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Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg

Highest listed crest 16.73 ftFlood stage 8.0 ft60 crests since 1928

The Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 60 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1928 to 2014. The highest, 16.73 ft on July 20, 1956, was major flooding, 8.73 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
16.73 ft
July 20, 1956; 12,600 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
8.0 ft
Major flooding from 12.0 ft
Crests at major
4
17th of 108 gauges in Maryland
Most recent flood crest
May 16, 2014
10.21 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Washington County
Near Hagerstown (13.0 mi), Martinsburg (13.2 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg
Action stage7.018May 12, 2008The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)8.026Oct 31, 2012Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.012May 16, 2014Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage12.04Jan 19, 1996Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

60 crests from 1928 to 2014. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, 1928 to 2014 681012141618ft Flood stage 8.0 ftMajor 12.0 ft Jul 11, 1928: 11.90 ft, moderate flooding; 6,300 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 1929: 9.80 ft, minor flooding; 4,330 cubic feet per secondOct 23, 1929: 7.90 ft, action stage; 2,860 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 1931: 8.30 ft, minor flooding; 3,140 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 1932: 7.14 ft, action stage; 2,360 cubic feet per secondNov 10, 1932: 8.40 ft, minor flooding; 3,100 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1933: 8.60 ft, minor flooding; 3,540 cubic feet per secondAug 24, 1933: 10.40 ft, moderate flooding; 5,690 cubic feet per secondDec 1, 1934: 10.80 ft, moderate flooding; 5,730 cubic feet per secondJul 25, 1935: 8.80 ft, minor flooding; 3,590 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1936: 8.50 ft, minor flooding; 3,520 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1936: 8.88 ft, minor flooding; 3,930 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1937: 10.67 ft, moderate flooding; 6,040 cubic feet per secondAug 12, 1937: 8.25 ft, minor flooding; 3,600 cubic feet per secondJul 23, 1940: 7.21 ft, action stage; 2,710 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1942: 7.03 ft, action stage; 2,550 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 1944: 8.53 ft, minor flooding; 3,910 cubic feet per secondJul 18, 1949: 11.23 ft, moderate flooding; 6,470 cubic feet per secondNov 26, 1950: 9.22 ft, minor flooding; 4,720 cubic feet per secondDec 5, 1950: 9.01 ft, minor flooding; 4,480 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1952: 10.32 ft, moderate flooding; 5,480 cubic feet per secondNov 22, 1952: 9.17 ft, minor flooding; 4,680 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 1954: 8.75 ft, minor flooding; 4,180 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 1956: 16.73 ft, major flooding; 12,600 cubic feet per secondNov 1, 1956: 7.17 ft, action stage; 2,440 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1960: 7.14 ft, action stage; 2,660 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1965: 7.12 ft, action stage; 2,650 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1971: 7.15 ft, action stage; 2,670 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1972: 14.30 ft, major flooding; 9,880 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1973: 7.40 ft, action stage; 2,870 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1975: 8.04 ft, minor flooding; 3,370 cubic feet per secondSep 26, 1975: 14.71 ft, major flooding; 10,100 cubic feet per secondOct 9, 1976: 11.88 ft, moderate flooding; 6,920 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1979: 10.39 ft, moderate flooding; 5,470 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1979: 9.32 ft, minor flooding; 4,480 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1983: 7.34 ft, action stage; 2,830 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 1984: 10.31 ft, moderate flooding; 5,400 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 1984: 9.55 ft, minor flooding; 4,690 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1985: 11.32 ft, moderate flooding; 6,390 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1987: 7.31 ft, action stage; 2,810 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1988: 7.63 ft, action stage; 3,060 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1989: 7.52 ft, action