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Washington Channel at SW Waterfront (IN MLLW)

Highest listed crest 11.05 ftFlood stage 5.3 ft157 crests since 1932

The Washington Channel at SW Waterfront (IN MLLW) crested at major flood stage 13 times among the 157 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1932 to 2023. The highest, 11.05 ft on October 17, 1942, was major flooding, 5.75 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
11.05 ft
October 17, 1942
Flood stage
5.3 ft
Major flooding from 7.0 ft
Crests at major
13
1st of 6 gauges in District of Columbia
Most recent flood crest
September 24, 2023
5.83 ft, minor flooding
Location
District of Columbia
Near Washington (2.1 mi), Alexandria (5.0 mi), Hyattsville (7.0 mi)
Identifiers
NWS WASD2
No USGS station

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Washington Channel at SW Waterfront (IN MLLW)
Action stage4.295May 1, 2020The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)5.347Sep 24, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage6.52Mar 14, 2010Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage7.013Oct 29, 2021Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

157 crests from 1932 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Washington Channel at SW Waterfront (IN MLLW), 1932 to 2023 4681012ft Flood stage 5.3 ftMajor 7.0 ft Nov 9, 1932: 5.05 ft, action stageJan 27, 1933: 5.35 ft, minor floodingAug 23, 1933: 9.95 ft, major floodingJun 19, 1934: 4.85 ft, action stageMar 19, 1936: 10.55 ft, major floodingApr 28, 1937: 8.65 ft, major floodingOct 17, 1942: 11.05 ft, major floodingSep 18, 1945: 5.35 ft, minor floodingNov 3, 1947: 5.05 ft, action stageMay 7, 1948: 4.85 ft, action stageSep 13, 1950: 5.15 ft, action stageNov 25, 1950: 5.25 ft, action stageMar 14, 1951: 5.35 ft, minor floodingSep 1, 1952: 5.65 ft, minor floodingNov 22, 1952: 5.45 ft, minor floodingJan 24, 1953: 4.75 ft, action stageOct 24, 1953: 4.75 ft, action stageOct 15, 1954: 7.75 ft, major floodingAug 13, 1955: 5.25 ft, action stageAug 18, 1955: 6.15 ft, minor floodingApr 6, 1958: 4.75 ft, action stageApr 13, 1961: 4.95 ft, action stageOct 24, 1961: 5.05 ft, action stageMar 8, 1962: 5.95 ft, minor floodingMar 23, 1962: 4.95 ft, action stageNov 10, 1962: 5.45 ft, minor floodingSep 14, 1966: 4.81 ft, action stageNov 28, 1966: 4.59 ft, action stageMay 27, 1968: 4.80 ft, action stageApr 2, 1970: 5.06 ft, action stageNov 14, 1970: 4.74 ft, action stageOct 2, 1971: 4.75 ft, action stageOct 25, 1971: 4.95 ft, action stageJun 24, 1972: 8.68 ft, major floodingDec 22, 1972: 4.95 ft, action stageApr 27, 1973: 4.92 ft, action stageDec 1, 1974: 7.42 ft, major floodingMar 19, 1975: 4.76 ft, action stageSep 26, 1975: 6.22 ft, minor floodingJan 2, 1976: 4.79 ft, action stageSep 26, 1977: 4.78 ft, action stageNov 9, 1977: 4.89 ft, action stageDec 20, 1977: 4.94 ft, action stageJan 26, 1978: 6.15 ft, minor floodingJan 24, 1979: 4.70 ft, action stageFeb 26, 1979: 7.16 ft, major floodingSep 6, 1979: 6.09 ft, minor floodingOct 12, 1979: 4.79 ft, action stageJan 19, 1980: 4.75 ft, action stageJun 13, 1982: 5.05 ft, action stageSep 27, 1982: 4.84 ft, action stageMar 19, 1983: 5.45 ft, minor floodingMar 28, 1983: 5.22 ft, action stageApr 3, 1983: 4.95 ft, action stageFeb 16, 1984: 5.74 ft, minor floodingMar 29, 1984: 5.38 ft, minor floodingApr 16, 1984: 4.89 ft, action stageFeb 12, 1985: 5.11 ft, action stageNov 4, 1985: 8.14 ft, major floodingApr 21, 1986: 4.69 ft, action stageDec 2, 1986: 5.55 ft, minor floodingMar 31, 1987: 4.97 ft, action stageApr 17, 1987: 5.26 ft, action stageApr 28, 1987: 4.90 ft, action stageApr 