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West Branch Susquehanna River at Lewisburg

Highest listed crest 34.23 ftFlood stage 18.0 ft31 crests since 1946

The West Branch Susquehanna River at Lewisburg crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 31 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1946 to 2018. The highest, 34.23 ft on June 24, 1972, was major flooding, 16.23 feet above flood stage. 5 other gauges on the West Branch Susquehanna River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 4 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
34.23 ft
June 24, 1972; 300,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
18.0 ft
Major flooding from 28.0 ft
Crests at major
2
82nd of 170 gauges in Pennsylvania
Most recent flood crest
September 12, 2018
19.35 ft, minor flooding
Location
Northumberland County
Pennsylvania

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, West Branch Susquehanna River at Lewisburg
Action stage14.01Aug 19, 1994The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)18.020Sep 12, 2018Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage23.08Sep 8, 2011Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage28.02Jun 24, 1972Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

31 crests from 1946 to 2018. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the West Branch Susquehanna River at Lewisburg, 1946 to 2018 1520253035ft Flood stage 18.0 ftMajor 28.0 ft May 29, 1946: 28.43 ft, major flooding; 262,000 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1948: 20.07 ft, minor floodingMar 30, 1950: 18.15 ft, minor floodingNov 26, 1950: 26.05 ft, moderate floodingMar 12, 1952: 18.08 ft, minor floodingMar 3, 1954: 18.51 ft, minor floodingMar 9, 1956: 19.80 ft, minor floodingNov 3, 1956: 18.60 ft, minor floodingJan 23, 1959: 18.22 ft, minor floodingApr 1, 1960: 21.00 ft, minor floodingFeb 27, 1961: 21.17 ft, minor floodingMar 11, 1964: 26.16 ft, moderate floodingJun 24, 1972: 34.23 ft, major flooding; 300,000 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 1975: 27.62 ft, moderate floodingMar 6, 1979: 23.44 ft, moderate floodingFeb 24, 1981: 18.83 ft, minor floodingFeb 23, 1982: 19.82 ft, minor floodingFeb 15, 1984: 24.26 ft, moderate floodingMar 15, 1986: 18.61 ft, minor floodingApr 2, 1993: 21.30 ft, minor floodingMar 26, 1994: 18.26 ft, minor floodingAug 19, 1994: 17.60 ft, action stageJan 20, 1996: 25.94 ft, moderate flooding; 208,400 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1998: 18.80 ft, minor floodingSep 19, 2004: 26.01 ft, moderate floodingApr 3, 2005: 19.40 ft, minor floodingDec 2, 2010: 20.90 ft, minor flooding; 142,000 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2011: 20.78 ft, minor flooding; 140,800 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2011: 20.13 ft, minor flooding; 133,299 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 2011: 25.91 ft, moderate flooding; 208,200 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 2018: 19.35 ft, minor flooding; 124,500 cubic feet per second Highest, 34.23 ft, Jun 24, 1972 1950196019701980199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, West Branch Susquehanna River at Lewisburg 1940s: 2 1950s: 7 7 1960s: 3 1970s: 3 1980s: 4 1990s: 4 2000s: 2 2010s: 5 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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.
  3. 3 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 29.80 ft on Jun 1, 1889; 28.50 ft on May 21, 1894; 32.10 ft on Mar 19, 1936.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, West Branch Susquehanna River at Lewisburg
1Jun 24, 197234.23+16.23Major300,000
2May 29, 194628.43+10.43Major262,000
3Sep 27, 197527.62+9.62Moderate—
4Mar 11, 196426.16+8.16Moderate—
5Nov 26, 195026.05+8.05Moderate—
6Sep 19, 200426.01+8.01Moderate—
7Jan 20, 199625.94+7.94Moderate208,400
8Sep 8, 201125.91+7.91Moderate208,200
9Feb 15, 198424.26+6.26Moderate—
10Mar 6, 197923.44+5.44Moderate—
11Apr 2, 199321.30+3.30Minor—
12Feb 27, 196121.17+3.17Minor—
13Apr 1, 196021.00+3.00Minor—
14Dec 2, 201020.90+2.90Minor142,000
15Mar 12, 201120.78+2.78Minor140,800
16Apr 29, 201120.13+2.13Minor133,299
17Apr 15, 194820.07+2.07Minor—
18Feb 23, 198219.82+1.82Minor—
19Mar 9, 195619.80+1.80Minor—
20Apr 3, 200519.40+1.40Minor—
21Sep 12, 201819.35+1.35Minor124,500
22Feb 24, 198118.83+0.83Minor—
23Jan 9, 199818.80+0.80Minor—
24Mar 15, 198618.61+0.61Minor—
25Nov 3, 195618.60+0.60Minor—
26Mar 3, 195418.51+0.51Minor—
27Mar 26, 199418.26+0.26Minor—
28Jan 23, 195918.22+0.22Minor—
29Mar 30, 195018.15+0.15Minor—
30Mar 12, 195218.08+0.08Minor—
31Aug 19, 199417.60−0.40Action—

The worst floods along the West Branch Susquehanna River

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

June 24, 1972: 34.23 ft here, major flooding

  • Jersey ShorePA · Jun 23, 1972 · 38.20 ft · Major · its highest
  • MuncyPA · Jun 23, 1972 · 37.45 ft · Major · its highest
  • WilliamsportPA · Jun 23, 1972 · 34.75 ft · Major · its highest
  • West MiltonPA · Jun 24, 1972 · 34.55 ft · Major · its highest
  • RenovoPA · Jun 23, 1972 · 26.56 ft · Major

May 29, 1946: 28.43 ft here, major flooding

  • West MiltonPA · May 29, 1946 · 30.43 ft · Major
  • MuncyPA · May 28, 1946 · 30.30 ft · Major
  • WilliamsportPA · May 28, 1946 · 29.60 ft · Moderate
  • RenovoPA · May 28, 1946 · 20.15 ft · Moderate

September 27, 1975: 27.62 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the West Branch Susquehanna River

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

Flood gauges on the West Branch Susquehanna River
AllenwoodPA24.026.07 ft, Sep 11, 20180
Jersey ShorePA26.038.20 ft, Jun 23, 19727
Lewisburg this gaugePA18.034.23 ft, Jun 24, 19722
Lock HavenPA21.028.13 ft, Sep 18, 20042
RenovoPA16.029.39 ft, Mar 18, 19364
West MiltonPA19.034.55 ft, Jun 24, 197212
WilliamsportPA20.034.75 ft, Jun 23, 19724
MuncyPA20.037.45 ft, Jun 23, 19728

Other gauges in Northumberland County

Flood gauges in Northumberland County
Allenwood24.026.07 ft, Sep 11, 20180

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge LWBP1, 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.