Sandy River near Madrid, ME
River level and flood forecast · Franklin County
The river is 4.5 ft below flood stage (9.5 ft).
Flow: 9 cubic feet per second (USGS).
Normal for October 13.
Usual for October 13: 8 to 35 cubic feet per second (the middle half of 18 years).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Sun, Dec 31, 7 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Get flood alerts for this river
An email when the National Weather Service forecasts Sandy River near Madrid to flood, when it floods, and when it's over.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 11 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 10 ft |
| Flood stage | 9.5 ft |
| Action stage | 8 ft |
| Record crest (December 18, 2023) | 12.79 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 12.79 ftFlood comparable to December 2023. Considerable flood damage to numerous buildings and roads throughout the upper Sandy River.
- 11 ftMajor flooding occurs. Widespread severe flooding in Phillips, Avon, Madrid, and Strong. Route 4 inundated, cutting off access in and out of the area.
- 10 ftModerate flooding occurs. Water reaches Route 4 between Strong and Farmington by the locally referred to Devil's Elbow. Water up to homes in Phillips.
- 9.5 ftBridge Street in Phillips flooded.
- 9 ftWater up to River Road in Madrid.
Highest crests on record
- 12.79 ft — December 18, 2023
- 10.9 ft — August 28, 2011
- 10.64 ft — May 1, 2023
- 9.89 ft — October 30, 2017
- 9.84 ft — July 1, 2017
Recent crests: 12.79 ft (December 18, 2023) · 10.64 ft (May 1, 2023) · 8.33 ft (April 27, 2019) · 9.89 ft (October 30, 2017) · 9.84 ft (July 1, 2017)
Highest flow on record
10,700 cubic feet per second — December 18, 2023. From the USGS's yearly peaks since 2009.
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (MDIM1); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.