Susquehanna River at Towanda, PA
River level and flood forecast · Bradford County
The river is 15.6 ft below flood stage (16 ft).
Forecast to rise to 1.0 ft Thu 2 PM, below the 16 ft flood stage.
Flow: 2,000 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 | 25.1 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 18 ft |
| Flood stage | 16 ft |
| Action stage | 14 ft |
| Record crest (June 24, 1972) | 33.43 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 33.43 ftThis is the crest level of Hurricane Agnes in 1972. Severe flooding occurred between River Street and Main Street in Towanda. Several stores, commercial buildings, Borough Hall, the police station and the airport were severely damaged. The James Street bridge collapsed.
- 30.52 ftThis is the crest level of the 2011 Tropical Storm Lee flood. Flood waters extended into parking lots and residences in the business district along Merrill Parkway. Flooding was along the foundations of the police station and Borough Hall.
- 30 ftFlood waters cover The Street level in front of the Towanda Borough Hall and the police station.
- 28.5 ftMuch of the Merrill Parkway floods. Homes and businesses between Main Street and the Parkway are threatened by flood waters.
- 25.1 ftFlood waters spill onto Merrill Parkway. The homes in the Flats area of Towanda are inundated. Homes nearest the river from Sheshequin to north Towanda have several feet of water on the first floor.
- 24.8 ftThis is the flood crest of the January 1996 rain and snow melt flood. Water reaches the railroad tracks on the bank of the river across from Towanda.
- 22.3 ftFlood waters reach the first floor level of cottages in Tarrytown.
- 21 ftFlooding threatens the waste water treatment plant in Towanda.
- 19 ftAirport Road in Towanda Township is threatened by flooding.
- 18 ftFlooding of agricultural lands upstream and downstream of towanda increases. Significant basement flooding begins in the Flats area near the airport.
- 16 ftMinor field flooding begins from overflow of both banks up and downstream of Towanda.
Highest crests on record
- 33.43 ft — June 24, 1972
- 30.52 ft — September 8, 2011
- 27.47 ft — September 27, 1975
- 25.08 ft — May 29, 1946
- 25.03 ft — March 19, 1936
Recent crests: 17.03 ft (October 27, 2021) · 19.73 ft (December 26, 2020) · 16.25 ft (August 15, 2018) · 30.52 ft (September 8, 2011) · 19.41 ft (April 28, 2011)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (TOWP1); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.