East Branch Brandywine Creek below Downingtown, PA
River level and flood forecast · Chester County
The river is 3.2 ft below flood stage (7 ft).
Forecast to rise into minor flooding Sun 8 PM and crest at 7.2 ft Sun 9 PM, then fall back below flood stage Sun 10 PM.
Flow: 225 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Sun, Oct 11, 10:48 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 11 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 9 ft |
| Flood stage | 7 ft |
| Action stage | 6 ft |
| Record crest (September 2, 2021) | 19.11 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 13 ftRoute 30 in Downingtown is closed due to flooding. Route 322 (Brandywine Avenue) is closed between Business 30 and Boot Road due to flooding. Businesses along business Route 30, between the creek and Downing Avenue, take on water.
- 12 ftResidential basements flood along Jefferson Avenue.
- 11 ftJefferson Avenue in Downingtown floods. Business Route 30 and Pennsylvania Avenue also flood.
- 9 ftHigh water on the Brandywine sends backwater up Beaver Creek. Beaver Creek floods inundating parks and the Downingtown Little League fields.
- 8 ftDowlin Forge Road begins to flood.
- 6 ftOpen adjacent land next to the creek floods.
Highest crests on record
- 19.11 ft — September 2, 2021
- 14.79 ft — September 16, 1999
- 14.38 ft — June 28, 2006
- 13.73 ft — August 28, 2011
- 13.59 ft — August 4, 2020
Recent crests: 7.48 ft (September 3, 2026) · 7.1 ft (July 1, 2025) · 7.7 ft (May 16, 2025) · 11.41 ft (January 10, 2024) · 10.34 ft (December 28, 2023)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- West Branch Brandywine Creek at Modena, PA
- Brandywine Creek at Chadds Ford, PA
- West Branch Brandywine Creek at Coatesville, PA
- Red Clay Creek at Kennett Square, PA
- West Branch Brandywine Creek at Honeybrook, PA
- Valley Creek at PA Turnpike Bridge near Valley Forge, PA
- Chester Creek near Chester, PA
- White Clay Creek at Strickersville, PA
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (DWNP1); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.