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North Branch Potomac River at Cumberland

Highest listed crest 29.20 ftFlood stage 17.0 ft68 crests since 1889

The North Branch Potomac River at Cumberland crested at major flood stage 9 times among the 68 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1889 to 2025. The highest, 29.20 ft on June 1, 1889, was major flooding, 12.20 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
29.20 ft
June 1, 1889; 89,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
17.0 ft
Major flooding from 23.0 ft
Crests at major
9
7th of 108 gauges in Maryland
Most recent flood crest
May 14, 2025
23.58 ft, major flooding
Location
Allegany County
Near Cumberland (2.2 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, North Branch Potomac River at Cumberland
Action stage12.036May 18, 2011The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)17.021Sep 2, 2021Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage21.02Sep 7, 1996Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage23.09May 14, 2025Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

68 crests from 1889 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the North Branch Potomac River at Cumberland, 1889 to 2025 1015202530ft Flood stage 17.0 ftMajor 23.0 ft Jun 1, 1889: 29.20 ft, major flooding; 89,000 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1924: 28.40 ft, major flooding; 82,000 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1932: 19.20 ft, minor flooding; 28,200 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1933: 17.80 ft, minor flooding; 23,400 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 1934: 14.60 ft, action stage; 16,800 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1935: 12.50 ft, action stage; 12,800 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1936: 29.10 ft, major flooding; 88,200 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1937: 24.20 ft, major flooding; 51,700 cubic feet per secondOct 28, 1937: 25.10 ft, major flooding; 57,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 1939: 16.75 ft, action stage; 21,500 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1940: 14.57 ft, action stage; 16,800 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1941: 16.54 ft, action stage; 20,800 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 1942: 24.04 ft, major flooding; 50,500 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 1942: 17.12 ft, minor flooding; 22,200 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1944: 13.75 ft, action stage; 15,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 1945: 15.30 ft, action stage; 18,200 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1948: 16.00 ft, action stage; 19,600 cubic feet per secondDec 16, 1948: 15.50 ft, action stage; 18,600 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1951: 17.65 ft, minor flooding; 23,100 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1952: 16.69 ft, action stage; 20,700 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 1954: 23.85 ft, major flooding; 38,500 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 1955: 22.60 ft, moderate flooding; 34,300 cubic feet per secondAug 6, 1956: 14.82 ft, action stage; 16,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 1957: 16.00 ft, action stage; 18,700 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1958: 15.19 ft, action stage; 17,200 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1960: 17.34 ft, minor flooding; 22,200 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1960: 17.36 ft, minor flooding; 22,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1961: 18.84 ft, minor flooding; 25,300 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1962: 16.15 ft, action stage; 20,300 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1963: 17.96 ft, minor flooding; 23,500 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1963: 17.42 ft, minor flooding; 22,600 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1964: 19.48 ft, minor flooding; 26,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1966: 12.92 ft, action stage; 14,700 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1967: 18.91 ft, minor flooding; 25,400 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1968: 16.00 ft, action stage; 20,000 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1970: 17.25 ft, minor flooding; 22,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 1971: 12.31 ft, action stage; 13,600 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1972: 14.55 ft, action stage; 17,400 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 1972: 15.66 ft, action stage; 19,400 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 1974: 12.47 ft, action stage; 13,900 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1975: 15.39 ft, action stage; 18,900 cubic feet per secondOct 9, 1976: 15.00 ft, action stage; 18,200 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 1978: 17.85 ft, minor flooding; 23,500 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1979: 16.19 ft, action stage; 20,400 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1980: 12.25 ft, action stage; 13,700 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1981: 