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Schuylkill River at Reading — water level right now

Berks County, Pennsylvania · NWS gauge RDRP1
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
15.5
minor flood stage
 
31.3
record crest
set 1972-06-22
–
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 · 14.5
minor · 15.5
moderate · 18
major · 22
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage22extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage18some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage15.5low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage14.5water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
131.31972-06-22+15.8 above
223.752006-06-28+8.25 above
320.42011-09-08+4.9 above
417.51983-04-16+2 above
517.361979-01-25+1.86 above
616.952021-09-02+1.45 above
716.242004-09-18+0.74 above
816.091983-12-14+0.59 above
915.851996-01-20+0.35 above
1015.831996-10-20+0.33 above
1115.021996-01-280.48 below
1215.012011-03-110.49 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

Tulpehocken Creek near Reading 3 mi away · loading… Tulpehocken Creek at Blue Marsh Dam 6 mi away · loading… Schuylkill River at Berne 13 mi away · loading… Schuylkill River at Pottstown 16 mi away · loading… West Branch Brandywine Creek at Honeybrook 19 mi away · loading… Little Lehigh Creek near Trexlertown 22 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDRDRP1
USGS site01471510
CountyBerks
StatePennsylvania
NWS forecast officeMount Holly
River forecast centerMiddle Atlantic River Forecast Center
Coordinates40.335, -75.937
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 Schuylkill River at Reading

Is Schuylkill River at Reading 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 15.5 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Schuylkill River at Reading?

major flood stage 22 ft, moderate flood stage 18 ft, minor flood stage 15.5 ft, action stage 14.5 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Schuylkill River at Reading?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 31.3 ft, reached on 1972-06-22 — that is 15.8 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 Mount Holly and local emergency management.