Rivers in Pennsylvania

West Branch Susquehanna River at West Milton

Union County, PennsylvaniaNWS ILTP1USGS 01553240State College office

Below flood stage
2.83ftStage

Observed Sun, Sep 27, 11:30 AM EDT

Flood stage
19.00 ft
Forecast crest
2.80 ftSun, Sep 27, 2:00 PM EDT
Record crest
34.55 ft1972

Open the live map with the river flood outlook

Flood stages and impacts

CategoryStage
Major flood25.00 ft
Moderate flood22.00 ft
Minor flood19.00 ft
Action16.00 ft
  1. 42.00 ftApproximate level of the FEMA 0.2% Annual Chance Flood level (500-year flood).
  2. 36.00 ftFlood waters begin to reach the White Deer Pike Bridge to Watsontown.
  3. 34.50 ftFlood of record from Hurricane Agnes in 1972. Approximate level of the FEMA 1% Annual Chance Flood level (100-year flood).
  4. 34.00 ftWater level reaches the intersection of Arch and First Streets. Most of Milton is affected by high water.
  5. 33.00 ftMost of the Borough of Milton is affected by high water. Approximate level of the FEMA 2% Annual Chance Flood level (50-year flood).
  6. 32.00 ftThe milton municipal building floods.
  7. 30.00 ftMany homes on both banks are affected by high water.
  8. 28.00 ftNumerous homes in Milton and West Milton are affected by high water.
  9. 27.00 ftApproximate level of the FEMA 10% Annual Chance Flood level (10-year flood).
  10. 25.00 ftNumerous homes in Milton and West Milton will flood. High water affects the Con Agra Foods plant in Milton.
  11. 22.00 ftHomes on South Water Street in Milton are flooded.
  12. 21.00 ftRiver Road in West Milton floods. Low lying areas in Milton are inundated.
  13. 19.00 ftRiver Road on the right, or west bank in West Milton floods. The left bank overflows in the vicinity of Milton.

Flood outlook

Chance of flooding, September to November

CategoryChance
Minor flooding11%
Moderate flooding7%
Major flooding6%

The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued August 28, 2026.

Crest history

33 crests on NOAA’s list since 1889.

#DateStage
1June 24, 197234.55 ft
2March 18, 193634.07 ft
3June 1, 188931.10 ft
4May 29, 194630.43 ft
5September 27, 197529.50 ft
6March 10, 196428.24 ft
7November 26, 195028.20 ft
8September 19, 200427.94 ft
9January 20, 199627.50 ft
10September 8, 201126.60 ft
11February 15, 198425.80 ft
12March 6, 197925.00 ft
13March 12, 193622.85 ft
14December 2, 201022.76 ft
15March 31, 196022.20 ft
16April 2, 199322.10 ft
17March 31, 194021.95 ft
18March 1, 190221.85 ft
19March 11, 201121.72 ft
20February 23, 198221.40 ft
21April 29, 201121.03 ft
22March 8, 195621.00 ft
23March 1, 192320.75 ft
24February 1, 191820.55 ft
25September 12, 201820.54 ft

Most recent crests

  • August 10, 2024: 19.08 ft
  • September 12, 2018: 20.54 ft
  • September 8, 2011: 26.60 ft
  • April 29, 2011: 21.03 ft
  • March 11, 2011: 21.72 ft
  • December 2, 2010: 22.76 ft
  • April 3, 2005: 20.10 ft
  • September 19, 2004: 27.94 ft
  • January 20, 1996: 27.50 ft
  • August 19, 1994: 19.25 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.