Flood Warning Issued for Swatara Creek in Dauphin County Due to Ice Jam

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in State College PA has issued a Flood Warning for Swatara Creek above Middletown. The warning was issued at 5:52 AM EST on Monday, February 23, 2026, and remains in effect until further notice. The alert is classified as severe with flooding likely due to an ice jam.

Affected Areas

The warning specifically impacts Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, along the Swatara Creek above Middletown.

What You Should Do

Residents and travelers in the area should follow these safety instructions:

• Turn around, don’t drown: Never encounter flooded roads in a vehicle. Most flood-related deaths occur in vehicles.
• Stay Alert: Ice jam flooding is inherently difficult to predict. Residents should be prepared for rapid changes in river levels depending on ice jam behavior.
• Avoid Lowlands: Move away from areas prone to overbank flooding.

Expected Conditions

Minor flooding is currently occurring. As of 5:30 AM EST Monday, the river stage was recorded at 11.5 feet. The flood stage for this area is 11.0 feet.

• At 11.0 feet: Minor overbank flooding begins near the Vine Street Bridge downstream to the Susquehanna River.
• At 12.0 feet: Both banks overflow upstream of the Vine Street Bridge, and several basements are likely to be affected.

Timeline

The Flood Warning is effective immediately as of 5:52 AM EST, Monday, February 23, 2026. The warning will remain in effect until further notice. The National Weather Service expects to issue the next update by this afternoon.