Ohio River at Pittsburgh, PA
River level and flood forecast · Allegheny County
Normal16.7 ftas of Mon 4:15 PM
The river is 5.3 ft below flood stage (22 ft).
Forecast to hold near 16.7 ft through Sat, Oct 17, 8 AM.
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 10:12 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 28 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 25 ft |
| Flood stage | 22 ft |
| Action stage | 18 ft |
| Record crest (March 18, 1936) | 46 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 46 ftSevere damage occurs in Pittsburgh with up to 15 feet of water in the golden triangle. This is the level of the record flood in march of 1936.
- 40 ftPNC Park is flooded along Federal Street.
- 38 ftWater reaches the floor of Brunots Island Power Station.
- 37 ftWater reaches the floor level of Rivers Casino.
- 36.6 ftSteam distribution lines in Pittsburgh are in jeopardy. Water reaches the top of the flood wall at PNC park.
- 36 ftSerious flood damage occurs to about 500 businesses on the North Side and in downtown Pittsburgh. The Port Authority of Pittsburgh subway system is affected.
- 35.82 ftFlood waters reach the historic levels of Hurricane Agnes on June 26, 1972.
- 35 ftThe river level reaches a critical stage for Acrisure Stadium and PNC Park.
- 32 ftMckees Rocks is affected. Flooding occurs on Neville Island.
- 31 ftWater reaches the railroad tracks at Station Square on the South Side. PNC Park playing field is flooded. Flood waters reach the level of Hurricane Ivan on September 18, 2004.
- 30 ft200 manufacturing concerns and companies in Pittsburgh are affected by flooding. Acrisure Stadium playing field is flooded. Point state park is flooded to the Portal Bridge.
- 29 ftRiver Avenue on the North Side begins to flood.
- 28 ftPumping operations begin on Neville Island. The Wood Street T station facilities are impacted. Fort Pitt Boulevard is closed.
- 27.6 ftThe fountain in Point State Park is completely submerged.
- 25 ftThe Parkway Central (also known as the bathtub) is closed by flooding. Lower North Side businesses are affected.
- 24.9 ftWater enters the inner pool of the fountain.
- 24 ftWater enters the outer pool of the fountain.
- 22.5 ftThe fountain plaza is flooded.
- 22 ftThe Tenth Street Bypass floods.
- 20 ftWater is up to one foot deep in the lower areas of the North Shore Riverwalk.
- 19.5 ftThe Monongahela Parking Wharf is completely flooded.
- 19 ftWater begins to flow onto the North Shore Riverwalk between the stadiums.
- 18 ftWater begins to flow onto the Monongahela Parking Wharf.
Highest crests on record
- 46 ft — March 18, 1936
- 38.5 ft — March 15, 1907
- 36.6 ft — December 31, 1942
- 35.82 ft — June 24, 1972
- 35.4 ft — March 1, 1902
Recent crests: 28.37 ft (April 4, 2024) · 22.98 ft (January 29, 2024) · 22.93 ft (February 19, 2022) · 19.91 ft (December 18, 2019) · 20.11 ft (February 13, 2019)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- UpstreamMonongahela River at Braddock Lock and Dam, PA
- DownstreamOhio River above Emsworth L/d Pool, PA
- Saw Mill Run at Duquesne Heights, PA
- Girty's Run at Girty's Run, PA
- Chartiers Creek at Carnegie, PA
- Pine Creek at Etna, PA
- Allegheny River at Sharpsburg Lock and Dam, PA
- Ohio River at Emsworth Lock and Dam, PA
- Little Pine Creek near Etna, PA
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (PTTP1); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.