Penobscot River at Bangor, ME
River level and flood forecast · Penobscot County
The river is 10.6 ft below flood stage (11.6 ft).
Forecast to rise to 8.5 ft Tue 1 PM, below the 11.6 ft flood stage.
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 11:14 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Get flood alerts for this river
An email when the National Weather Service forecasts Penobscot River at Bangor to flood, when it floods, and when it's over.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 15 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 13 ft |
| Flood stage | 11.6 ft |
| Action stage | 11 ft |
| Record crest (February 2, 1976) | 17.9 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 21.5 ftComparable to the FEMA 0.2 percent flood level. State Road in Bangor flooded north of the hospital. This is an extremely dangerous and life threatening situation. Transportation, communications, water and power severely affected.
- 17.89 ftRecord flooding similar to Groundhogs Day 1976.
- 17 ftFloodwaters enter riverside businesses West of South Main Street in Brewer.
- 16 ftSignificant flooding in Kenduskeag Plaza in Downeast Bangor. Impacts expanding into multiple commercial buildings in Kenduskeag Plaza with water several feet deep. Front Street near the Bangor Waterfront flooded. Lower industrial sections of Hampden and Brewer flooded with some inundation of storage buildings.
- 15 ftWidespread flooding throughout the Kenduskeag Plaza, from above State Street to the Washington Street bridge. Bangor and Brewer riverside parks inundated. Basement flooding possible in Kenduskeag Plaza businesses.
- 14 ftHigh water levels in the Kenduskeag Plaza channel. Catch basins and stormwater systems begin backing up into Kenduskeag Plaza parking areas and lowest levels of parking garages.
- 12 ftBangor Waterfront begins to flood in portions of the riverwalk. Flood control systems and barriers in Kenduskeag Plaza may become stressed.
- 11 ftHigh water in low areas surrounding the Kenduskeag Plaza and Bangor Waterfront.
Highest crests on record
- 17.9 ft — February 2, 1976
- 13.11 ft — January 10, 2024
- 12.1 ft — April 10, 2020
- 11.96 ft — January 13, 2024
- 11.61 ft — January 3, 2014
Recent crests: 11.96 ft (January 13, 2024) · 13.11 ft (January 10, 2024) · 10.84 ft (December 18, 2023) · 10.89 ft (November 27, 2023) · 10.62 ft (February 20, 2023)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (BPRM1); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.