12.35 ft, action stage; 13,900 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1983: 13.08 ft, action stage; 15,100 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1984: 17.60 ft, minor flooding; 23,100 cubic feet per secondNov 5, 1985: 18.85 ft, minor flooding; 25,500 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1988: 13.06 ft, action stage; 15,000 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1989: 12.17 ft, action stage; 13,600 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1993: 19.05 ft, minor flooding; 25,900 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1994: 12.96 ft, action stage; 14,900 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1995: 12.56 ft, action stage; 14,200 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1996: 25.56 ft, major flooding; 59,200 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 1996: 22.55 ft, moderate floodingDec 2, 1996: 12.91 ft, action stage; 14,800 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1998: 12.91 ft, action stage; 14,800 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 2003: 13.81 ft, action stage; 16,300 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 2004: 15.54 ft, action stage; 19,600 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2005: 17.88 ft, minor flooding; 24,100 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 2009: 17.43 ft, minor flooding; 23,500 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2010: 17.46 ft, minor flooding; 23,500 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2011: 16.27 ft, action stageMay 18, 2011: 16.53 ft, action stageSep 10, 2018: 18.51 ft, minor flooding; 25,083 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2021: 18.34 ft, minor flooding; 24,765 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2025: 23.58 ft, major flooding; 36,852 cubic feet per second Highest, 29.20 ft, Jun 1, 1889 1900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, North Branch Potomac River at Cumberland 1880s: 1 1890s: 0 1900s: 0 1910s: 0 1920s: 1 1930s: 5 1940s: 2 1950s: 3 1960s: 7 7 1970s: 2 1980s: 2 1990s: 3 2000s: 2 2010s: 2 2020s: 2 1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
  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 68 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, North Branch Potomac River at Cumberland
1Jun 1, 188929.20+12.20Major89,000
2Mar 17, 193629.10+12.10Major88,200
3Mar 29, 192428.40+11.40Major82,000
4Jan 19, 199625.56+8.56Major59,200
5Oct 28, 193725.10+8.10Major57,400
6Apr 26, 193724.20+7.20Major51,700
7Oct 15, 194224.04+7.04Major50,500
8Oct 16, 195423.85+6.85Major38,500
9May 14, 202523.58+6.58Major36,852
10Aug 18, 195522.60+5.60Moderate34,300
11Sep 7, 199622.55+5.55Moderate—
12Apr 29, 196419.48+2.48Minor26,600
13May 13, 193219.20+2.20Minor28,200
14Apr 16, 199319.05+2.05Minor25,900
15Mar 7, 196718.91+1.91Minor25,400
16Nov 5, 198518.85+1.85Minor25,500
17Feb 26, 196118.84+1.84Minor25,300
18Sep 10, 201818.51+1.51Minor25,083
19Sep 2, 202118.34+1.34Minor24,765
20Mar 5, 196317.96+0.96Minor23,500
21Mar 29, 200517.88+0.88Minor24,100
22Jul 4, 197817.85+0.85Minor23,500
23Mar 14, 193317.80+0.80Minor23,400
24Jun 13, 195117.65+0.65Minor23,100
25Apr 5, 198417.60+0.60Minor23,100
26Mar 13, 201017.46+0.46Minor23,500
27May 4, 200917.43+0.43Minor23,500
28Mar 20, 196317.42+0.42Minor22,600
29May 8, 196017.36+0.36Minor22,200
30Mar 31, 196017.34+0.34Minor22,200
31Apr 2, 197017.25+0.25Minor22,200
32Dec 30, 194217.12+0.12Minor22,200
33Feb 4, 193916.75−0.25Action21,500
34Mar 11, 195216.69−0.31Action20,700
35Jun 4, 194116.54−0.46Action20,800
36May 18, 201116.53−0.47Action—
37Mar 11, 201116.27−0.73Action—
38Mar 6, 197916.19−0.81Action20,400
39Mar 21, 196216.15−0.85Action20,300
40Apr 13, 194816.00−1.00Action19,600
41Feb 10, 195716.00−1.00Action18,700
42May 24, 196816.00−1.00Action20,000
43Dec 9, 197215.66−1.34Action19,400
44Sep 9, 200415.54−1.46Action19,600
45Dec 16, 194815.50−1.50Action18,600
46Mar 19, 197515.39−1.61Action18,900
47Feb 27, 194515.30−1.70Action18,200
48May 6, 195815.19−1.81Action17,200
49Oct 9, 197615.00−2.00Action18,200
50Aug 6, 195614.82−2.18Action16,500

The worst floods along the North Branch Potomac River

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

March 17, 1936: 29.10 ft here, major flooding

  • LukeMD · Mar 17, 1936 · 16.76 ft · Major

March 29, 1924: 28.40 ft here, major flooding

  • LukeMD · Mar 25, 1924 · 17.00 ft · Major

January 19, 1996: 25.56 ft here, major flooding

  • KitzmillerMD · Jan 19, 1996 · 12.88 ft · Moderate
  • SteyerMD · Jan 19, 1996 · 11.75 ft · Minor

Gauges on the North Branch Potomac River

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

Flood gauges on the North Branch Potomac River
SteyerMD9.013.14 ft, Nov 5, 19853
KitzmillerMD9.014.85 ft, Nov 5, 19850
LukeMD10.517.15 ft, Oct 15, 19544
Cumberland this gaugeMD17.029.20 ft, Jun 1, 18899

Other gauges in Allegany County

Flood gauges in Allegany County
Franklin/Westernport9.115.20 ft, May 13, 20252
Luke10.517.15 ft, Oct 15, 19544
Paw Paw25.054.00 ft, Mar 18, 19368
Oldtown14.019.00 ft, Mar 17, 19360
Cumberland10.023.11 ft, Jan 19, 19966

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CBEM2, 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.