14, 1988: 4.83 ft, action stageNov 1, 1991: 5.10 ft, action stageDec 10, 1992: 5.32 ft, minor floodingMar 5, 1993: 5.76 ft, minor floodingNov 28, 1993: 5.26 ft, action stageMar 30, 1994: 4.75 ft, action stageAug 8, 1995: 4.82 ft, action stageAug 20, 1995: 5.04 ft, action stageJan 21, 1996: 8.09 ft, major floodingMar 19, 1996: 4.95 ft, action stageSep 9, 1996: 8.16 ft, major floodingJun 5, 1997: 4.80 ft, action stageNov 9, 1997: 5.21 ft, action stageJan 23, 1998: 4.95 ft, action stageJan 30, 1998: 5.87 ft, minor floodingFeb 6, 1998: 6.09 ft, minor floodingFeb 17, 1998: 5.19 ft, action stageFeb 28, 1998: 4.73 ft, action stageMar 9, 1998: 5.28 ft, action stageMar 21, 1998: 5.47 ft, minor floodingMay 14, 1998: 5.05 ft, action stageSep 6, 1999: 5.21 ft, action stageJan 3, 2003: 4.81 ft, action stageMar 20, 2003: 5.31 ft, minor floodingApr 11, 2003: 5.11 ft, action stageMay 18, 2003: 4.87 ft, action stageSep 19, 2003: 10.26 ft, major floodingSep 23, 2003: 5.71 ft, minor floodingDec 11, 2004: 4.80 ft, action stageMar 28, 2005: 5.00 ft, action stageApr 2, 2005: 5.31 ft, minor floodingMay 25, 2005: 4.73 ft, action stageJul 8, 2005: 5.22 ft, action stageJan 4, 2006: 4.75 ft, action stageFeb 3, 2006: 4.93 ft, action stageSep 2, 2006: 6.68 ft, moderate floodingSep 13, 2006: 4.80 ft, action stageOct 7, 2006: 5.02 ft, action stageNov 16, 2006: 5.46 ft, minor floodingApr 19, 2007: 4.74 ft, action stageJun 14, 2007: 4.90 ft, action stageApr 21, 2008: 4.79 ft, action stageMay 14, 2008: 5.57 ft, minor floodingSep 27, 2008: 4.88 ft, action stageOct 21, 2008: 4.78 ft, action stageJun 18, 2009: 4.97 ft, action stageSep 18, 2009: 4.93 ft, action stageDec 26, 2009: 5.03 ft, action stageJan 25, 2010: 5.28 ft, action stageMar 14, 2010: 6.58 ft, moderate floodingMar 29, 2010: 4.84 ft, action stageAug 13, 2010: 4.99 ft, action stageOct 1, 2010: 4.78 ft, action stageMar 10, 2011: 5.35 ft, minor floodingApr 16, 2011: 5.75 ft, minor floodingMay 12, 2011: 5.14 ft, action stageMay 19, 2011: 5.49 ft, minor floodingSep 8, 2011: 5.15 ft, action stageSep 29, 2011: 4.95 ft, action stageOct 13, 2011: 5.29 ft, action stageJun 6, 2012: 5.28 ft, action stageOct 30, 2012: 6.12 ft, minor floodingDec 21, 2012: 4.77 ft, action stageMay 16, 2014: 5.64 ft, minor floodingApr 20, 2015: 4.93 ft, action stageJun 27, 2015: 4.84 ft, action stageAug 11, 2015: 4.70 ft, action stageOct 4, 2015: 5.41 ft, minor floodingOct 29, 2015: 5.18 ft, action stageFeb 10, 2016: 5.38 ft, minor floodingFeb 25, 2016: 5.70 ft, minor floodingJan 23, 2017: 4.87 ft, action stageMar 7, 2018: 5.49 ft, minor floodingApr 16, 2018: 5.20 ft, action stageMay 19, 2018: 5.39 ft, minor floodingJun 5, 2018: 6.12 ft, minor floodingSep 11, 2018: 6.43 ft, minor floodingSep 21, 2018: 5.36 ft, minor floodingSep 30, 2018: 5.71 ft, minor floodingOct 10, 2018: 4.74 ft, action stageNov 27, 2018: 5.39 ft, minor floodingDec 17, 2018: 5.82 ft, minor floodingDec 21, 2018: 5.42 ft, minor floodingAug 27, 2019: 5.11 ft, action stageSep 8, 2019: 5.05 ft, action stageOct 12, 2019: 5.65 ft, minor floodingNov 1, 2019: 5.52 ft, minor floodingApr 5, 2020: 5.05 ft, action stageMay 1, 2020: 5.19 ft, action stageOct 29, 2021: 7.12 ft, major floodingJan 17, 2022: 5.47 ft, minor floodingMay 9, 2022: 5.48 ft, minor floodingSep 24, 2023: 5.83 ft, minor flooding Highest, 11.05 ft, Oct 17, 1942 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Washington Channel at SW Waterfront (IN MLLW) 1930s: 4 1940s: 2 1950s: 5 1960s: 2 1970s: 6 1980s: 5 1990s: 7 2000s: 7 2010s: 20 20 2020s: 4 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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

