Pawcatuck River at Westerly water level

Name: Pawcatuck River at Westerly water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

Tidal gauge, Pawcatuck River, Rhode Island, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.74ft Down 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 05:00 AM EDT (42 min ago)

Flow: 579 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.60 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 08:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 11:08 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Pawcatuck River at Westerly, where the gauge shows 4.74 ft.

It is 2.26 ft below the flood stage of 7.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.14 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.60 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 08:00 AM. The 30-day range is 4.74 ft – 5.03 ft.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 15.00 ftSeptember 21, 1938
Forecast peak: 4.80 ftMonday, October 19 at 02:00 AM

What happens at each level

12.00 ft: Major flooding occurs in Westerly, Hopkinton, Stonington and New Stonington. Areas hardest hit include the following, in Hopkinton, Maxson, Church and Laurel Streets, Route 3, and French Village. In Westerly, Hiscox Road, Saratoga Street and Canal Street. Substantial flooding occurs on Route 49 by the Stonington and North Stonington town line. Follow the advice of local officials, and evacuate if asked to do so.
11.00 ft: Floodwaters inundate Route 3 near the Hopkinton and Westerly town line, with substantial flooding at French Village. Flooding forces closures of Maxson and Laurel Streets in Hopkinton. Hiscox Road and several homes in that neighborhood are inundated, floodwaters also reach onto lower Saratoga Street and low lying areas of Canal Street. Inundation also occurs along portions of Stonington and New Stonington including a portion of Route 49. Follow the advice of local officials, evacuate if asked to do so.
10.00 ft: Floodwaters encroach on Route 3 near the Hopkinton and Westerly town line, with substantial flooding at French Village. Hiscox Road is closed due to flooding from Route 3 past Saratoga Street, and low lying homes are impacted in that neighborhood. Floodwaters encroach on low lying industrial and residential properties along Canal Street. Stonington and New Stonington are also impacted, including a portion of Route 49. Follow the advice of local officials, and evacuate if asked to do so.
9.00 ft: Lowland flooding is anticipated from Hopkinton downriver through Westerly, Stonington and New Stonington. Lowest lying homes along Hiscox Road in Westerly are inundated by floodwaters. Along Route 3, flooding occurs at homes in French Village in Hopkinton. Follow the advice of local officials, and evacuate if asked to do so. Floodwaters may inundate Route 49 by the North Stonington and Stonington town line.
8.00 ft: Floodwaters approach lowest lying homes along Hiscox Road in Westerly. Along Route 3, flooding occurs at some homes in French Village in Hopkinton.
7.00 ft: Minor lowland flooding occurs along the Pawcatuck River. Along Route 3 in Hopkinton, floodwaters encroach on lowest lying homes in French Village.
4.74 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 28 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	15.00 ft	September 21, 1938
2	12.86 ft	June 6, 1982
3	10.49 ft	March 18, 1968
4	9.84 ft	January 13, 2024
5	9.78 ft	April 25, 1983
6	9.77 ft	March 22, 1980
7	9.62 ft	October 15, 2005
8	9.52 ft	January 26, 1978
9	9.51 ft	January 25, 1979
10	9.35 ft	March 24, 2010

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.19 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 54° 33° – Wind 7 mph

19 Mon 57° 39° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 63° 45° – Wind 16 mph

21 Wed 54° 47° – Wind 17 mph

22 Thu 65° 47° 0.00 in Wind 15 mph

23 Fri 59° 40° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 57° 38° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:04 AM Sunset 06:02 PM Daylight 10 hr, 58 min First quarter 58%

Map

Other gauges on the Pawcatuck River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Pawcatuck River at KenyonRiver gauge, Pawcatuck River	165 cfs	Very high	−4.0 cfs	12 mi
Pawcatuck River at Wood River JunctionRiver gauge, Pawcatuck River	2.83 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	9 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Watch Hill Cove Tide Gage WesterlyTidal gauge	0.63 ft	High	+0.51 ft	5.3 mi
Pendleton Hill Brook near Clarks FallsRiver gauge, Pendleton Hill Brook	1.61 ft	Very high	−0.05 ft	6.2 mi
Wood River at Hope ValleyRiver gauge, Wood River	2.57 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	10 mi
Beaver River near UsquepaugRiver gauge, Beaver River	26.6 cfs	Very high	−6.3 cfs	13 mi
Usquepaug River Near UsquepaugRiver gauge	94.3 cfs	Very high	−5.6 cfs	13 mi
Wood River near ArcadiaRiver gauge, Wood River	68.3 cfs	High	−7.5 cfs	14 mi
Chipuxet River at West KingstonRiver gauge, Chipuxet River	29.2 cfs	Very high	−4.1 cfs	16 mi
Quinebaug River at Jewett CityRiver gauge, Quinebaug River	6.23 ft	Normal	−0.16 ft	17 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Pawcatuck River at Westerly?

The official flood stage is 7.00 ft. The level is currently 2.26 ft below it.

What is the water level of Pawcatuck River at Westerly today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 05:00 AM EDT, the water level was 4.74 ft. Down 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Pawcatuck River at Westerly rising or falling?

Down 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Pawcatuck River at Westerly normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Pawcatuck River at Westerly?

The highest level on record is 15.00 ft on September 21, 1938.

Is Pawcatuck River at Westerly expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.60 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 08:00 AM.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01118500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.38528, -71.83306 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NAVD88
Update interval: every 15 minutes
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	4.74 ft	2026-10-19 09:00	Provisional
Flow	579 cfs	2026-10-19 09:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Pawcatuck River at Westerly (usgs:01118500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/rhode-island/pawcatuck-river-at-westerly

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer