Gunpowder Falls at Glencoe

Highest listed crest 16.50 ftFlood stage 7.0 ft49 crests since 1979

The Gunpowder Falls at Glencoe crested at major flood stage 9 times among the 49 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1979 to 2025. The highest, 16.50 ft on September 8, 2011, was major flooding, 9.50 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Gunpowder Falls crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
16.50 ft
September 8, 2011; 13,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
7.0 ft
Major flooding from 12.0 ft
Crests at major
9
7th of 108 gauges in Maryland
Most recent flood crest
August 1, 2025
8.33 ft, minor flooding
Location
Baltimore County
Maryland

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Gunpowder Falls at Glencoe
Action stage5.01Apr 17, 2000The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)7.029Aug 1, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.010Jan 10, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage12.09Jul 25, 2018Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

49 crests from 1979 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Gunpowder Falls at Glencoe, 1979 to 2025 681012141618ft Flood stage 7.0 ftMajor 12.0 ft Sep 6, 1979: 15.30 ft, major flooding; 6,110 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1983: 9.07 ft, minor flooding; 2,630 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 1984: 10.38 ft, moderate flooding; 3,150 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 1985: 13.20 ft, major flooding; 4,900 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 1987: 10.38 ft, moderate flooding; 3,150 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1988: 8.91 ft, minor flooding; 2,560 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1989: 12.70 ft, major flooding; 4,600 cubic feet per secondNov 16, 1989: 8.52 ft, minor flooding; 2,490 cubic feet per secondNov 10, 1990: 7.54 ft, minor flooding; 2,080 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1993: 7.18 ft, minor flooding; 1,930 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1994: 13.72 ft, major flooding; 5,180 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1995: 8.50 ft, minor flooding; 2,480 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1996: 12.84 ft, major flooding; 4,670 cubic feet per secondNov 8, 1996: 10.54 ft, moderate flooding; 3,430 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1998: 8.06 ft, minor flooding; 2,280 cubic feet per secondSep 16, 1999: 7.88 ft, minor flooding; 2,210 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2000: 6.00 ft, action stage; 1,490 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 2000: 9.57 ft, minor flooding; 2,960 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 2003: 11.75 ft, moderate flooding; 4,080 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 2004: 13.16 ft, major flooding; 4,850 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 2005: 9.63 ft, minor flooding; 3,010 cubic feet per secondOct 8, 2005: 8.02 ft, minor flooding; 2,370 cubic feet per secondNov 16, 2006: 12.96 ft, major flooding; 4,740 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 2008: 8.66 ft, minor flooding; 2,620 cubic feet per secondAug 29, 2009: 8.76 ft, minor flooding; 2,660 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 2009: 8.24 ft, minor flooding; 2,460 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2011: 9.73 ft, minor floodingSep 8, 2011: 16.50 ft, major flooding; 13,000 cubic feet per secondNov 23, 2011: 10.99 ft, moderate flooding; 3,670 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 2013: 9.04 ft, minor flooding; 2,776 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 2014: 7.82 ft, minor flooding; 2,294 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2014: 8.64 ft, minor flooding; 2,616 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2014: 11.83 ft, moderate flooding; 4,120 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2014: 7.77 ft, minor flooding; 2,275 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2015: 10.95 ft, moderate flooding; 3,648 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2015: 7.77 ft, minor flooding; 2,275 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2017: 9.17 ft, minor flooding; 2,798 cubic feet per secondJul 25, 2018: 14.56 ft, major flooding; 6,670 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 2018: 9.64 ft, minor flooding; 3,006 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 2018: 8.47 ft, minor flooding; 2,498 cubic feet per secondNov 25, 2018: 10.74 ft, moderate flooding; 3,537 cubic feet per secondDec 16, 2018: 7.76 ft, minor flooding; 2,207 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2019: 8.90 ft, minor flooding; 2,682 cubic feet per secondNov 1, 2019: 10.77 ft, moderate flooding; 3,553 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2021: 7.90 ft, minor flooding; 2,120 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 2021: 7.46 ft, minor flooding; 1,970 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2023: 8.92 ft, minor flooding; 2,691 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 10.21 ft, moderate flooding; 3,274 cubic feet per secondAug 1, 2025: 8.33 ft, minor flooding; 2,440 cubic feet per second Highest, 16.50 ft, Sep 8, 2011 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Gunpowder Falls at Glencoe 1970s: 1 1980s: 7 1990s: 8 2000s: 9 2010s: 18 18 2020s: 5 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Gunpowder Falls at Glencoe
1Sep 8, 201116.50+9.50Major13,000
2Sep 6, 197915.30+8.30Major6,110
3Jul 25, 201814.56+7.56Major6,670
4Mar 4, 199413.72+6.72Major5,180
5Feb 12, 198513.20+6.20Major4,900
6Sep 28, 200413.16+6.16Major4,850
7Nov 16, 200612.96+5.96Major4,740
8Jan 19, 199612.84+5.84Major4,670
9May 6, 198912.70+5.70Major4,600
10Apr 30, 201411.83+4.83Moderate4,120
11Feb 22, 200311.75+4.75Moderate4,080
12Nov 23, 201110.99+3.99Moderate3,670
13Mar 5, 201510.95+3.95Moderate3,648
14Nov 1, 201910.77+3.77Moderate3,553
15Nov 25, 201810.74+3.74Moderate3,537
16Nov 8, 199610.54+3.54Moderate3,430
17Jul 7, 198410.38+3.38Moderate3,150
18Sep 8, 198710.38+3.38Moderate3,150
19Jan 10, 202410.21+3.21Moderate3,274
20Mar 11, 20119.73+2.73Minor—
21Aug 4, 20189.64+2.64Minor3,006
22Jul 8, 20059.63+2.63Minor3,010
23Dec 17, 20009.57+2.57Minor2,960
24Apr 6, 20179.17+2.17Minor2,798
25Apr 15, 19839.07+2.07Minor2,630
26Oct 11, 20139.04+2.04Minor2,776
27Dec 18, 20238.92+1.92Minor2,691
28Jan 20, 19888.91+1.91Minor2,560
29Mar 22, 20198.90+1.90Minor2,682
30Aug 29, 20098.76+1.76Minor2,660
31Feb 1, 20088.66+1.66Minor2,620
32Mar 31, 20148.64+1.64Minor2,616
33Nov 16, 19898.52+1.52Minor2,490
34Jan 20, 19958.50+1.50Minor2,480
35Sep 28, 20188.47+1.47Minor2,498
36Aug 1, 20258.33+1.33Minor2,440
37Dec 26, 20098.24+1.24Minor2,460
38Apr 1, 19988.06+1.06Minor2,280
39Oct 8, 20058.02+1.02Minor2,370
40Sep 2, 20217.90+0.90Minor2,120
41Sep 16, 19997.88+0.88Minor2,210
42Jan 11, 20147.82+0.82Minor2,294
43May 16, 20147.77+0.77Minor2,275
44Mar 11, 20157.77+0.77Minor2,275
45Dec 16, 20187.76+0.76Minor2,207
46Nov 10, 19907.54+0.54Minor2,080
47Sep 23, 20217.46+0.46Minor1,970
48Mar 4, 19937.18+0.18Minor1,930
49Apr 17, 20006.00−1.00Action1,490

