How To Check If A River Near You In MA Might Flood

WORCESTER, MA — Heavy rains this week triggered devastating floods across Vermont, the Hudson River valley, and even caused major rivers in Massachusetts to overflow and flood nearby areas.

With more heavy rain possible in the forecast, you may be wondering if the river, stream or brook near your home might top its banks. There is a handy National Weather Service tool you can use to see whether waterways are at flood stage or will reach it soon.

The U.S. Geological Survey maintains water gauge stations in spots along rivers across the state, from the Housatonic, to the Connecticut, to the Blackstone, Assabet and Charles rivers. You can view the current and future data for each gauge on a map.

For example, the Connecticut River near Northampton on Wednesday afternoon was at a moderate flood stage at about 115 feet compared to the more typical "low" stage of 100 feet. The forecast also shows the river will slowly recede over the coming days, reaching 110 feet by Saturday.

By comparison, a flood gauge along the Blackstone River in Northbridge showed that the river peaked at a height of about 6.3 feet on Tuesday, about half of its moderate flood stage.

Not all flood gauges have predictions about future heights. Gauges along rivers that are not at risk of flooding only show current data.