Tioughnioga River at Cortland, NY
River level and flood forecast · Cortland County
Normal3.0 ftas of Mon 4 PM
The river is 5.0 ft below flood stage (8 ft).
Forecast to rise to 3.5 ft Wed 2 PM, below the 8 ft flood stage.
Flow: 93 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 2:48 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 12.5 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 10 ft |
| Flood stage | 8 ft |
| Action stage | 7 ft |
| Record crest (April 3, 2005) | 14.07 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 14.07 ftRecord flood of April 2005. Widespread inundation and major flood damage occurred along the river from Cortland to Marathon.
- 13.02 ftSevere flooding occurs in areas from the City of Cortland to Marathon with 3-4 feet of water covering many city streets in Cortland. Residents in the Kennedy Parkway area are cutoff by floodwaters. This is the level of the January 1996 rain and snow melt flood.
- 12.5 ftMajor flood stage. Severe flooding occurs in the Village of Marathon with 4-6 feet of water covering most of the streets in town. Many homes and businesses are inundated to the first floor. Widespread basement flooding occurs in the City of Cortland along River Street and the Yaman Park area.
- 11.5 ftWidespread, serious flooding occurs in cellars and up to the first floor of homes and businesses in Marathon. Cellar flooding occurs on the east side of Cortland near Yaman Park. Kellogg Road is covered by water 3-6 feet deep in spots.
- 10 ftModerate flood stage. Some flooding begins to affect roads and basements in the Village of Marathon and the Yaman Park area of Cortland.
- 8 ftMinor flood stage. Flooding leads to some closures along Kellogg Road to the south of Cortland.
- 7 ftThe river spills it/s banks into the low lying flood plain. No impact occurs at this stage.
Highest crests on record
- 14.07 ft — April 3, 2005
- 13.82 ft — April 5, 1950
- 13.56 ft — December 31, 1942
- 13.54 ft — April 5, 1956
- 13.52 ft — March 31, 1960
Recent crests: 10.44 ft (April 1, 2026) · 9.12 ft (May 8, 2025) · 8.97 ft (March 7, 2025) · 8.39 ft (January 27, 2024) · 9.5 ft (December 19, 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 (CRTN6); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.