The worst floods along the Gunpowder Falls

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

September 8, 2011: 16.50 ft here, major flooding

  • ParktonMD · Sep 8, 2011 · 11.62 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • HoffmanvilleMD · Sep 8, 2011 · 6.93 ft · Minor

July 25, 2018: 14.56 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Gunpowder Falls

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

Flood gauges on the Gunpowder Falls
HoffmanvilleMD6.010.02 ft, Aug 28, 20091
ParktonMD10.011.62 ft, Sep 8, 20110
Glencoe this gaugeMD7.016.50 ft, Sep 8, 20119

Other gauges in Baltimore County

Flood gauges in Baltimore County
Broadmoor4.06.08 ft, Jun 22, 19720
Cockeysville9.012.10 ft, Jul 1, 19847
Bentley Springs5.57.30 ft, Jul 25, 20180
Woodlawn10.012.24 ft, Jul 30, 20160
Franklintown10.012.50 ft, Jun 22, 19720
Woodlawn9.012.16 ft, Jul 30, 20160
Catonsville9.011.29 ft, Jul 30, 20160
Arbutus7.013.25 ft, Aug 26, 19991
Beckleysville7.07.27 ft, Jul 24, 20180
Beckleysville6.07.85 ft, Jul 23, 20180
Hoffmanville6.010.02 ft, Aug 28, 20091
Parkton10.011.62 ft, Sep 8, 20110
Villa Nova11.021.50 ft, Jun 22, 19721
White Marsh6.013.51 ft, Oct 19, 20240
Sorrento17.018.11 ft, Jun 22, 19720
Blue Mount8.518.54 ft, Jun 22, 19724
Laurel Brook7.511.40 ft, Jul 1, 19840
Glen Arm10.011.15 ft, Jul 14, 20150
Ellicott City122.5124.78 ft, May 27, 20180
Hollofield11.031.30 ft, Jun 22, 19721
Catonsville20.027.15 ft, May 27, 20180
Dover8.510.86 ft, Jul 24, 20180
Rockdale7.07.83 ft, Jul 31, 20160
Woodlawn7.08.15 ft, Jul 30, 20160
Middle River10.813.06 ft, Aug 7, 20180
Idlewylde9.010.87 ft, Aug 14, 20120
Western Run8.026.00 ft, Jun 22, 19723
White Marsh11.018.49 ft, Aug 1, 19711

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge GCEM2, 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.