On December 18, 2023, the water level at Saugerties (Turkey Point, Hudson River tide gauge station) peaked at 5:24 PM at 8.0′ above MLLW. This was 4′ above the normal high tide. The high water was driven by a combination of tidal surge and run-off from rainfall totals of 3.5 to 4.5 inches. By comparison, winter storm Elliot (bomb cyclone) on December 23rd, 2022, reached a slightly higher level of 8.3′ above MLLW, was primarily surge from the ocean, and unaccompanied by much precipitation. Note that the level of water in the tidal Esopus Creek when the tide is high is minimally affected by the shape or depth of the channel bottom. No matter how deep the channel is, the tide reaches an elevation established by the water surface elevation in the Hudson River.