Rivers in Pennsylvania

Lackawanna River at Old Forge

Lackawanna County, PennsylvaniaNWS OFRP1USGS 01536000Johnson City office

Below flood stage
2.50ftStage

Observed Wed, Sep 23, 6:45 AM EDT

Flood stage
11.00 ft
Forecast crest
2.40 ftWed, Sep 23, 8:00 AM EDT
Record crest
20.05 ft1955

Open the live map with the river flood outlook

Flood stages and impacts

CategoryStage
Major flood16.00 ft
Moderate flood13.00 ft
Minor flood11.00 ft
Action7.00 ft
  1. 16.00 ftMajor flooding begins. Many homes and businesses begin to be affected at this level.
  2. 13.00 ftModerate flooding begins. Water begins to affect some homes and businesses on both sides of the river
  3. 11.00 ftMinor flooding begins. Some roadways near the river in Old Forge and Moosic begin to be affected.

Flood outlook

Chance of flooding, September to November

CategoryChance
Minor flooding6%
Moderate floodingUnder 5%
Major floodingUnder 5%

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

Crest history

12 crests on NOAA’s list since 1934.

#DateStage
1August 19, 195520.05 ft
2July 28, 193417.00 ft
3September 18, 200416.70 ft
4September 27, 198516.49 ft
5January 19, 199615.58 ft
6May 23, 194215.30 ft
7August 14, 201814.44 ft
8September 2, 202113.50 ft
9June 27, 200613.39 ft
10March 31, 194011.86 ft
11March 15, 198611.80 ft
12April 3, 200511.76 ft

Most recent crests

  • September 2, 2021: 13.50 ft
  • August 14, 2018: 14.44 ft
  • June 27, 2006: 13.39 ft
  • April 3, 2005: 11.76 ft
  • September 18, 2004: 16.70 ft
  • January 19, 1996: 15.58 ft
  • March 15, 1986: 11.80 ft
  • September 27, 1985: 16.49 ft
  • August 19, 1955: 20.05 ft
  • May 23, 1942: 15.30 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.