TornadoLiveMap

Parker River at Byfield — water level right now

Essex County, Massachusetts · NWS gauge BYFM3
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
5.5
minor flood stage
 
7.85
record crest
set 2006-05-15
–
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 · 5
minor · 5.5
moderate · 6.5
major · 7.5
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage7.5extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage6.5some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage5.5low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage5water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
17.852006-05-15+2.35 above
27.821996-10-22+2.32 above
37.351987-04-07+1.85 above
47.242010-03-16+1.74 above
56.322001-03-23+0.82 above
66.282010-03-31+0.78 above
75.862004-04-02+0.36 above
85.681993-03-31+0.18 above
95.611968-03-19+0.11 above
105.491958-01-270.01 below
115.051983-03-120.45 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

Merrimack River near Haverhill 4 mi away · loading… Ipswich River at Ipswich 7 mi away · loading… Merrimack River at Lawrence 11 mi away · loading… Shawsheen River at Andover 12 mi away · loading… Ipswich River at South Middleton 13 mi away · loading… Spicket River near Methuen 13 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDBYFM3
USGS site011010000
CountyEssex
StateMassachusetts
NWS forecast officeNorton
River forecast centerNortheast River Forecast Center
Coordinates42.753, -70.946
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 Parker River at Byfield

Is Parker River at Byfield 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 5.5 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Parker River at Byfield?

major flood stage 7.5 ft, moderate flood stage 6.5 ft, minor flood stage 5.5 ft, action stage 5 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Parker River at Byfield?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 7.85 ft, reached on 2006-05-15 — that is 2.35 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.