Swatara Creek near Hershey water level

Name: Swatara Creek near Hershey 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, Swatara Creek, Pennsylvania, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.97ft Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 12:45 PM EDT (59 min ago)

Flow: 428 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.90 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 PM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 10:41 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Swatara Creek near Hershey is at 1.97 ft, in the normal range.

It is 5.03 ft below the flood stage of 7.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.07 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.90 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 PM. In the last month it has stayed between 1.97 ft and 2.38 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 26.80 ftSeptember 8, 2011
Forecast peak: 2.00 ftTuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM

Floating and fishing near Swatara Creek near Hershey

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

Flood stage here is 7.00 ft, 5.03 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

27.00 ft: FEMA 0.2% Annual Chance Flood Level (500-year flood).
26.80 ft: Flood of record from the flooding in September, 2011. Maximum recordable gage height (stage sensor operational limit). Water levels above this stage will not be reported in real time.
20.00 ft: FEMA 1% Annual Chance Flood Level (100-year flood).
18.00 ft: Flood waters begin to reach the Route 39 Bridge (Hershey Road) northwest of Hershey. FEMA 2% Annual Chance Flood Level (50-year flood).
16.00 ft: Numerous homes adjacent to the creek are affected by high water.
14.00 ft: Numerous homes adjacent to the creek are affected by high water.
12.00 ft: High water affects several homes upstream of the Route 39 bridge. FEMA 10% Annual Chance Flood Level (10-year flood).
10.00 ft: A few homes adjacent to the creek upstream of the Route 39 bridge flood.
8.00 ft: The right, or north bank overflows. Several roads are affected.
7.00 ft: The right, or north bank begins to overflow. Several roadways upstream of the gage are affected by high water.
1.97 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: 38 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	26.80 ft	September 8, 2011
2	17.08 ft	July 26, 2018
3	16.12 ft	June 29, 2006
4	15.36 ft	September 27, 1975
5	14.43 ft	January 25, 1979
6	14.30 ft	January 20, 1996
7	14.27 ft	September 19, 2004
8	14.01 ft	September 3, 2021
9	10.97 ft	March 12, 2011
10	10.33 ft	November 29, 1993

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 67° 40° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 63° 38° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 64° 39° – Wind 14 mph

23 Fri 59° 42° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 60° 36° – Wind 6 mph

25 Sun 63° 39° – Wind 6 mph

26 Mon 67° 45° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:23 AM Sunset 06:21 PM Daylight 10 hr, 58 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on Swatara Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Swatara Creek near Pine GroveRiver gauge, Swatara Creek	104 cfs	Normal	−6.0 cfs	21 mi
Swatara Creek near InwoodRiver gauge, Swatara Creek	140 cfs	Normal	−11.0 cfs	14 mi
Swatara Creek at Harper TavernRiver gauge, Swatara Creek	0.97 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	9 mi
Swatara Creek near PalmyraRiver gauge, Swatara Creek	3.88 ft	No reference yet	−0.13 ft	2.6 mi
Swatara Creek at MiddletownRiver gauge, Swatara Creek	2.55 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	8 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Quittapahilla Creek near BellegroveRiver gauge, Quittapahilla Creek	85.4 cfs	Normal	−7.9 cfs	6 mi
Conewago Creek near BellaireRiver gauge, Conewago Creek	7.9 cfs	Normal	−0.6 cfs	9 mi
Paxton Creek near GlenwoodRiver gauge, Paxton Creek	8.4 cfs	Normal	−1.4 cfs	10 mi
Conewago Creek near FalmouthRiver gauge, Conewago Creek	18.3 cfs	Normal	−0.5 cfs	10 mi
Fishing Creek at GoldsboroRiver gauge, Fishing Creek	10.4 cfs	High	−2.0 cfs	11 mi
Susquehanna River at HarrisburgRiver gauge, Susquehanna River	3.91 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	12 mi
Yellow Breeches Creek near Camp HillRiver gauge, Yellow Breeches Creek	1.24 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	13 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Swatara Creek near Hershey?

The official flood stage is 7.00 ft. The level is currently 5.03 ft below it.

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 Swatara Creek near Hershey today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 12:45 PM EDT, the water level was 1.97 ft. Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Swatara Creek near Hershey rising or falling?

Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Swatara Creek near Hershey normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Swatara Creek near Hershey?

The highest level on record is 26.80 ft on September 8, 2011.

Is Swatara Creek near Hershey expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.90 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01573560 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.29843, -76.66775 (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	1.97 ft	2026-10-20 16:45	Provisional
Flow	428 cfs	2026-10-20 16:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Swatara Creek near Hershey (usgs:01573560). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/pennsylvania/swatara-creek-near-hershey

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