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Susquehanna River at Wilkes Barre

Highest listed crest 42.66 ftFlood stage 22.0 ft92 crests since 1865

The Susquehanna River at Wilkes Barre crested at major flood stage 15 times among the 92 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1865 to 2023. The highest, 42.66 ft on September 9, 2011, was major flooding, 20.66 feet above flood stage. 17 other gauges on the Susquehanna River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 6 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
42.66 ft
September 9, 2011; 310,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
22.0 ft
Major flooding from 30.0 ft
Crests at major
15
5th of 170 gauges in Pennsylvania
Most recent flood crest
December 19, 2023
22.51 ft, minor flooding
Location
Luzerne County
Near Wilkes-Barre (0.5 mi), Kingston (0.9 mi), Nanticoke (7.2 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 Wilkes Barre
Action stage10.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)22.063Dec 19, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage28.014Aug 15, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage30.015Sep 9, 2011Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

92 crests from 1865 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Susquehanna River at Wilkes Barre, 1865 to 2023 202530354045ft Flood stage 22.0 ftMajor 30.0 ft Mar 18, 1865: 33.10 ft, major flooding; 232,000 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1891: 26.80 ft, minor flooding; 164,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 1891: 23.00 ft, minor flooding; 125,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1891: 23.50 ft, minor flooding; 130,000 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1893: 28.71 ft, moderate floodingMay 5, 1893: 22.02 ft, minor flooding; 115,000 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1895: 27.01 ft, minor floodingApr 1, 1896: 24.00 ft, minor flooding; 135,000 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 1899: 25.00 ft, minor floodingNov 28, 1900: 22.00 ft, minor flooding; 115,000 cubic feet per secondDec 15, 1901: 27.00 ft, minor flooding; 166,000 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 1902: 31.40 ft, major flooding; 213,000 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1903: 22.40 ft, minor flooding; 119,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 1904: 25.70 ft, minor flooding; 152,000 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1904: 30.60 ft, major flooding; 204,000 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1904: 22.90 ft, minor flooding; 124,000 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1905: 23.40 ft, minor flooding; 129,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1908: 23.50 ft, minor flooding; 130,000 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 1909: 23.00 ft, minor flooding; 125,000 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1910: 26.10 ft, minor flooding; 157,000 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1912: 23.20 ft, minor flooding; 127,000 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1913: 28.50 ft, moderate flooding; 184,000 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1914: 28.30 ft, moderate flooding; 182,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1915: 23.30 ft, minor flooding; 127,000 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 1915: 22.60 ft, minor flooding; 120,000 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1916: 26.50 ft, minor flooding; 160,000 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1918: 23.00 ft, minor flooding; 124,000 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1920: 26.00 ft, minor flooding; 155,000 cubic feet per secondNov 29, 1921: 22.30 ft, minor flooding; 117,000 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1924: 23.50 ft, minor flooding; 129,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1925: 25.10 ft, minor flooding; 145,000 cubic feet per secondNov 17, 1926: 22.70 ft, minor flooding; 121,000 cubic feet per secondOct 20, 1927: 24.70 ft, minor flooding; 141,000 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1929: 26.40 ft, minor flooding; 159,000 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 1935: 25.39 ft, minor flooding; 151,000 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1936: 28.60 ft, moderate flooding; 184,000 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1936: 33.07 ft, major flooding; 208,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1939: 23.80 ft, minor flooding; 137,000 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1940: 31.53 ft, major flooding; 192,300 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1941: 23.50 ft, minor flooding; 138,000 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1943: 29.37 ft, moderate flooding; 191,000 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1946: 32.01 ft, major flooding; 210,000 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1947: 24.88 ft, minor flooding; 151,000 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1948: 28.76 ft, moderate flooding; 193,000 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1950: 27.04 ft, minor flooding; 172,000 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1951: 22.72 ft, minor flooding; 128,000 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1952: 22.39 ft, minor flooding; 124,000 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 1955: 26.45 ft, minor flooding; 166,000 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1956: 28.17 ft, moderate flooding; 186,000 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1956: 22.50 ft, minor flooding; 126,000 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1958: 26.80 ft, minor flooding; 170,000 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1960: 29.60 ft, moderate flooding; 183,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 1961: 26.20 ft, minor flooding; 165,200 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1961: 24.74 ft, minor flooding; 154,300 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1962: 22.84 ft, minor flooding; 135,100 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1963: 22.26 ft, minor flooding; 129,500 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1964: 30.74 ft, major flooding; 188,000 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1972: 22.77 ft, minor flooding; 131,000 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1972: 40.91 ft, major flooding; 345,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1975: 26.26 ft, minor flooding; 165,600 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 1975: 35.06 ft, major flooding; 228,000 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1979: 31.02 ft, major flooding; 192,100 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1983: 23.86 ft, minor flooding; 145,300 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 1983: 29.76 ft, moderate flooding; 192,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1984: 29.01 ft, moderate flooding; 180,600 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1984: 29.63 ft, moderate flooding; 184,200 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1986: 27.36 ft, minor flooding; 171,700 cubic feet per secondOct 25, 1990: 22.69 ft, minor flooding; 134,000 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1993: 29.87 ft, moderate flooding; 185,000 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1993: 28.62 ft, moderate flooding; 179,000 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1994: 24.16 ft, minor flooding; 148,000 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1996: 34.45 ft, major flooding; 221,000 cubic feet per secondNov 10, 1996: 23.57 ft, minor flooding; 128,000 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 1996: 23.37 ft, minor flooding; 127,000 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1998: 24.79 ft, minor flooding; 138,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 29, 2000: 23.66 ft, minor flooding; 129,000 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2003: 22.84 ft, minor flooding; 122,000 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 2004: 34.96 ft, major flooding; 227,000 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 2005: 24.75 ft, minor flooding; 137,475 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2005: 26.05 ft, minor flooding; 148,225 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2005: 30.88 ft, major flooding; 189,000 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2006: 34.14 ft, major flooding; 218,000 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2007: 22.96 ft, minor flooding; 123,000 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2008: 22.01 ft, minor flooding; 115,000 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 2010: 22.83 ft, minor flooding; 122,000 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2011: 27.55 ft, minor flooding; 161,000 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2011: 27.29 ft, minor flooding; 159,000 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 2011: 42.66 ft, major flooding; 310,000 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2018: 27.40 ft, minor flooding; 160,000 cubic feet per secondAug 15, 2018: 28.77 ft, moderate flooding; 171,700 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 2020: 25.63 ft, minor flooding; 151,278 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 2023: 22.51 ft, minor flooding; 124,333 cubic feet per second Highest, 42.66 ft, Sep 9, 2011 18801900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Susquehanna River at Wilkes Barre 1860s: 1 1870s: 0 1880s: 0 1890s: 8 1900s: 10 10 1910s: 8 1920s: 7 1930s: 4 1940s: 6 1950s: 7 1960s: 6 1970s: 5 1980s: 5 1990s: 8 2000s: 9 2010s: 6 2020s: 2 1860s1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
  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

