Rivers in New York
Tioughnioga River at Cortland
Below flood stage
3.02ftStage
Observed Wed, Sep 23, 3:00 PM EDT
- Flood stage
- 8.00 ft
- Forecast crest
- 3.00 ftWed, Sep 23, 8:00 PM EDT
- Record crest
- 14.07 ft2005
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 12.50 ft |
| Moderate flood | 10.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 8.00 ft |
| Action | 7.00 ft |
- 14.07 ftRecord flood of April 2005. Widespread inundation and major flood damage occurred along the river from Cortland to Marathon.
- 13.02 ftSevere flooding occurs in areas from the City of Cortland to Marathon with 3-4 feet of water covering many city streets in Cortland. Residents in the Kennedy Parkway area are cutoff by floodwaters. This is the level of the January 1996 rain and snow melt flood.
- 12.50 ftMajor flood stage. Severe flooding occurs in the Village of Marathon with 4-6 feet of water covering most of the streets in town. Many homes and businesses are inundated to the first floor. Widespread basement flooding occurs in the City of Cortland along River Street and the Yaman Park area.
- 11.50 ftWidespread, serious flooding occurs in cellars and up to the first floor of homes and businesses in Marathon. Cellar flooding occurs on the east side of Cortland near Yaman Park. Kellogg Road is covered by water 3-6 feet deep in spots.
- 10.00 ftModerate flood stage. Some flooding begins to affect roads and basements in the Village of Marathon and the Yaman Park area of Cortland.
- 8.00 ftMinor flood stage. Flooding leads to some closures along Kellogg Road to the south of Cortland.
- 7.00 ftThe river spills it/s banks into the low lying flood plain. No impact occurs at this stage.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 20% |
| Moderate flooding | 8% |
| Major flooding | 5% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued August 28, 2026.
Crest history
131 crests on NOAA’s list since 1939.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 3, 2005 | 14.07 ft |
| 2 | April 5, 1950 | 13.82 ft |
| 3 | December 31, 1942 | 13.56 ft |
| 4 | April 5, 1956 | 13.54 ft |
| 5 | March 31, 1960 | 13.52 ft |
| 6 | April 9, 1940 | 13.33 ft |
| 7 | January 20, 1996 | 13.02 ft |
| 8 | February 26, 1961 | 13.00 ft |
| 9 | March 12, 1955 | 12.77 ft |
| 10 | March 17, 1943 | 12.73 ft |
| 11 | March 20, 1948 | 12.73 ft |
| 12 | October 28, 1981 | 12.50 ft |
| 13 | March 5, 1964 | 12.49 ft |
| 14 | April 6, 1941 | 12.49 ft |
| 15 | March 6, 1979 | 12.42 ft |
| 16 | March 22, 1948 | 12.40 ft |
| 17 | March 17, 1945 | 12.28 ft |
| 18 | April 11, 1993 | 12.25 ft |
| 19 | April 3, 1959 | 12.19 ft |
| 20 | April 7, 1947 | 12.16 ft |
| 21 | March 14, 1977 | 12.12 ft |
| 22 | March 31, 1951 | 11.97 ft |
| 23 | March 29, 1950 | 11.79 ft |
| 24 | January 22, 1959 | 11.71 ft |
| 25 | April 7, 1958 | 11.66 ft |
Most recent crests
- April 1, 2026: 10.44 ft
- May 8, 2025: 9.12 ft
- March 7, 2025: 8.97 ft
- January 27, 2024: 8.39 ft
- December 19, 2023: 9.50 ft
- May 2, 2023: 8.52 ft
- October 28, 2021: 8.31 ft
- October 27, 2021: 10.84 ft
- August 20, 2021: 10.31 ft
- December 26, 2020: 11.57 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
What this means
Forecasts by the Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued routinely year-round. Gauge reading may be affected by ice. Forecast flows are unadjusted for ice.
Sources
Stage, flood stages, impacts and crest history from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service. Streamflow and the daily record from the U.S. Geological Survey.