Susquehanna River at Sunbury water level

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

River gauge, Susquehanna River, Pennsylvania, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

7.66ft Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 09:45 AM EDT (53 min ago)

Flow: 10,500 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 7.40 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 11:06 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Susquehanna River at Sunbury is at 7.66 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

That puts it 0.16 ft above the median of 7.50 ft for mid-October, based on 26 years of readings. It is 16.34 ft below the flood stage of 24.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 6.35 ft (+1.31 ft).

It has dropped 0.10 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 7.40 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 6.72 ft and 8.79 ft.

Compared with 26 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 7.50 ft0.16 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 5.79 ft – 11.06 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (26 years of records)
Same day last year: 6.35 ft+1.31 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 6.72 ft – 8.79 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 6.26 ft – 16.69 ft
Highest on record: 35.80 ftJune 24, 1972
Forecast peak: 7.60 ftMonday, October 19 at 08:00 AM

Floating and fishing near Susquehanna River at Sunbury

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 24.00 ft, 16.34 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

35.00 ft: Widespread catastrophic flooding occurs in areas outside the flood wall and levee system. This is the design height of the flood protection works anround Sunbury.
34.00 ft: Most areas adjacent to the river, which are not protected by the flood wall and levee system, are affected by high water. Catasrophic flooding occurs in some of these areas.
32.00 ft: Widespread flooding occurs in areas not protected by the flood wall and levee system. Many homes and businesses are affected.
30.00 ft: Widespread flooding occurs in areas not protected by the flood wall and levee system. Many homes and businesses are affected.
28.00 ft: Widespread flooding occurs in areas not protected by the flood wall and levee system. Many homes and businesses are affected.
26.00 ft: High water affects a number of homes and businesses in areas not protected by the flood wall and levee system.
24.00 ft: Both banks overflow. Areas not protected by the flood wall and levee system are affected.
22.00 ft: River interests are encouraged to monitor conditions for further rises.
20.00 ft: River interests are encouraged to monitor conditions for further rises. Shikellamy State Park closed due to high water.
7.66 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: 9 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	35.80 ft	June 24, 1972
2	31.66 ft	September 9, 2011
3	30.62 ft	September 27, 1975
4	30.44 ft	September 19, 2004
5	30.32 ft	January 20, 1996
6	27.52 ft	March 7, 1979
7	27.30 ft	January 1, 1943
8	27.20 ft	April 2, 1960
9	27.03 ft	April 2, 1993
10	26.91 ft	February 16, 1984

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:23 AM Sunset 06:22 PM Daylight 10 hr, 59 min First quarter 60%

Map

Other gauges on the Susquehanna River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Susquehanna River at VestalRiver gauge, Susquehanna River	3.77 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	96 mi
Susquehanna River at OwegoRiver gauge, Susquehanna River	14.19 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	92 mi
Susquehanna River near WaverlyRiver gauge, Susquehanna River	2.07 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	81 mi
Susquehanna River at TowandaRiver gauge, Susquehanna River	0.87 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	67 mi
Susquehanna River at MeshoppenRiver gauge, Susquehanna River	8.39 ft	Below flood stage	+0.07 ft	67 mi
Susquehanna River at Wilkes-BarreRiver gauge, Susquehanna River	1.58 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	57 mi
Susquehanna River at BloomsburgRiver gauge, Susquehanna River	2.03 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	23 mi
Susquehanna River at DanvilleRiver gauge, Susquehanna River	3.55 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	14 mi
Susquehanna River above Dam at SunburyRiver gauge, Susquehanna River	3.08 ft	Normal	−0.09 ft	1.8 mi
Susquehanna River at HarrisburgRiver gauge, Susquehanna River	3.99 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	40 mi
Susquehanna River at MariettaRiver gauge, Susquehanna River	35.13 ft	Below flood stage	+0.26 ft	56 mi
Susquehanna River at ConowingoRiver gauge, Susquehanna River	12.44 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	88 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
West Branch Susquehanna River at LewisburgRiver gauge, West Branch Susquehanna River	2.73 ft	Below flood stage	±0	10 mi
Chillisquaque Creek near Potts GroveRiver gauge, Chillisquaque Creek	52.9 cfs	Normal	−19.8 cfs	10 mi
Penns Creek at Penns CreekRiver gauge, Penns Creek	2.27 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	12 mi
W Br Susquehanna River at West MiltonRiver gauge, W Br Susquehanna River	2.01 ft	Normal	+0.03 ft	13 mi
East Mahantango Creek near DalmatiaRiver gauge, East Mahantango Creek	129 cfs	Normal	−23.0 cfs	16 mi
Chillisquaque Creek at WashingtonvilleRiver gauge, Chillisquaque Creek	0.78 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	17 mi
West Branch Susquehanna River at AllenwoodRiver gauge, West Branch Susquehanna River	8.43 ft	Below flood stage	+0.07 ft	19 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Susquehanna River at Sunbury compare with last year?

It is 1.31 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 6.35 ft.

What is flood stage for the Susquehanna River at Sunbury?

The official flood stage is 24.00 ft. The level is currently 16.34 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Susquehanna River at Sunbury in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 7.50 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 5.79 ft and 11.06 ft, based on 26 years of records.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Susquehanna River at Sunbury today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 09:45 AM EDT, the water level was 7.66 ft. Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Susquehanna River at Sunbury rising or falling?

Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.38 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Susquehanna River at Sunbury normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 26 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01554000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.83453, -76.82663 (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	7.66 ft	2026-10-19 13:45	Provisional
Flow	10,500 cfs	2026-10-19 13:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Susquehanna River at Sunbury (usgs:01554000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/pennsylvania/susquehanna-river-at-sunbury

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