National Weather Service Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service

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Visit https://www.weather.gov/owp/operations for access to new EXPERIMENTAL products and services from the National Water Center: National Hydrologic Discussion, Area Hydrologic Discussion, Flood Hazard Outlook and the National Water Center Visualization Services, a suite of geospatial services depicting River Forecast Center and National Water Model information.

Weather Forecast Office State College, PA

Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center

Hydrograph

River at a Glance

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Inundation
Mapping

Printable Image

About this graph

Tabular Data (UTC)

Tabular Data (EDT)

Datum: NGVD29

Metadata

NOTE: Forecasts for the Swatara Creek at Harper Tavern are issued routinely year-round.

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Upstream Gauge

Downstream Gauge

Flood Categories (in feet)

Major Flood Stage:	15
Moderate Flood Stage:	12
Flood Stage:	9
Action Stage:	7
Low Stage (in feet):	0

Historic Crests
(1) 25.60 ft on 06/01/1889
(2) 24.60 ft on 09/08/2011
(3) 23.72 ft on 06/23/1972
(4) 18.28 ft on 06/29/2006
(5) 18.01 ft on 09/02/2021 (P)
Show More Historic Crests

(P): Preliminary values subject to further review.

Recent Crests
(1) 9.05 ft on 05/08/2022 (P)
(2) 9.96 ft on 02/04/2022 (P)
(3) 10.23 ft on 09/24/2021 (P)
(4) 18.01 ft on 09/02/2021 (P)
(5) 12.68 ft on 12/26/2020 (P)
Show More Recent Crests

(P): Preliminary values subject to further review.

Low Water Records
(1) -0.32 ft on 09/24/1980
(2) -0.30 ft on 09/04/1966
(3) -0.28 ft on 09/27/1964
(4) -0.25 ft on 10/01/1981
(5) -0.17 ft on 07/12/1975
Show More Low Water Records

For more information on your flood risk go to www.floodsmart.gov.

Show FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layers

Zoom Level:16

	Gauge Location	Disclaimer
Latitude/Longitude Disclaimer: The gauge location shown in the above map is the approximate location based on the latitude/longitude coordinates provided to the NWS by the gauge owner.

Flood Impacts & Photos

If you notice any errors in the below information, please contact our Webmaster
18	Widespread flooding occurs with many roads, homes and businesses affected.
16	Most homes adjacent to the creek are affected to some degree. Numerous evacuations are necessary.
14	A number of homes along the creek are affected. Some evacuations are necessary.
12	A number of secondary roads are closed, resulting in some evacuations. A few homes are flooded.
10	High water isolates several houses.
9	Several driveways and other minor roadways are affected. Water begins to enter some basements.
Photos (1) looking upstream (2) view of the gagehouse (3) looking downstream

About This Location

Latitude: 40.402500° N, Longitude: 76.577500° W, Horizontal Datum: NAD83/WGS84

River Stage Reference Frame	Gauge Height	Flood Stage	Uses
NWS stage	0 ft	9 ft	Interpreting hydrographs and NWS watch, warnings, and forecasts, and inundation maps
Vertical Datum	Elevation (gauge height = 0)	Elevation (gauge height = flood stage)	Elevation information source
NAVD88	Not Available	Not Available	Survey grade GPS equipment, FEMA flood plain maps, newer USGS topographic maps
NGVD 29	356.68	365.68	Older USGS topographic maps, NGVD29 benchmarks
MSL	Not Available	Not Available	Older USGS topographic maps, MSL benchmarks
Other	Not Available	Not Available

Current/Historical Observations:

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Data and Site Info for Harper Tavern

Additional Information

Potential River Levels - Used to

Potential River Levels Used to Estimate the Chance of Flooding and the Range of Possible River Levels
10 Day (HEFS)	7 Day (NAEFS)	7 Day (GEFS)

Note: Use the official hydrograph at the top of this web page for river levels within the next 72 hours.

Click individual graphics to enlarge.

Resources

Hydrologic Resources

Additional Resources

Collaborative Agencies

The National Weather Service prepares its forecasts and other services in collaboration with agencies like the US Geological Survey, US Bureau of Reclamation, US Army Corps of Engineers, Natural Resource Conservation Service, National Park Service, ALERT Users Group, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and many state and local emergency managers across the country. For details, please click here.

NWS Information

National Weather Service
State College Weather Forecast Office
328 Innovation Boulevard, Suite 330
State College, PA 16803
(814) 231-2408
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Page last modified: 2-Nov-2020 7:30 PM

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