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Rock Creek at Joyce Road in Washington

Highest listed crest 12.33 ftFlood stage 7.0 ft23 crests since 1949

The Rock Creek at Joyce Road in Washington crested above flood stage 15 times among the 23 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1949 to 2025. The highest, 12.33 ft on June 22, 1972, was moderate flooding, 5.33 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Rock Creek crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
12.33 ft
June 22, 1972; 5,430 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
7.0 ft
No major stage set
Crests at major
0
15 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
July 19, 2025
7.62 ft, minor flooding
Location
District of Columbia
Near Takoma Park (2.5 mi), Washington (4.1 mi), Hyattsville (4.7 mi)

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Rock Creek at Joyce Road in Washington
Action stage4.98May 12, 2008The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)7.010Jul 19, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.05Jun 27, 2006Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream

Every listed crest

23 crests from 1949 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Rock Creek at Joyce Road in Washington, 1949 to 2025 68101214ft Flood stage 7.0 ft Jul 18, 1949: 7.48 ft, minor flooding; 1,200 cubic feet per secondNov 25, 1950: 8.55 ft, minor flooding; 1,490 cubic feet per secondSep 15, 1966: 6.02 ft, action stage; 1,140 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1967: 6.15 ft, action stage; 1,200 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 1970: 7.87 ft, minor flooding; 2,040 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1971: 6.02 ft, action stage; 1,140 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1972: 12.33 ft, moderate flooding; 5,430 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1973: 6.51 ft, action stage; 1,460 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1974: 6.28 ft, action stage; 1,350 cubic feet per secondSep 26, 1975: 11.70 ft, moderate flooding; 4,850 cubic feet per secondOct 18, 1975: 6.16 ft, action stage; 1,200 cubic feet per secondOct 9, 1976: 10.18 ft, moderate flooding; 3,650 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1978: 6.76 ft, action stage; 1,500 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1979: 10.20 ft, moderate flooding; 3,700 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1981: 7.00 ft, minor flooding; 1,630 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2006: 10.47 ft, moderate flooding; 3,940 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2008: 6.44 ft, action stage; 2,020 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2010: 7.48 ft, minor flooding; 2,500 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2011: 7.53 ft, minor floodingApr 28, 2011: 7.62 ft, minor floodingSep 1, 2021: 7.24 ft, minor flooding; 2,670 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2023: 7.24 ft, minor flooding; 2,679 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 2025: 7.62 ft, minor flooding; 3,024 cubic feet per second Highest, 12.33 ft, Jun 22, 1972 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Rock Creek at Joyce Road in Washington 1940s: 1 1950s: 1 1960s: 0 1970s: 5 5 1980s: 1 1990s: 0 2000s: 1 2010s: 3 2020s: 3 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Rock Creek at Joyce Road in Washington
1Jun 22, 197212.33+5.33Moderate5,430
2Sep 26, 197511.70+4.70Moderate4,850
3Jun 27, 200610.47+3.47Moderate3,940
4Jan 24, 197910.20+3.20Moderate3,700
5Oct 9, 197610.18+3.18Moderate3,650
6Nov 25, 19508.55+1.55Minor1,490
7Jul 29, 19707.87+0.87Minor2,040
8Apr 28, 20117.62+0.62Minor—
9Jul 19, 20257.62+0.62Minor3,024
10Apr 17, 20117.53+0.53Minor—
11Jul 18, 19497.48+0.48Minor1,200
12Mar 13, 20107.48+0.48Minor2,500
13Sep 1, 20217.24+0.24Minor2,670
14Dec 18, 20237.24+0.24Minor2,679
15Jun 13, 19817.000.00Minor1,630
16Mar 14, 19786.76−0.24Action1,500
17May 29, 19736.51−0.49Action1,460
18May 12, 20086.44−0.56Action2,020
19Apr 4, 19746.28−0.72Action1,350
20Oct 18, 19756.16−0.84Action1,200
21Mar 7, 19676.15−0.85Action1,200
22Sep 15, 19666.02−0.98Action1,140
23Feb 13, 19716.02−0.98Action1,140

The worst floods along the Rock Creek

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Rock Creek that crested above flood stage within a week.

June 22, 1972: 12.33 ft here, moderate flooding

September 26, 1975: 11.70 ft here, moderate flooding

June 27, 2006: 10.47 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Rock Creek

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Rock Creek
Sherrill Drive/DCDC7.016.20 ft, Jun 22, 19727
Joyce Road in Washington this gaugeDC7.012.33 ft, Jun 22, 19720

Other gauges in District of Columbia

Flood gauges in District of Columbia
Alexandria3.38.66 ft, Sep 19, 20032
Georgetown / Wisconsin Ave6.017.72 ft, Oct 17, 19429
Sherrill Drive/DC7.016.20 ft, Jun 22, 19727
SW Waterfront (IN MLLW)5.311.05 ft, Oct 17, 194213
Washington10.011.19 ft, Sep 10, 20200

District of Columbia: every hazard · River floods across the country · District of Columbia

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge RCJD2, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.