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Pawtuxet River at Cranston

Highest listed crest 20.79 ftFlood stage 9.0 ft90 crests since 1940

The Pawtuxet River at Cranston crested at major flood stage 8 times among the 90 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1940 to 2025. The highest, 20.79 ft on March 31, 2010, was major flooding, 11.79 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
20.79 ft
March 31, 2010; 14,900 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
9.0 ft
Major flooding from 13.0 ft
Crests at major
8
1st of 16 gauges in Rhode Island
Most recent flood crest
December 12, 2024
9.27 ft, minor flooding
Location
Providence County
Near Cranston (2.4 mi), Warwick (3.5 mi), Providence (5.2 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Pawtuxet River at Cranston
Action stage8.019May 24, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)9.050Dec 12, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage11.013Mar 10, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage13.08Jan 11, 2024Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

90 crests from 1940 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Pawtuxet River at Cranston, 1940 to 2025 510152025ft Flood stage 9.0 ftMajor 13.0 ft Jan 15, 1940: 8.25 ft, action stage; 19,606 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 1941: 8.21 ft, action stage; 19,606 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1948: 8.06 ft, action stage; 19,106 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1953: 8.11 ft, action stage; 18,306 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 1954: 8.85 ft, action stage; 20,106 cubic feet per secondNov 6, 1955: 9.10 ft, minor flooding; 2,090 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1962: 8.06 ft, action stage; 19,506 cubic feet per secondOct 6, 1962: 8.27 ft, action stage; 19,606 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1967: 9.95 ft, minor flooding; 2,480 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1968: 11.53 ft, moderate flooding; 3,110 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1969: 9.27 ft, minor flooding; 2,050 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1970: 10.79 ft, minor flooding; 2,710 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1972: 9.35 ft, minor flooding; 2,080 cubic feet per secondDec 8, 1972: 10.84 ft, minor flooding; 2,710 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 1973: 9.82 ft, minor flooding; 2,320 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1975: 8.02 ft, action stage; 16,306 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1976: 9.20 ft, minor flooding; 2,070 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1977: 8.55 ft, action stage; 18,206 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1978: 11.84 ft, moderate flooding; 3,040 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1979: 13.26 ft, major flooding; 4,000 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1980: 10.88 ft, minor flooding; 2,510 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1982: 14.50 ft, major flooding; 5,440 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1983: 13.11 ft, major flooding; 4,470 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1984: 11.35 ft, moderate flooding; 3,330 cubic feet per secondNov 5, 1985: 8.32 ft, action stage; 16,406 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 1986: 10.61 ft, minor flooding; 2,890 cubic feet per secondJan 30, 1990: 8.13 ft, action stage; 16,506 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1991: 8.32 ft, action stage; 17,006 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1992: 8.03 ft, action stage; 15,106 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1993: 10.67 ft, minor flooding; 2,920 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1994: 10.14 ft, minor flooding; 2,560 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1996: 10.44 ft, minor flooding; 2,770 cubic feet per secondDec 20, 1996: 9.13 ft, minor flooding; 2,060 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1998: 11.41 ft, moderate flooding; 3,360 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 1998: 9.40 ft, minor floodingSep 17, 1999: 9.44 ft, minor flooding; 2,220 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 2000: 9.41 ft, minor flooding; 2,200 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2001: 11.86 ft, moderate flooding; 3,120 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2004: 9.13 ft, minor floodingApr 15, 2004: 11.81 ft, moderate flooding; 3,090 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2005: 10.40 ft, minor floodingApr 4, 2005: 10.53 ft, minor flooding; 2,410 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 2005: 13.68 ft, major flooding; 4,260 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 2006: 12.57 ft, moderate floodingOct 29, 2006: 9.46 ft, minor flooding; 1,912 cubic feet per secondNov 24, 2006: 9.79 ft, minor flooding; 2,057 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 2007: 10.53 ft, minor flooding; 2,414 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2007: 12.50 ft, moderate flooding; 3,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2008: 9.14 ft, minor flooding; 1,771 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 2008: 9.29 ft, minor flooding; 1,830 cubic feet per secondDec 12, 2008: 10.97 ft, minor flooding; 2,630 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 2009: 9.81 ft, minor flooding; 2,066 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 2010: 11.37 ft, moderate flooding; 2,849 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2010: 14.98 ft, major flooding; 5,185 