stage; 2,970 cubic feet per secondOct 13, 1990: 7.12 ft, action stage; 2,670 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1992: 8.46 ft, minor flooding; 3,730 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1993: 7.29 ft, action stage; 2,800 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1994: 7.03 ft, action stage; 2,620 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1996: 13.71 ft, major flooding; 8,960 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1996: 9.85 ft, minor flooding; 4,970 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 1996: 7.69 ft, action stage; 3,180 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 1996: 9.92 ft, minor flooding; 5,030 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1998: 9.39 ft, minor flooding; 4,870 cubic feet per secondDec 11, 2003: 9.31 ft, minor floodingMar 28, 2005: 9.36 ft, minor flooding; 4,840 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2006: 10.85 ft, moderate flooding; 6,240 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2008: 7.90 ft, action stage; 3,590 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2010: 9.08 ft, minor flooding; 4,340 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2011: 9.68 ft, minor flooding; 5,132 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2011: 8.39 ft, minor flooding; 4,001 cubic feet per secondOct 31, 2012: 9.89 ft, minor flooding; 5,131 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2014: 10.21 ft, moderate flooding; 5,429 cubic feet per second Highest, 16.73 ft, Jul 20, 1956 1940196019802000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg 1920s: 2 1930s: 10 10 1940s: 2 1950s: 6 1960s: 0 1970s: 6 1980s: 3 1990s: 5 2000s: 3 2010s: 5 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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 60 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg
1Jul 20, 195616.73+8.73Major12,600
2Sep 26, 197514.71+6.71Major10,100
3Jun 23, 197214.30+6.30Major9,880
4Jan 19, 199613.71+5.71Major8,960
5Jul 11, 192811.90+3.90Moderate6,300
6Oct 9, 197611.88+3.88Moderate6,920
7Feb 13, 198511.32+3.32Moderate6,390
8Jul 18, 194911.23+3.23Moderate6,470
9Jun 28, 200610.85+2.85Moderate6,240
10Dec 1, 193410.80+2.80Moderate5,730
11Apr 27, 193710.67+2.67Moderate6,040
12Aug 24, 193310.40+2.40Moderate5,690
13Jan 25, 197910.39+2.39Moderate5,470
14May 25, 195210.32+2.32Moderate5,480
15Feb 15, 198410.31+2.31Moderate5,400
16May 16, 201410.21+2.21Moderate5,429
17Sep 7, 19969.92+1.92Minor5,030
18Oct 31, 20129.89+1.89Minor5,131
19Jun 19, 19969.85+1.85Minor4,970
20May 3, 19299.80+1.80Minor4,330
21Apr 17, 20119.68+1.68Minor5,132
22Aug 13, 19849.55+1.55Minor4,690
23Mar 21, 19989.39+1.39Minor4,870
24Mar 28, 20059.36+1.36Minor4,840
25Feb 26, 19799.32+1.32Minor4,480
26Dec 11, 20039.31+1.31Minor—
27Nov 26, 19509.22+1.22Minor4,720
28Nov 22, 19529.17+1.17Minor4,680
29Mar 14, 20109.08+1.08Minor4,340
30Dec 5, 19509.01+1.01Minor4,480
31Mar 18, 19368.88+0.88Minor3,930
32Jul 25, 19358.80+0.80Minor3,590
33Oct 15, 19548.75+0.75Minor4,180
34Jul 2, 19338.60+0.60Minor3,540
35Jan 4, 19448.53+0.53Minor3,910
36Mar 12, 19368.50+0.50Minor3,520
37Apr 22, 19928.46+0.46Minor3,730
38Nov 10, 19328.40+0.40Minor3,100
39Apr 29, 20118.39+0.39Minor4,001
40Jul 9, 19318.30+0.30Minor3,140
41Aug 12, 19378.25+0.25Minor3,600
42Mar 20, 19758.04+0.04Minor3,370
43Oct 23, 19297.90−0.10Action2,860
44May 12, 20087.90−0.10Action3,590
45Jul 19, 19967.69−0.31Action3,180
46May 19, 19887.63−0.37Action3,060
47May 17, 19897.52−0.48Action2,970
48Jun 4, 19737.40−0.60Action2,870
49Jun 19, 19837.34−0.66Action2,830
50Apr 5, 19877.31−0.69Action2,810

The worst floods along the Antietam Creek

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

September 26, 1975: 14.71 ft here, major flooding

  • WaynesboroMD · Sep 26, 1975 · 11.70 ft · Moderate

June 23, 1972: 14.30 ft here, major flooding

  • WaynesboroMD · Jun 22, 1972 · 12.33 ft · Major · its highest

Gauges on the Antietam Creek

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

Flood gauges on the Antietam Creek
WaynesboroMD6.512.33 ft, Jun 22, 19721
Sharpsburg this gaugeMD8.016.73 ft, Jul 20, 19564

Other gauges in Washington County

Flood gauges in Washington County
Waynesboro6.512.33 ft, Jun 22, 19721
Fairview10.024.50 ft, Jun 23, 19727
Pecktonville10.011.50 ft, May 14, 20250
Hancock25.047.60 ft, Mar 18, 19368
Harpers Ferry18.036.50 ft, Mar 19, 193614
Bellegrove7.512.44 ft, Jun 22, 19720

Washington County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Maryland

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SACM2, 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.