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Susquehanna River at Sunbury

Highest listed crest 35.80 ftFlood stage 24.0 ft35 crests since 1865

The Susquehanna River at Sunbury crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 35 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1865 to 2018. The highest, 35.80 ft on June 24, 1972, was major flooding, 11.80 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
35.80 ft
June 24, 1972; 620,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
24.0 ft
Major flooding from 34.0 ft
Crests at major
1
103rd of 170 gauges in Pennsylvania
Most recent flood crest
September 9, 2011
31.66 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Snyder County
Pennsylvania

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 Sunbury
Action stage20.013Sep 12, 2018The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)24.07Apr 29, 2011Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage26.014Sep 9, 2011Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage34.01Jun 24, 1972Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

35 crests from 1865 to 2018. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Susquehanna River at Sunbury, 1865 to 2018 2025303540ft Flood stage 24.0 ftMajor 34.0 ft Mar 1, 1865: 22.50 ft, action stageJun 1, 1889: 20.00 ft, action stageMar 14, 1920: 25.90 ft, minor floodingMar 19, 1936: 26.85 ft, moderate flooding; 556,000 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1943: 27.30 ft, moderate floodingMay 29, 1946: 22.98 ft, action stage; 446,000 cubic feet per secondNov 27, 1950: 26.40 ft, moderate floodingMar 9, 1956: 25.00 ft, minor floodingApr 2, 1960: 27.20 ft, moderate floodingFeb 27, 1961: 25.80 ft, minor floodingMar 7, 1964: 25.00 ft, minor floodingMar 11, 1964: 22.19 ft, action stage; 405,000 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1970: 22.31 ft, action stageJun 24, 1972: 35.80 ft, major flooding; 620,000 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 1975: 30.62 ft, moderate flooding; 439,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1976: 21.37 ft, action stageMar 7, 1979: 27.52 ft, moderate flooding; 347,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1981: 21.78 ft, action stageMar 26, 1983: 23.83 ft, action stageDec 15, 1983: 24.49 ft, minor floodingFeb 16, 1984: 26.91 ft, moderate floodingMar 16, 1986: 24.90 ft, minor floodingApr 2, 1993: 27.03 ft, moderate floodingNov 29, 1993: 20.15 ft, action stageMar 26, 1994: 23.83 ft, action stageJan 20, 1996: 30.32 ft, moderate flooding; 424,000 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 2004: 30.44 ft, moderate flooding; 427,000 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2005: 26.15 ft, moderate floodingJun 28, 2006: 26.89 ft, moderate floodingMar 12, 2011: 26.03 ft, moderate flooding; 308,600 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2011: 25.58 ft, minor flooding; 297,600 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 2011: 31.66 ft, moderate flooding; 462,800 cubic feet per secondJul 26, 2018: 22.16 ft, action stage; 219,000 cubic feet per secondAug 15, 2018: 21.73 ft, action stage; 210,000 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 2018: 21.17 ft, action stage; 198,000 cubic feet per second Highest, 35.80 ft, Jun 24, 1972 1880190019201940196019802000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Susquehanna River at Sunbury 1860s: 0 1870s: 0 1880s: 0 1890s: 0 1900s: 0 1910s: 0 1920s: 1 1930s: 1 1940s: 1 1950s: 2 1960s: 3 3 1970s: 3 1980s: 3 1990s: 2 2000s: 3 2010s: 3 1860s1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s
  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 Sunbury
1Jun 24, 197235.80+11.80Major620,000
2Sep 9, 201131.66+7.66Moderate462,800
3Sep 27, 197530.62+6.62Moderate439,000
4Sep 19, 200430.44+6.44Moderate427,000
5Jan 20, 199630.32+6.32Moderate424,000
6Mar 7, 197927.52+3.52Moderate347,000
7Jan 1, 194327.30+3.30Moderate—
8Apr 2, 196027.20+3.20Moderate—
9Apr 2, 199327.03+3.03Moderate—
10Feb 16, 198426.91+2.91Moderate—
11Jun 28, 200626.89+2.89Moderate—
12Mar 19, 193626.85+2.85Moderate556,000
13Nov 27, 195026.40+2.40Moderate—
14Apr 3, 200526.15+2.15Moderate—
15Mar 12, 201126.03+2.03Moderate308,600
16Mar 14, 192025.90+1.90Minor—
17Feb 27, 196125.80+1.80Minor—
18Apr 29, 201125.58+1.58Minor297,600
19Mar 9, 195625.00+1.00Minor—
20Mar 7, 196425.00+1.00Minor—
21Mar 16, 198624.90+0.90Minor—
22Dec 15, 198324.49+0.49Minor—
23Mar 26, 198323.83−0.17Action—
24Mar 26, 199423.83−0.17Action—
25May 29, 194622.98−1.02Action446,000
26Mar 1, 186522.50−1.50Action—
27Apr 3, 197022.31−1.69Action—
28Mar 11, 196422.19−1.81Action405,000
29Jul 26, 201822.16−1.84Action219,000
30Feb 24, 198121.78−2.22Action—
31Aug 15, 201821.73−2.27Action210,000
32Feb 19, 197621.37−2.63Action—
33Sep 12, 201821.17−2.83Action198,000
34Nov 29, 199320.15−3.85Action—
35Jun 1, 188920.00−4.00Action—

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: 35.80 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
  • TowandaPA · Jun 24, 1972 · 33.43 ft · Major · its highest
  • HarrisburgPA · Jun 24, 1972 · 33.27 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

September 9, 2011: 31.66 ft here, moderate flooding

  • SidneyNY · Sep 9, 2011 · 987.36 ft · Major
  • MariettaPA · Sep 9, 2011 · 58.16 ft · Major
  • MeshoppenPA · Sep 8, 2011 · 44.48 ft · Major · its highest
  • Wilkes BarrePA · Sep 9, 2011 · 42.66 ft · Major · its highest
  • OwegoNY · Sep 8, 2011 · 39.62 ft · Major · its highest
  • VestalNY · Sep 8, 2011 · 35.26 ft · Major · its highest
  • BloomsburgPA · Sep 9, 2011 · 32.75 ft · Major · its highest
  • Conowingo DamMD · Sep 9, 2011 · 32.41 ft · Major
  • DanvillePA · Sep 9, 2011 · 31.55 ft · Major
  • TowandaPA · Sep 8, 2011 · 30.52 ft · Major

September 27, 1975: 30.62 ft here, moderate flooding

  • MariettaPA · Sep 27, 1975 · 55.73 ft · Major
  • Wilkes BarrePA · Sep 27, 1975 · 35.06 ft · Major
  • Conowingo DamMD · Sep 27, 1975 · 30.92 ft · Major
  • TowandaPA · Sep 27, 1975 · 27.47 ft · Major
  • HarrisburgPA · Sep 27, 1975 · 23.81 ft · Major
  • WaverlyPA · Sep 27, 1975 · 20.16 ft · Major
  • DanvillePA · Sep 28, 1975 · 27.52 ft · Moderate
  • BloomsburgPA · Sep 27, 1975 · 27.50 ft · Moderate
  • VestalNY · Sep 26, 1975 · 23.09 ft · Moderate
  • ConklinNY · Sep 26, 1975 · 12.77 ft · Minor

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
HarrisburgPA17.033.27 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
Sunbury this gaugePA24.035.80 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 Snyder County

Flood gauges in Snyder County
Penns Creek8.014.85 ft, Jun 23, 19726

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SBYP1, 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.