The 50 highest of 157 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Washington Channel at SW Waterfront (IN MLLW)
1Oct 17, 194211.05+5.75Major—
2Mar 19, 193610.55+5.25Major—
3Sep 19, 200310.26+4.96Major—
4Aug 23, 19339.95+4.65Major—
5Jun 24, 19728.68+3.38Major—
6Apr 28, 19378.65+3.35Major—
7Sep 9, 19968.16+2.86Major—
8Nov 4, 19858.14+2.84Major—
9Jan 21, 19968.09+2.79Major—
10Oct 15, 19547.75+2.45Major—
11Dec 1, 19747.42+2.12Major—
12Feb 26, 19797.16+1.86Major—
13Oct 29, 20217.12+1.82Major—
14Sep 2, 20066.68+1.38Moderate—
15Mar 14, 20106.58+1.28Moderate—
16Sep 11, 20186.43+1.13Minor—
17Sep 26, 19756.22+0.92Minor—
18Aug 18, 19556.15+0.85Minor—
19Jan 26, 19786.15+0.85Minor—
20Oct 30, 20126.12+0.82Minor—
21Jun 5, 20186.12+0.82Minor—
22Sep 6, 19796.09+0.79Minor—
23Feb 6, 19986.09+0.79Minor—
24Mar 8, 19625.95+0.65Minor—
25Jan 30, 19985.87+0.57Minor—
26Sep 24, 20235.83+0.53Minor—
27Dec 17, 20185.82+0.52Minor—
28Mar 5, 19935.76+0.46Minor—
29Apr 16, 20115.75+0.45Minor—
30Feb 16, 19845.74+0.44Minor—
31Sep 23, 20035.71+0.41Minor—
32Sep 30, 20185.71+0.41Minor—
33Feb 25, 20165.70+0.40Minor—
34Sep 1, 19525.65+0.35Minor—
35Oct 12, 20195.65+0.35Minor—
36May 16, 20145.64+0.34Minor—
37May 14, 20085.57+0.27Minor—
38Dec 2, 19865.55+0.25Minor—
39Nov 1, 20195.52+0.22Minor—
40May 19, 20115.49+0.19Minor—
41Mar 7, 20185.49+0.19Minor—
42May 9, 20225.48+0.18Minor—
43Mar 21, 19985.47+0.17Minor—
44Jan 17, 20225.47+0.17Minor—
45Nov 16, 20065.46+0.16Minor—
46Nov 22, 19525.45+0.15Minor—
47Nov 10, 19625.45+0.15Minor—
48Mar 19, 19835.45+0.15Minor—
49Dec 21, 20185.42+0.12Minor—
50Oct 4, 20155.41+0.11Minor—

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
Joyce Road in Washington7.012.33 ft, Jun 22, 19720
Sherrill Drive/DC7.016.20 ft, Jun 22, 19727
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 WASD2, 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.