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 2010: 11.88 ft, moderate flooding; 3,132 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2010: 20.79 ft, major flooding; 14,900 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 2011: 10.50 ft, minor flooding; 2,400 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2013: 11.41 ft, moderate flooding; 2,870 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 2013: 11.39 ft, moderate flooding; 2,900 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2013: 9.79 ft, minor flooding; 2,058 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2014: 9.90 ft, minor flooding; 2,100 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 2014: 8.85 ft, action stage; 1,650 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 2017: 8.51 ft, action stage; 1,530 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 2018: 9.69 ft, minor flooding; 2,010 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 2018: 10.52 ft, minor flooding; 2,410 cubic feet per secondSep 26, 2018: 10.03 ft, minor flooding; 2,165 cubic feet per secondNov 3, 2018: 8.15 ft, action stageNov 14, 2018: 10.79 ft, minor flooding; 2,550 cubic feet per secondNov 27, 2018: 10.20 ft, minor flooding; 2,249 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2019: 10.53 ft, minor flooding; 2,415 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2019: 9.31 ft, minor flooding; 1,807 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2020: 9.35 ft, minor flooding; 1,833 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 2020: 9.50 ft, minor flooding; 1,930 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 2021: 9.02 ft, minor flooding; 1,690 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2021: 10.58 ft, minor flooding; 2,441 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2023: 9.83 ft, minor flooding; 2,070 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2023: 9.33 ft, minor flooding; 1,850 cubic feet per secondJul 17, 2023: 10.36 ft, minor flooding; 2,330 cubic feet per secondDec 12, 2023: 10.34 ft, minor flooding; 2,319 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 2023: 15.11 ft, major flooding; 6,017 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 2024: 14.13 ft, major flooding; 4,981 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 2024: 11.03 ft, moderate flooding; 2,678 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 2024: 10.61 ft, minor flooding; 2,457 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2024: 9.72 ft, minor flooding; 2,015 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2024: 9.87 ft, minor flooding; 2,050 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2024: 8.11 ft, action stage; 1,365 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2024: 10.07 ft, minor flooding; 2,180 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2024: 8.35 ft, action stage; 1,450 cubic feet per secondDec 12, 2024: 9.27 ft, minor flooding; 1,794 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2025: 8.53 ft, action stage; 1,500 cubic feet per second Highest, 20.79 ft, Mar 31, 2010 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Pawtuxet River at Cranston 1940s: 0 1950s: 1 1960s: 3 1970s: 7 1980s: 5 1990s: 7 2000s: 16 16 2010s: 16 2020s: 16 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 90 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Pawtuxet River at Cranston
1Mar 31, 201020.79+11.79Major14,900
2Dec 19, 202315.11+6.11Major6,017
3Mar 15, 201014.98+5.98Major5,185
4Jun 7, 198214.50+5.50Major5,440
5Jan 11, 202414.13+5.13Major4,981
6Oct 15, 200513.68+4.68Major4,260
7Jan 26, 197913.26+4.26Major4,000
8Apr 25, 198313.11+4.11Major4,470
9Jun 8, 200612.57+3.57Moderate—
10Apr 17, 200712.50+3.50Moderate3,500
11Mar 25, 201011.88+2.88Moderate3,132
12Mar 31, 200111.86+2.86Moderate3,120
13Jan 26, 197811.84+2.84Moderate3,040
14Apr 15, 200411.81+2.81Moderate3,090
15Mar 18, 196811.53+2.53Moderate3,110
16Mar 11, 199811.41+2.41Moderate3,360
17Jun 9, 201311.41+2.41Moderate2,870
18Jun 15, 201311.39+2.39Moderate2,900
19Feb 26, 201011.37+2.37Moderate2,849
20Apr 7, 198411.35+2.35Moderate3,330
21Mar 10, 202411.03+2.03Moderate2,678
22Dec 12, 200810.97+1.97Minor2,630
23Mar 22, 198010.88+1.88Minor2,510
24Dec 8, 197210.84+1.84Minor2,710
25Apr 4, 197010.79+1.79Minor2,710
26Nov 14, 201810.79+1.79Minor2,550
27Apr 2, 199310.67+1.67Minor2,920
28Dec 3, 198610.61+1.61Minor2,890
29Mar 24, 202410.61+1.61Minor2,457
30Sep 2, 202110.58+1.58Minor2,441
31Apr 4, 200510.53+1.53Minor2,410
32Mar 3, 200710.53+1.53Minor2,414
33Jan 25, 201910.53+1.53Minor2,415
34Mar 4, 201810.52+1.52Minor2,410
35Dec 9, 201110.50+1.50Minor2,400
36Apr 17, 199610.44+1.44Minor2,770
37Mar 30, 200510.40+1.40Minor—
38Jul 17, 202310.36+1.36Minor2,330
39Dec 12, 202310.34+1.34Minor2,319
40Nov 27, 201810.20+1.20Minor2,249
41Mar 11, 199410.14+1.14Minor2,560
42May 16, 202410.07+1.07Minor2,180
43Sep 26, 201810.03+1.03Minor2,165
44May 27, 19679.95+0.95Minor2,480
45Mar 30, 20149.90+0.90Minor2,100
46Apr 4, 20249.87+0.87Minor2,050
47Jan 26, 20239.83+0.83Minor2,070
48Dec 17, 19739.82+0.82Minor2,320
49Jul 24, 20099.81+0.81Minor2,066
50Nov 24, 20069.79+0.79Minor2,057

Other gauges in Providence County

Flood gauges in Providence County
Woonsocket9.014.59 ft, Dec 19, 20230
Woonsocket9.021.80 ft, Aug 19, 19551
Woonsocket Falls Dam9.09.99 ft, Mar 31, 20140
Forestdale10.012.05 ft, Mar 31, 20100
Narragansett Bay at Providence Fox Point (IN MLLW)7.017.51 ft, Sep 20, 19383
East Providence7.58.83 ft, Mar 24, 20240
Centerdale5.59.20 ft, Mar 30, 20105

Providence County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Rhode Island

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CRAR1, 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.