Fall Creek at Ithaca
Flood levels
Official flood levels at this gauge: action stage begins at 5.0 ft; minor flooding begins at 6.0 ft; moderate flooding begins at 6.5 ft; major flooding begins at 7.0 ft.
| Action stage | 5.0 ft |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 6.0 ft |
| Moderate flooding | 6.5 ft |
| Major flooding | 7.0 ft |
Highest recorded crests
- 11.2 ft on Feb 21, 1971 (historic crest)
- 9.5 ft on Jul 8, 1935 (historic crest)
- 9.1 ft on Feb 25, 1977 (historic crest)
- 8.8 ft on Feb 22, 1955 (historic crest)
What the water does
National Weather Service impact statements for this gauge, in the Weather Service's own words.
| 6.0 ft | Widespread flooding of unoccupied lands occurs nearest the river. Portions of Lower Creek Road will flood. |
|---|---|
| 6.1 ft | This is the crest stage of the April 2005 flood. |
| 6.5 ft | Lower Creek Road is inundated between Varna and Etna. Main Street near Etna is flooded. A few properties between Etna and Varna are affected by flooding. If Cayuga Lake is high, water from Fall Creek will flood roads in Stewart Park. |
| 7.0 ft | Widespread flooding of properties and some homes occurs between Varna and Etna. If Cayuga Lake is high, water from Fall Creek completely inundates Stewart Park. |
| 7.5 ft | This is the crest stage from the January 1996 rain on snowmelt with ice jams flooding. |
| 8.0 ft | Flooding will damage several bridges upstream of the gage from Varna to Etna. |
| 8.4 ft | Devastating flood of October 1981. Bridges destroyed. Homes evacuated. Swiftwater rescues occurred from Etna to Forest Home. Several streets in Ithaca's Northside neighborhood were flooded. |
| 9.5 ft | Catastrophic flood damage occurred from Etna to downtown Ithaca in July of 1935. |
| 11.2 ft | Ice jam flood crest from February 1971. |
Forecast office: NWS Johnson City · River Forecast Center: Northeast River Forecast Center.
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Nearby stations and gauges
- Cayuga Lake at Ithaca NWS gauge · 2.1 mi
- Cayuga Inlet at Ithaca NWS gauge · 3.1 mi
- Sixmile Creek at Bethel Grove NWS gauge · 4.0 mi
- Salmon Creek near Ludlowville NWS gauge · 7.5 mi
- Owasco Lake at Moravia Inlet NWS gauge · 18.0 mi
- Tioughnioga River at Cortland NWS gauge · 19.0 mi