flood crest
Highest water level
The flood crest is the highest level a body of water reaches during a flood—the peak before waters begin to recede.
Weather services track and predict crests to warn communities: The flood crest is expected to reach 34 feet by Thursday.
Once the crest passes, water levels gradually fall, though damage assessment often only begins then.
- peakUtmost height attained
- surgeSudden powerful increase
- storm surgeWind-driven coastal flooding
- highwaterPeak tidal elevation
- riverLarge flowing watercourse
river banks · levee · water level · overflow · breach · sandbags · National Guard · gauge · rising · rising waters · swollen · debris · muddy · torrent · deluge · downstream · banks · evacuation
- floodingmonsoon, floodwater, rising water, deluge, inundation
- river featuresriverbed, riverbank, current, tributary, flow
water level extremes
flood crestrecord low
Lowest documented measurement
drought · low water · low flow · river bottom · dry riverbed
flood, crest, floods, flooded, flooding, crests, crested, cresting