Swatara Creek at Middletown

Highest listed crest 23.29 ftFlood stage 11.0 ft16 crests since 2008

The Swatara Creek at Middletown crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 16 crests the National Weather Service lists from 2008 to 2026. The highest, 23.29 ft on September 9, 2011, was major flooding, 12.29 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Swatara Creek crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest: 23.29 ft; September 9, 2011
Flood stage: 11.0 ft; Major flooding from 18.0 ft
Crests at major: 1; 103rd of 170 gauges in Pennsylvania
Most recent flood crest: February 23, 2026; 12.46 ft, minor flooding
Location: Dauphin County; Near Elizabethtown (7.4 mi), Harrisburg (10.1 mi), Mechanicsburg (14.7 mi)
Identifiers: NWS MTLP1; USGS 01573600

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Swatara Creek at Middletown

Action stage	10.0	0	—	The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)	11.0	10	Feb 23, 2026	Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage	15.0	2	Jul 26, 2018	Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage	18.0	1	Sep 9, 2011	Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

16 crests from 2008 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

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.
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, Swatara Creek at Middletown

1	Sep 9, 2011	23.29	+12.29	Major	—
2	Mar 12, 2011	16.36	+5.36	Moderate	—
3	Jul 26, 2018	16.19	+5.19	Moderate	—
4	Dec 26, 2020	13.68	+2.68	Minor	—
5	Sep 3, 2021	13.46	+2.46	Minor	—
6	Feb 5, 2022	13.37	+2.37	Minor	—
7	Mar 8, 2011	12.67	+1.67	Minor	—
8	Apr 18, 2011	12.63	+1.63	Minor	—
9	Apr 5, 2024	12.57	+1.57	Minor	—
10	Feb 23, 2026	12.46	+1.46	Minor	—
11	Jan 14, 2014	11.81	+0.81	Minor	—
12	Sep 12, 2018	11.76	+0.76	Minor	—
13	Dec 19, 2023	11.05	+0.05	Minor	—
14	Nov 24, 2011	9.97	−1.03	Below flood stage	—
15	Oct 2, 2010	8.87	−2.13	Below flood stage	—
16	Dec 13, 2008	8.61	−2.39	Below flood stage	—

The worst floods along the Swatara Creek

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

September 9, 2011: 23.29 ft here, major flooding

HersheyPA · Sep 8, 2011 · 26.80 ft · Major · its highest
Harper TavernPA · Sep 8, 2011 · 24.60 ft · Major

March 12, 2011: 16.36 ft here, moderate flooding

Harper TavernPA · Mar 11, 2011 · 14.32 ft · Moderate
HersheyPA · Mar 12, 2011 · 10.97 ft · Moderate

July 26, 2018: 16.19 ft here, moderate flooding

Harper TavernPA · Jul 25, 2018 · 17.15 ft · Major
HersheyPA · Jul 26, 2018 · 17.08 ft · Major

Gauges on the Swatara Creek

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

Flood gauges on the Swatara Creek

Harper Tavern	PA	9.0	25.60 ft, Jun 1, 1889	11
Hershey	PA	7.0	26.80 ft, Sep 8, 2011	8
Middletown this gauge	PA	11.0	23.29 ft, Sep 9, 2011	1

Other gauges in Dauphin County

Flood gauges in Dauphin County

Harrisburg	17.0	33.27 ft, Jun 24, 1972	8
Hershey	7.0	26.80 ft, Sep 8, 2011	8

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MTLP1, 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.