Susquehanna River near Waverly

1. 26.67 ftRecord flood of September 2011. Widespread severe flooding occurs in Sayre, Athens borough and throughout The Valley in both Pennsylvania and New York sides of the river. The Sayre levee was overtopped.
2. 26.00 ftRiver stage height estimated to be the top of the Sayre levee system.
3. 23.00 ftRiver stage height estimated to be at the effective design protection level of the Sayre levee.
4. 22.52 ftJune 2006 flood. Flood waters were at the top of the bank in Athens Borough. Part of the Waste Water Treatment Plant facility was flooded. Some flooding occurred in South Side Athens along River Street. Significant flooding occurred on the east side of river in Athens Township up to Glen Valley Road and Riverside Drive.
5. 21.40 ftSevere flooding before the levees were built in March 1936.
6. 21.20 ftThis was the level of the 1972 Hurricane Agnes flood.
7. 20.00 ftMajor flood stage. Severe flooding occurs throughout the flood plain in New York and Pennsylvania. The Sayre Bridge is closed, and access to Sayre and Athens is cut off from the East.
8. 17.00 ftThe Athens bridge is closed by flooding affecting the approach lanes on the east side of the river. Winding River Drive is flooded. Wildwood Road is closed in places. Riverfront Park in Sayre is inundated.
9. 16.00 ftModerate flood stage. Flooding increases throughout Tioga Point on both sides of the river near Athens Borough. Backwater flooding begins to affect areas in Milltown along Cayuta Creek.
10. 13.00 ftFlood stage. Widespread, but minor, flooding of the lowlands occurs along the river from the towns of Barton and Nichols, NY to the Athens Township, PA.
11. 12.00 ftOut of bank flows increase in the flood plain near the towns of Barton and Nichols, NY and the Township of Athens, PA. The Cannon Hole neighborhood is affected by flooding. Monitoring of levee gates and pumps occurs in Sayre.

Chance of flooding, September to November

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

Most recent crests

• May 8, 2025: 13.11 ft
• December 19, 2023: 15.48 ft
• May 2, 2023: 14.49 ft
• October 27, 2021: 15.78 ft
• December 26, 2020: 18.44 ft
• September 18, 2018: 13.80 ft
• August 15, 2018: 15.37 ft
• April 7, 2017: 14.96 ft
• April 10, 2015: 13.54 ft
• September 8, 2011: 26.67 ft

• UpstreamSusquehanna River at Owego
• DownstreamSusquehanna River at Towanda
• Chemung River at Chemung
• Wappasening Creek at Windham Center
• Owego Creek at Owego
• Chemung River at Elmira
• Sugar Creek at West Burlington
• Towanda Creek at Monroeton

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.

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.