1972 · 33.43 ft · Major · its highest
  • DanvillePA · Jun 24, 1972 · 32.32 ft · Major · its highest
  • BloomsburgPA · Jun 25, 1972 · 31.20 ft · Major
  • WaverlyPA · Jun 23, 1972 · 21.24 ft · Major
  • VestalNY · Jun 23, 1972 · 22.35 ft · Moderate

March 19, 1936: 29.23 ft here, major flooding

  • MariettaPA · Mar 19, 1936 · 60.73 ft · Major
  • Wilkes BarrePA · Mar 20, 1936 · 33.07 ft · Major
  • VestalNY · Mar 18, 1936 · 30.50 ft · Major
  • BinghamtonNY · Mar 18, 1936 · 22.90 ft · Major
  • WaverlyPA · Mar 18, 1936 · 21.40 ft · Major
  • UnadillaNY · Mar 18, 1936 · 16.60 ft · Major
  • DanvillePA · Mar 19, 1936 · 28.01 ft · Moderate
  • BloomsburgPA · Mar 19, 1936 · 27.80 ft · Moderate
  • SunburyPA · Mar 19, 1936 · 26.85 ft · Moderate
  • TowandaPA · Mar 19, 1936 · 25.03 ft · Moderate

June 2, 1889: 26.80 ft here, major flooding

  • MariettaPA · Jun 2, 1889 · 58.30 ft · Major

Gauges on the Susquehanna River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Susquehanna River
BainbridgeNY15.027.05 ft, Jun 29, 20062
BinghamtonNY14.025.73 ft, Sep 8, 201112
BloomsburgPA19.032.75 ft, Sep 9, 20115
ConklinNY12.025.02 ft, Jun 28, 20062
Conowingo DamMD23.536.83 ft, Jun 24, 19725
DanvillePA20.032.32 ft, Jun 24, 19723
Harrisburg this gaugePA17.033.27 ft, Jun 24, 19728
MariettaPA49.064.54 ft, Jun 23, 19729
MeshoppenPA27.044.48 ft, Sep 8, 20112
OwegoNY30.039.62 ft, Sep 8, 20113
SidneyNY979.5988.30 ft, Jun 28, 20062
SunburyPA24.035.80 ft, Jun 24, 19721
TowandaPA16.033.43 ft, Jun 24, 19723
UnadillaNY11.017.72 ft, Jun 29, 20065
VestalNY18.035.26 ft, Sep 8, 20118
Wilkes BarrePA22.042.66 ft, Sep 9, 201115
WindsorNY17.024.27 ft, Jun 29, 20063
WaverlyPA13.026.67 ft, Sep 8, 20117

Other gauges in Dauphin County

Flood gauges in Dauphin County
Middletown11.023.29 ft, Sep 9, 20111
Hershey7.026.80 ft, Sep 8, 20118

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge HARP1, 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.