The 50 highest of 92 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Susquehanna River at Wilkes Barre
1Sep 9, 201142.66+20.66Major310,000
2Jun 24, 197240.91+18.91Major345,000
3Sep 27, 197535.06+13.06Major228,000
4Sep 19, 200434.96+12.96Major227,000
5Jan 20, 199634.45+12.45Major221,000
6Jun 28, 200634.14+12.14Major218,000
7Mar 18, 186533.10+11.10Major232,000
8Mar 20, 193633.07+11.07Major208,600
9May 29, 194632.01+10.01Major210,000
10Apr 1, 194031.53+9.53Major192,300
11Mar 2, 190231.40+9.40Major213,000
12Mar 7, 197931.02+9.02Major192,100
13Apr 4, 200530.88+8.88Major189,000
14Mar 10, 196430.74+8.74Major188,000
15Mar 9, 190430.60+8.60Major204,000
16Apr 2, 199329.87+7.87Moderate185,000
17Dec 14, 198329.76+7.76Moderate192,000
18Apr 7, 198429.63+7.63Moderate184,200
19Apr 2, 196029.60+7.60Moderate183,800
20Jan 1, 194329.37+7.37Moderate191,000
21Feb 16, 198429.01+7.01Moderate180,600
22Aug 15, 201828.77+6.77Moderate171,700
23Mar 23, 194828.76+6.76Moderate193,000
24Mar 11, 189328.71+6.71Moderate—
25Apr 12, 199328.62+6.62Moderate179,000
26Mar 13, 193628.60+6.60Moderate184,000
27Mar 28, 191328.50+6.50Moderate184,000
28Mar 29, 191428.30+6.30Moderate182,000
29Mar 9, 195628.17+6.17Moderate186,000
30Mar 11, 201127.55+5.55Minor161,000
31Jan 25, 201827.40+5.40Minor160,000
32Mar 16, 198627.36+5.36Minor171,700
33Apr 29, 201127.29+5.29Minor159,000
34Mar 30, 195027.04+5.04Minor172,000
35Mar 3, 189527.01+5.01Minor—
36Dec 15, 190127.00+5.00Minor166,000
37Jan 24, 189126.80+4.80Minor164,000
38Apr 8, 195826.80+4.80Minor170,000
39Apr 2, 191626.50+4.50Minor160,000
40Oct 16, 195526.45+4.45Minor166,000
41Apr 22, 192926.40+4.40Minor159,000
42Feb 26, 197526.26+4.26Minor165,600
43Feb 27, 196126.20+4.20Minor165,200
44Mar 3, 191026.10+4.10Minor157,000
45Mar 30, 200526.05+4.05Minor148,225
46Mar 13, 192026.00+4.00Minor155,000
47Feb 10, 190425.70+3.70Minor152,000
48Dec 26, 202025.63+3.63Minor151,278
49Jul 10, 193525.39+3.39Minor151,000
50Feb 13, 192525.10+3.10Minor145,000

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.

September 9, 2011: 42.66 ft here, major 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
  • 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
  • WaverlyPA · Sep 8, 2011 · 26.67 ft · Major · its highest

June 24, 1972: 40.91 ft here, major flooding

  • MariettaPA · Jun 23, 1972 · 64.54 ft · Major · its highest
  • MeshoppenPA · Jun 23, 1972 · 43.51 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
  • 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 27, 1975: 35.06 ft here, major flooding

  • MariettaPA · Sep 27, 1975 · 55.73 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
  • SunburyPA · Sep 27, 1975 · 30.62 ft · Moderate
  • 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
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 Barre this gaugePA22.042.66 ft, Sep 9, 201115
WindsorNY17.024.27 ft, Jun 29, 20063
WaverlyPA13.026.67 ft, Sep 8, 20117

Other gauges in Luzerne County

Flood gauges in Luzerne County
White Haven8.09.85 ft, Dec 21, 19571

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WBRP1, 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.