Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Little Patuxent River near Guilford

Highest listed crest 18.38 ftFlood stage 12.0 ft66 crests since 1933

The Little Patuxent River near Guilford crested above flood stage 16 times among the 66 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1933 to 2021. The highest, 18.38 ft on June 22, 1972, was moderate flooding, 6.38 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Little Patuxent River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
18.38 ft
June 22, 1972; 12,400 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
12.0 ft
Major flooding from 20.0 ft
Crests at major
0
16 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
May 28, 2018
15.23 ft, minor flooding
Location
Howard County
Near Laurel (5.1 mi), Greenbelt (12.1 mi), College Park (12.7 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Little Patuxent River near Guilford
Action stage8.050Oct 29, 2021The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.015May 28, 2018Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage16.01Jun 22, 1972Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage20.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

66 crests from 1933 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Little Patuxent River near Guilford, 1933 to 2021 8101214161820ft Flood stage 12.0 ftMajor 20.0 ft Aug 23, 1933: 12.50 ft, minor flooding; 4,210 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 1934: 9.40 ft, action stage; 1,480 cubic feet per secondJan 3, 1936: 9.00 ft, action stage; 1,320 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1937: 10.30 ft, action stage; 2,000 cubic feet per secondNov 13, 1937: 10.10 ft, action stage; 1,820 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1940: 11.50 ft, action stage; 2,740 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 1942: 10.66 ft, action stage; 2,180 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1943: 9.17 ft, action stage; 1,400 cubic feet per secondNov 9, 1943: 10.46 ft, action stage; 2,060 cubic feet per secondJul 18, 1945: 12.22 ft, minor flooding; 3,810 cubic feet per secondDec 6, 1945: 8.28 ft, action stage; 1,080 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 1947: 8.02 ft, action stage; 815 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1948: 9.91 ft, action stage; 1,550 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1951: 10.47 ft, action stage; 1,970 cubic feet per secondSep 1, 1952: 13.26 ft, minor flooding; 5,300 cubic feet per secondNov 22, 1952: 10.20 ft, action stage; 2,000 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 1955: 12.11 ft, minor flooding; 3,790 cubic feet per secondOct 14, 1955: 8.37 ft, action stage; 1,010 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 1958: 9.02 ft, action stage; 1,230 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 1960: 8.34 ft, action stage; 1,000 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1961: 8.18 ft, action stage; 967 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1962: 9.12 ft, action stage; 1,280 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1964: 8.86 ft, action stage; 1,160 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1966: 8.94 ft, action stage; 1,200 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1967: 8.90 ft, action stage; 1,180 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 1968: 9.37 ft, action stage; 1,410 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 1971: 11.45 ft, action stage; 3,070 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1972: 18.38 ft, moderate flooding; 12,400 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1973: 10.08 ft, action stageMar 30, 1974: 8.70 ft, action stage; 1,110 cubic feet per secondSep 26, 1975: 13.39 ft, minor flooding; 5,370 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1976: 10.12 ft, action stage; 1,910 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1978: 11.92 ft, action stage; 3,670 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 1979: 12.84 ft, minor flooding; 4,680 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 1979: 8.71 ft, action stage; 1,110 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1981: 8.20 ft, action stage; 988 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1983: 10.93 ft, action stage; 2,780 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 1984: 8.69 ft, action stage; 1,490 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 1985: 8.53 ft, action stage; 1,430 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1989: 13.16 ft, minor flooding; 5,070 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1991: 9.93 ft, action stage; 2,060 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1993: 9.62 ft, action stage; 1,900 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1993: 11.42 ft, action stage; 3,180 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1996: 10.51 ft, action stage; 2,460 cubic feet per secondNov 8, 1996: 12.19 ft, minor flooding; 3,950 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1998: 8.91 ft, action stage; 1,570 cubic feet per secondSep 16, 1999: 10.60 ft, action stage; 2,520 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 2000: 9.31 ft, action stage; 1,750 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 2003: 10.74 ft, action stage; 2,630 cubic feet per secondDec 11, 2003: 9.12 ft, action stage; 1,660 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 2005: 8.76 ft, action stage; 1,510 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 2006: 15.09 ft, minor flooding; 7,450 cubic feet per secondNov 17, 2006: 8.20 ft, action stage; 1,320 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2008: 8.46 ft, action stage; 1,410 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2010: 9.73 ft, action stage; 1,960 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2011: 8.58 ft, action stageSep 7, 2011: 14.06 ft, minor floodingOct 30, 2012: 12.47 ft, minor flooding; 4,270 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2014: 14.02 ft, minor flooding; 6,124 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2015: 10.77 ft, action stage; 2,660 cubic feet per secondJul 31, 2016: 14.97 ft, minor flooding; 7,230 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 2017: 12.05 ft, minor flooding; 3,773 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2018: 15.23 ft, minor flooding; 7,590 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 2018: 11.27 ft, action stage; 3,078 cubic feet per secondDec 16, 2018: 9.41 ft, action stage; 1,800 cubic feet per secondOct 29, 2021: 8.91 ft, action stage; 1,580 cubic feet per second Highest, 18.38 ft, Jun 22, 1972 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Little Patuxent River near Guilford 1930s: 1 1940s: 1 1950s: 2 1960s: 0 1970s: 3 1980s: 1 1990s: 1 2000s: 1 2010s: 6 6 2020s: 0 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 66 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Little Patuxent River near Guilford
1Jun 22, 197218.38+6.38Moderate12,400
2May 28, 201815.23+3.23Minor7,590
3Jun 25, 200615.09+3.09Minor7,450
4Jul 31, 201614.97+2.97Minor7,230
5Sep 7, 201114.06+2.06Minor—
6May 1, 201414.02+2.02Minor6,124
7Sep 26, 197513.39+1.39Minor5,370
8Sep 1, 195213.26+1.26Minor5,300
9May 6, 198913.16+1.16Minor5,070
10Sep 6, 197912.84+0.84Minor4,680
11Aug 23, 193312.50+0.50Minor4,210
12Oct 30, 201212.47+0.47Minor4,270
13Jul 18, 194512.22+0.22Minor3,810
14Nov 8, 199612.19+0.19Minor3,950
15Aug 13, 195512.11+0.11Minor3,790
16Jul 29, 201712.05+0.05Minor3,773
17Jan 26, 197811.92−0.08Action3,670
18Apr 20, 194011.50−0.50Action2,740
19Aug 4, 197111.45−0.55Action3,070
20Nov 28, 199311.42−0.58Action3,180
21Jun 4, 201811.27−0.73Action3,078
22Jun 21, 198310.93−1.07Action2,780
23Jun 27, 201510.77−1.23Action2,660
24Sep 23, 200310.74−1.26Action2,630
25Jul 11, 194210.66−1.34Action2,180
26Sep 16, 199910.60−1.40Action2,520
27Jan 19, 199610.51−1.49Action2,460
28Jun 3, 195110.47−1.53Action1,970
29Nov 9, 194310.46−1.54Action2,060
30Apr 26, 193710.30−1.70Action2,000
31Nov 22, 195210.20−1.80Action2,000
32Jan 1, 197610.12−1.88Action1,910
33Nov 13, 193710.10−1.90Action1,820
34Apr 1, 197310.08−1.92Action—
35Mar 23, 19919.93−2.07Action2,060
36Feb 14, 19489.91−2.09Action1,550
37Mar 13, 20109.73−2.27Action1,960
38Mar 4, 19939.62−2.38Action1,900
39Dec 16, 20189.41−2.59Action1,800
40Sep 17, 19349.40−2.60Action1,480
41Jan 14, 19689.37−2.63Action1,410
42Dec 17, 20009.31−2.69Action1,750
43May 12, 19439.17−2.83Action1,400
44Mar 12, 19629.12−2.88Action1,280
45Dec 11, 20039.12−2.88Action1,660
46Jul 12, 19589.02−2.98Action1,230
47Jan 3, 19369.00−3.00Action1,320
48Feb 13, 19668.94−3.06Action1,200
49Mar 9, 19988.91−3.09Action1,570
50Oct 29, 20218.91−3.09Action1,580

