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North Branch Potomac River at Luke

Highest listed crest 17.15 ftFlood stage 10.5 ft25 crests since 1924

The North Branch Potomac River at Luke crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 25 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1924 to 2003. The highest, 17.15 ft on October 15, 1954, was major flooding, 6.65 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the North Branch Potomac River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
17.15 ft
October 15, 1954; 39,400 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
10.5 ft
Major flooding from 15.0 ft
Crests at major
4
17th of 108 gauges in Maryland
Most recent flood crest
July 3, 1978
14.87 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Allegany County
Maryland

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 Luke
Action stage9.014May 11, 2003The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.55May 24, 1968Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage12.52Jul 3, 1978Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage15.04Aug 17, 1955Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

25 crests from 1924 to 2003. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the North Branch Potomac River at Luke, 1924 to 2003 81012141618ft Flood stage 10.5 ftMajor 15.0 ft Mar 25, 1924: 17.00 ft, major flooding; 51,000 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1936: 16.76 ft, major flooding; 37,400 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1954: 9.35 ft, action stage; 10,500 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 1954: 17.15 ft, major flooding; 39,400 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 1955: 15.53 ft, major flooding; 31,000 cubic feet per secondAug 6, 1956: 11.48 ft, minor flooding; 158,006 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 1957: 10.58 ft, minor flooding; 132,006 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1958: 9.82 ft, action stage; 11,100 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1960: 10.33 ft, action stage; 12,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1961: 14.21 ft, moderate floodingMar 5, 1963: 11.83 ft, minor flooding; 168,006 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1964: 10.00 ft, action stage; 11,200 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 1966: 9.28 ft, action stage; 9,370 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1967: 11.13 ft, minor flooding; 145,006 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1968: 10.84 ft, minor flooding; 136,006 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 1970: 9.28 ft, action stage; 9,370 cubic feet per secondDec 8, 1972: 10.47 ft, action stage; 12,500 cubic feet per secondOct 9, 1976: 9.21 ft, action stage; 9,230 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 1978: 14.87 ft, moderate flooding; 28,200 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1983: 9.18 ft, action stage; 8,690 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1984: 9.72 ft, action stage; 10,000 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1988: 9.76 ft, action stage; 10,100 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1993: 9.83 ft, action stage; 10,700 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 1996: 10.26 ft, action stage; 11,800 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 2003: 9.49 ft, action stage; 9,610 cubic feet per second Highest, 17.15 ft, Oct 15, 1954 19301940195019601970198019902000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, North Branch Potomac River at Luke 1920s: 1 1930s: 1 1940s: 0 1950s: 4 4 1960s: 4 1970s: 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s
  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, North Branch Potomac River at Luke
1Oct 15, 195417.15+6.65Major39,400
2Mar 25, 192417.00+6.50Major51,000
3Mar 17, 193616.76+6.26Major37,400
4Aug 17, 195515.53+5.03Major31,000
5Jul 3, 197814.87+4.37Moderate28,200
6Feb 18, 196114.21+3.71Moderate—
7Mar 5, 196311.83+1.33Minor168,006
8Aug 6, 195611.48+0.98Minor158,006
9Mar 7, 196711.13+0.63Minor145,006
10May 24, 196810.84+0.34Minor136,006
11Feb 10, 195710.58+0.08Minor132,006
12Dec 8, 197210.47−0.03Action12,500
13Mar 30, 196010.33−0.17Action12,500
14Sep 7, 199610.26−0.24Action11,800
15Mar 5, 196410.00−0.50Action11,200
16Apr 1, 19939.83−0.67Action10,700
17Apr 7, 19589.82−0.68Action11,100
18May 6, 19889.76−0.74Action10,100
19Apr 5, 19849.72−0.78Action10,000
20May 11, 20039.49−1.01Action9,610
21Mar 1, 19549.35−1.15Action10,500
22May 1, 19669.28−1.22Action9,370
23Jan 29, 19709.28−1.22Action9,370
24Oct 9, 19769.21−1.29Action9,230
25Apr 24, 19839.18−1.32Action8,690

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.

October 15, 1954: 17.15 ft here, major flooding

  • CumberlandMD · Oct 16, 1954 · 23.85 ft · Major
  • SteyerMD · Oct 15, 1954 · 13.00 ft · Major
  • KitzmillerMD · Oct 15, 1954 · 13.50 ft · Moderate

March 25, 1924: 17.00 ft here, major flooding

March 17, 1936: 16.76 ft here, major flooding

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
Luke this gaugeMD10.517.15 ft, Oct 15, 19544
CumberlandMD17.029.20 ft, Jun 1, 18899

Other gauges in Allegany County

Flood gauges in Allegany County
Franklin/Westernport9.115.20 ft, May 13, 20252
Cumberland17.029.20 ft, Jun 1, 18899
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 LUKM2, 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.