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Potomac River at Paw Paw

Highest listed crest 54.00 ftFlood stage 25.0 ft40 crests since 1877

The Potomac River at Paw Paw crested at major flood stage 8 times among the 40 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1877 to 2025. The highest, 54.00 ft on March 18, 1936, was major flooding, 29.00 feet above flood stage. 6 other gauges on the Potomac River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 4 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
54.00 ft
March 18, 1936; 240,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
25.0 ft
Major flooding from 37.0 ft
Crests at major
8
9th of 108 gauges in Maryland
Most recent flood crest
May 14, 2025
30.20 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, Potomac River at Paw Paw
Action stage22.51Mar 11, 2011The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)25.022Dec 16, 2018Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage30.09May 14, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage37.08Sep 7, 1996Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

40 crests from 1877 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Potomac River at Paw Paw, 1877 to 2025 2030405060ft Flood stage 25.0 ftMajor 37.0 ft Nov 24, 1877: 45.00 ft, major floodingJun 1, 1889: 45.00 ft, major floodingMar 29, 1924: 43.50 ft, major floodingMay 1, 1928: 31.40 ft, moderate floodingMar 18, 1936: 54.00 ft, major flooding; 240,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 1939: 28.20 ft, minor flooding; 66,100 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1942: 26.98 ft, minor flooding; 58,500 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 1942: 38.36 ft, major flooding; 111,000 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 1942: 26.52 ft, minor flooding; 56,500 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1949: 33.91 ft, moderate flooding; 85,200 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1951: 25.87 ft, minor flooding; 53,400 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 1954: 25.06 ft, minor flooding; 50,300 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 1954: 32.24 ft, moderate flooding; 78,100 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 1955: 35.35 ft, moderate flooding; 91,600 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1960: 25.36 ft, minor flooding; 51,400 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1960: 28.27 ft, minor flooding; 62,300 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1963: 31.48 ft, moderate flooding; 75,000 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1964: 25.70 ft, minor flooding; 52,700 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1967: 30.24 ft, moderate flooding; 70,000 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1972: 28.83 ft, minor flooding; 64,500 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 1973: 26.41 ft, minor flooding; 55,300 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1975: 27.66 ft, minor flooding; 59,900 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 1976: 30.52 ft, moderate flooding; 71,100 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1978: 26.43 ft, minor flooding; 54,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1979: 29.13 ft, minor flooding; 65,300 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1983: 25.08 ft, minor flooding; 49,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 1984: 27.54 ft, minor flooding; 59,000 cubic feet per secondNov 5, 1985: 53.58 ft, major flooding; 235,000 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1986: 27.86 ft, minor flooding; 54,600 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1987: 25.93 ft, minor flooding; 53,000 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1993: 30.62 ft, moderate flooding; 71,300 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1996: 40.86 ft, major flooding; 122,000 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 1996: 43.45 ft, major flooding; 140,000 cubic feet per secondSep 20, 2003: 27.91 ft, minor floodingMar 11, 2011: 24.81 ft, action stageMay 19, 2011: 28.67 ft, minor flooding; 63,480 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 2018: 25.24 ft, minor flooding; 50,503 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 2018: 25.90 ft, minor flooding; 52,904 cubic feet per secondDec 16, 2018: 25.33 ft, minor flooding; 51,678 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2025: 30.20 ft, moderate flooding; 75,203 cubic feet per second Highest, 54.00 ft, Mar 18, 1936 18801900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Potomac River at Paw Paw 1870s: 1 1880s: 1 1890s: 0 1900s: 0 1910s: 0 1920s: 2 1930s: 2 1940s: 4 1950s: 4 1960s: 5 1970s: 6 6 1980s: 5 1990s: 3 2000s: 1 2010s: 4 2020s: 1 1870s1890s1910s1930s1950s1970s1990s2010s
  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, Potomac River at Paw Paw
1Mar 18, 193654.00+29.00Major240,000
2Nov 5, 198553.58+28.58Major235,000
3Nov 24, 187745.00+20.00Major—
4Jun 1, 188945.00+20.00Major—
5Mar 29, 192443.50+18.50Major—
6Sep 7, 199643.45+18.45Major140,000
7Jan 20, 199640.86+15.86Major122,000
8Oct 16, 194238.36+13.36Major111,000
9Aug 19, 195535.35+10.35Moderate91,600
10Jun 19, 194933.91+8.91Moderate85,200
11Oct 16, 195432.24+7.24Moderate78,100
12Mar 20, 196331.48+6.48Moderate75,000
13May 1, 192831.40+6.40Moderate—
14Apr 17, 199330.62+5.62Moderate71,300
15Oct 10, 197630.52+5.52Moderate71,100
16Mar 8, 196730.24+5.24Moderate70,000
17May 14, 202530.20+5.20Moderate75,203
18Feb 26, 197929.13+4.13Minor65,300
19Jun 23, 197228.83+3.83Minor64,500
20May 19, 201128.67+3.67Minor63,480
21May 9, 196028.27+3.27Minor62,300
22Feb 4, 193928.20+3.20Minor66,100
23Sep 20, 200327.91+2.91Minor—
24Mar 20, 198627.86+2.86Minor54,600
25Mar 20, 197527.66+2.66Minor59,900
26Feb 15, 198427.54+2.54Minor59,000
27May 23, 194226.98+1.98Minor58,500
28Dec 30, 194226.52+1.52Minor56,500
29Mar 15, 197826.43+1.43Minor54,900
30Dec 28, 197326.41+1.41Minor55,300
31Apr 17, 198725.93+0.93Minor53,000
32Sep 28, 201825.90+0.90Minor52,904
33Jun 14, 195125.87+0.87Minor53,400
34Apr 30, 196425.70+0.70Minor52,700
35Mar 31, 196025.36+0.36Minor51,400
36Dec 16, 201825.33+0.33Minor51,678
37Jun 3, 201825.24+0.24Minor50,503
38Apr 25, 198325.08+0.08Minor49,900
39Mar 2, 195425.06+0.06Minor50,300
40Mar 11, 201124.81−0.19Action—

The worst floods along the Potomac River

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

March 18, 1936: 54.00 ft here, major flooding

November 5, 1985: 53.58 ft here, major flooding

November 24, 1877: 45.00 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Potomac River

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

Flood gauges on the Potomac River
AlexandriaDC3.38.66 ft, Sep 19, 20032
Edwards FerryMD15.022.45 ft, Jun 5, 20180
Georgetown / Wisconsin AveDC6.017.72 ft, Oct 17, 19429
HancockMD25.047.60 ft, Mar 18, 19368
Harpers FerryMD18.036.50 ft, Mar 19, 193614
Lewisetta (IN MLLW)VA3.05.76 ft, Sep 1, 200611
Paw Paw this gaugeMD25.054.00 ft, Mar 18, 19368
Point of RocksMD16.041.03 ft, Mar 19, 193614
ShepherdstownWV15.042.07 ft, Mar 19, 193614
Washington DC (Little Falls)MD10.022.03 ft, Jun 24, 19724

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
Luke10.517.15 ft, Oct 15, 19544
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 PAWW2, 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.