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Hawlings River near Sandy Spring

Highest listed crest 9.24 ftFlood stage 6.5 ft28 crests since 1979

The Hawlings River near Sandy Spring crested above flood stage 16 times among the 28 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1979 to 2018. The highest, 9.24 ft on January 19, 1996, was minor flooding, 2.74 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
9.24 ft
January 19, 1996; 5,180 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
6.5 ft
No major stage set
Crests at major
0
16 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
July 29, 2017
7.35 ft, minor flooding
Location
Montgomery County
Near Gaithersburg (9.5 mi), Rockville (9.5 mi), Laurel (10.2 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Hawlings River near Sandy Spring
Action stage5.012Dec 16, 2018The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)6.516Jul 29, 2017Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat

Every listed crest

28 crests from 1979 to 2018. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Hawlings River near Sandy Spring, 1979 to 2018 5678910ft Flood stage 6.5 ft Sep 6, 1979: 8.80 ft, minor flooding; 4,300 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 1979: 6.69 ft, minor flooding; 1,650 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1982: 5.08 ft, action stage; 918 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1983: 5.95 ft, action stage; 1,260 cubic feet per secondDec 13, 1983: 6.15 ft, action stage; 1,350 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 1985: 6.81 ft, minor flooding; 1,730 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 1986: 5.81 ft, action stage; 1,200 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1989: 8.35 ft, minor flooding; 3,520 cubic feet per secondOct 23, 1990: 7.99 ft, minor flooding; 2,960 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1993: 5.84 ft, action stage; 1,210 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1993: 8.33 ft, minor flooding; 3,490 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1996: 9.24 ft, minor flooding; 5,180 cubic feet per secondNov 8, 1996: 6.18 ft, action stage; 1,370 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1998: 8.55 ft, minor flooding; 3,860 cubic feet per secondSep 16, 1999: 5.43 ft, action stage; 1,050 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 2001: 8.79 ft, minor flooding; 4,290 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 2003: 7.40 ft, minor flooding; 2,590 cubic feet per secondDec 11, 2003: 8.32 ft, minor flooding; 3,730 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2006: 8.06 ft, minor flooding; 3,360 cubic feet per secondNov 16, 2006: 5.27 ft, action stage; 1,210 cubic feet per secondOct 29, 2012: 7.03 ft, minor flooding; 2,180 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 2013: 6.83 ft, minor flooding; 2,040 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2014: 8.19 ft, minor flooding; 3,830 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2015: 6.28 ft, action stage; 2,120 cubic feet per secondJul 31, 2016: 6.46 ft, action stage; 2,250 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 2017: 7.35 ft, minor flooding; 3,005 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2018: 5.11 ft, action stage; 1,380 cubic feet per secondDec 16, 2018: 6.07 ft, action stage; 1,970 cubic feet per second Highest, 9.24 ft, Jan 19, 1996 1980199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Hawlings River near Sandy Spring 1970s: 2 1980s: 2 1990s: 4 4 2000s: 4 2010s: 4 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Hawlings River near Sandy Spring
1Jan 19, 19969.24+2.74Minor5,180
2Sep 6, 19798.80+2.30Minor4,300
3Jun 22, 20018.79+2.29Minor4,290
4Jun 23, 19988.55+2.05Minor3,860
5May 6, 19898.35+1.85Minor3,520
6Nov 28, 19938.33+1.83Minor3,490
7Dec 11, 20038.32+1.82Minor3,730
8Apr 30, 20148.19+1.69Minor3,830
9Jun 26, 20068.06+1.56Minor3,360
10Oct 23, 19907.99+1.49Minor2,960
11Sep 23, 20037.40+0.90Minor2,590
12Jul 29, 20177.35+0.85Minor3,005
13Oct 29, 20127.03+0.53Minor2,180
14Jan 31, 20136.83+0.33Minor2,040
15Feb 12, 19856.81+0.31Minor1,730
16Oct 1, 19796.69+0.19Minor1,650
17Jul 31, 20166.46−0.04Action2,250
18Jun 27, 20156.28−0.22Action2,120
19Nov 8, 19966.18−0.32Action1,370
20Dec 13, 19836.15−0.35Action1,350
21Dec 16, 20186.07−0.43Action1,970
22Jun 21, 19835.95−0.55Action1,260
23Apr 16, 19935.84−0.66Action1,210
24Dec 25, 19865.81−0.69Action1,200
25Sep 16, 19995.43−1.07Action1,050
26Nov 16, 20065.27−1.23Action1,210
27Apr 16, 20185.11−1.39Action1,380
28Feb 3, 19825.08−1.42Action918

Other gauges in Montgomery County

Flood gauges in Montgomery County
Kemp Mill9.015.89 ft, Jun 22, 19720
Brighton Dam9.011.88 ft, Jan 31, 20130
Unity8.018.60 ft, Sep 11, 19711
Edwards Ferry15.022.45 ft, Jun 5, 20180
Washington DC (Little Falls)10.022.03 ft, Jun 24, 19724
Dawsonville7.516.40 ft, Jun 22, 19722
Takoma Park5.57.52 ft, Jul 19, 20250
Boyds7.09.68 ft, Sep 8, 20110
Clarksburg7.08.27 ft, Jul 30, 20160
Aspen Hill10.012.78 ft, Aug 12, 20100

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SANM2, 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.