St. John River at Fort Kent
Flood levels
Official flood levels at this gauge: action stage begins at 18.0 ft; minor flooding begins at 22.5 ft; moderate flooding begins at 24.5 ft; major flooding begins at 26.5 ft.
| Action stage | 18.0 ft |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 22.5 ft |
| Moderate flooding | 24.5 ft |
| Major flooding | 26.5 ft |
Highest recorded crests
- 30.1 ft on Apr 30, 2008 (historic crest)
- 27.3 ft on Apr 30, 1979 (historic crest)
- 26.9 ft on May 1, 1974 (historic crest)
- 26.6 ft on Apr 17, 1994 (historic crest)
What the water does
National Weather Service impact statements for this gauge, in the Weather Service's own words.
| 16.0 ft | Water inundates agricultural lands between Fort Kent and Upper Frenchville along Route 1. |
|---|---|
| 18.0 ft | Water begins to get into the basements of some houses and structures upstream along the Fish River. |
| 20.0 ft | Lowland flooding between East Main Street, Market Street and the University Campus. |
| 22.5 ft | Lumber Yard near Fort Kent State Historic Site floods. Flood waters encroach on the State Historic Site. |
| 24.5 ft | Fish River Backwater begins to flood parking lots to businesses & residences between East Main Street and the Fish River. Flooding in low lying areas along State Route 161 upstream of Fort Kent. |
| 25.5 ft | Fish River nears the top of the Main Street Fish River bridge, bridge closed. Homes threatened on Meadow Lane, Blockhouse Road, Dufour Street and Church Street. |
| 26.5 ft | Widespread flooding of lower East Main Street inundating several structures in the center of town. Water flowing over the top of the Fish River bridge. |
| 27.5 ft | Near record flooding. Dike and levee system at full capacity. Flooding of lower east Main Street inundating several structures in the center of town. Fish River Flooding combined with Backwater causes water to flow over the Fish River bridge. Residential structures off Baker Street begin to flood. Athletic fields of the University Campus underwater. |
| 28.5 ft | Dufour Street is completely impassable flooding the Fort Kent Fire Department. East Main Street is impassable west of Market Street to Aroostook Road. Backwater issues on the Fish River and Perley Brook will threaten structures along Route 161 near Perley Brook. |
| 29.7 ft | Dike along the Saint John River is overtopped, flooding downtown Fort Kent from Pearl Street to Blockhouse Road to Elm Street. Significant flooding of Residential and Commercial Structures between the Fish River to Market Street along East Main Street. |
Forecast office: NWS Caribou · River Forecast Center: Northeast River Forecast Center.
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Nearby stations and gauges
- Fish River at Fort Kent NWS gauge · 3.2 mi
- St. John River at Edmundston NWS gauge · 13.3 mi
- St. Francis River near Connors NWS gauge · 18.2 mi
- St. John River at Dickey NWS gauge · 26.4 mi
- Allagash River above Allagash NWS gauge · 27.5 mi