TornadoLiveMap

Penobscot River at Bangor — water level right now

Penobscot County, Maine · NWS gauge BPRM1
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
11.6
minor flood stage
 
17.9
record crest
set 1976-02-02
–
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 · 11
minor · 11.6
moderate · 13
major · 15
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage15extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage13some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage11.6low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage11water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
117.91976-02-02+6.3 above
213.112024-01-10+1.51 above
312.12020-04-10+0.5 above
411.962024-01-13+0.36 above
511.612014-01-03+0.01 above
611.592016-02-090.01 below
711.452011-02-190.15 below
811.422018-01-030.18 below
911.322022-01-030.28 below
1010.962010-01-020.64 below
1110.892022-03-030.71 below
1210.892023-11-270.71 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

Penobscot River at Eddington 4 mi away · loading… Kenduskeag Stream near Bangor 5 mi away · loading… Penobscot River at West Enfield 31 mi away · loading… Piscataquis River at Medford 32 mi away · loading… Piscataquis River at Dover-Foxcroft 37 mi away · loading… Sebec River at Sebec 37 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDBPRM1
USGS site01037050
CountyPenobscot
StateMaine
NWS forecast officeCaribou
River forecast centerNortheast River Forecast Center
Coordinates44.796, -68.768
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 Penobscot River at Bangor

Is Penobscot River at Bangor 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 11.6 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Penobscot River at Bangor?

major flood stage 15 ft, moderate flood stage 13 ft, minor flood stage 11.6 ft, action stage 11 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Penobscot River at Bangor?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 17.9 ft, reached on 1976-02-02 — that is 6.3 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 Caribou and local emergency management.