TornadoLiveMap

Merrimack River at Lawrence — water level right now

Essex County, Massachusetts · NWS gauge LAWM3
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
24
minor flood stage
 
25.37
record crest
set 2023-12-20
–
flood status
official NWS category
Official NOAA forecast → USGS data → Full US flood map →

Flood stages at this gauge

Where the water stands right now against the four official thresholds:

action · 22
minor · 24
moderate · 29
major · 34
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage34extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage29some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage24low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage22water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
125.372023-12-20+1.37 above
222.62019-04-281.4 below
322.482014-04-011.52 below

Historic crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service — the 12 highest on file.

Where this gauge is

The marker is this gauge; nearby gauges load live and are clickable.

Nearby river gauges

Shawsheen River at Andover 2 mi away · loading… Spicket River near Methuen 4 mi away · loading… Merrimack River near Haverhill 7 mi away · loading… Merrimack River at Lowell 8 mi away · loading… Concord River at Lowell 9 mi away · loading… Shawsheen River at Wilmington 10 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDLAWM3
USGS site01100500
CountyEssex
StateMassachusetts
NWS forecast officeNorton
River forecast centerNortheast River Forecast Center
Coordinates42.705, -71.153
Time zoneEST5EDT
Turn Around, Don't Drown. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet and twelve inches can float a car. Never drive around barricades or into water of unknown depth — most flood deaths happen in vehicles.

Questions about Merrimack River at Lawrence

Is Merrimack River at Lawrence flooding right now?

The live reading at the top of this page answers that: the gauge is compared against its official NWS flood stages every 15 minutes. Minor flooding at this gauge begins at 24 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Merrimack River at Lawrence?

major flood stage 34 ft, moderate flood stage 29 ft, minor flood stage 24 ft, action stage 22 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Merrimack River at Lawrence?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 25.37 ft, reached on 2023-12-20 — that is 1.37 ft above minor flood stage. The full list of the highest crests is in the table on this page.

Where does this data come from?

From the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, the official U.S. river gauge network — a U.S. government work in the public domain. Live stage is refreshed every 15 minutes; flood thresholds and historic crests are refreshed monthly. For life-safety decisions follow NWS Norton and local emergency management.