The worst floods along the Little Patuxent River

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

June 22, 1972: 18.38 ft here, moderate flooding

  • SavageMD · Jun 22, 1972 · 25.40 ft · Major · its highest

May 28, 2018: 15.23 ft here, minor flooding

  • AllviewMD · May 28, 2018 · 284.53 ft · Major · its highest
  • SavageMD · May 28, 2018 · 16.31 ft · Moderate
  • Lake KittamaqundiMD · May 28, 2018 · 303.76 ft · Minor · its highest

June 25, 2006: 15.09 ft here, minor flooding

  • SavageMD · Jun 26, 2006 · 18.74 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Little Patuxent River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Little Patuxent River
AllviewMD280.0284.53 ft, May 28, 20181
Lake KittamaqundiMD298.5303.76 ft, May 28, 20180
Guilford this gaugeMD12.018.38 ft, Jun 22, 19720
SavageMD10.025.40 ft, Jun 22, 19721

Other gauges in Howard County

Flood gauges in Howard County
Rogers Avenue at Ellicott City258.0261.06 ft, May 27, 20181
Allview280.0284.53 ft, May 28, 20181
Lake Kittamaqundi298.5303.76 ft, May 28, 20180
Savage10.025.40 ft, Jun 22, 19721
Elkridge at Patapsco Valley State Park15.024.76 ft, May 27, 20184
Elkridge below Patapsco Valley State Park16.021.38 ft, Aug 4, 20180
Duckett Dam near Laurel9.525.00 ft, Jun 22, 19720

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge LPGM2, 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.