Swatara Creek at Harper Tavern, PA
River level and flood forecast · Lebanon County
Normal4.6 ftas of Mon 4:15 PM
The river is 4.4 ft below flood stage (9 ft).
Forecast to fall to 1.3 ft by Thu, Oct 15, 2 PM.
Flow: 2,250 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 2:51 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 15 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 12 ft |
| Flood stage | 9 ft |
| Action stage | 7 ft |
| Record crest (June 1, 1889) | 25.6 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 18 ftWidespread flooding occurs with many roads, homes and businesses affected.
- 16 ftMost homes adjacent to the creek are affected to some degree. Numerous evacuations are necessary.
- 14 ftA number of homes along the creek are affected. Some evacuations are necessary.
- 12 ftA number of secondary roads are closed, resulting in some evacuations. A few homes are flooded.
- 10 ftHigh water isolates several houses.
- 9 ftSeveral driveways and other minor roadways are affected. Water begins to enter some basements.
Highest crests on record
- 25.6 ft — June 1, 1889
- 24.6 ft — September 8, 2011
- 23.72 ft — June 23, 1972
- 18.28 ft — June 29, 2006
- 18.01 ft — September 2, 2021
Recent crests: 9.17 ft (July 2, 2025) · 10.23 ft (May 31, 2025) · 10.46 ft (April 4, 2024) · 11.77 ft (January 10, 2024) · 12.01 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 (HTVP1); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.