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Potomac River at Point of Rocks

Highest listed crest 41.03 ftFlood stage 16.0 ft116 crests since 1817

The Potomac River at Point of Rocks crested at major flood stage 14 times among the 116 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1817 to 2025. The highest, 41.03 ft on March 19, 1936, was major flooding, 25.03 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
41.03 ft
March 19, 1936; 480,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
16.0 ft
Major flooding from 27.0 ft
Crests at major
14
3rd of 108 gauges in Maryland
Most recent flood crest
May 15, 2025
23.56 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Frederick County
Near Leesburg (11.6 mi), Frederick (13.3 mi)

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 Point of Rocks
Action stage11.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)16.063May 9, 2022Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage20.039May 15, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage27.014Sep 8, 1996Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

116 crests from 1817 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Potomac River at Point of Rocks, 1817 to 2025 1020304050ft Flood stage 16.0 ftMajor 27.0 ft Mar 13, 1817: 18.10 ft, minor flooding; 123,000 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1889: 40.20 ft, major flooding; 460,000 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 1896: 27.20 ft, major flooding; 204,000 cubic feet per secondAug 12, 1898: 18.00 ft, minor flooding; 127,000 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1901: 22.00 ft, moderate flooding; 161,000 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 1902: 29.00 ft, major flooding; 219,000 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1903: 16.60 ft, minor flooding; 110,000 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1907: 17.60 ft, minor flooding; 119,000 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1910: 23.50 ft, moderate flooding; 168,000 cubic feet per secondSep 1, 1911: 16.10 ft, minor flooding; 106,000 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1913: 20.00 ft, moderate flooding; 139,000 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1915: 20.00 ft, moderate flooding; 139,000 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1916: 18.30 ft, minor flooding; 124,000 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1918: 18.60 ft, minor flooding; 127,000 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1920: 16.40 ft, minor flooding; 109,000 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1924: 32.20 ft, major flooding; 277,000 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 1928: 21.30 ft, moderate flooding; 145,000 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1929: 24.94 ft, moderate flooding; 180,000 cubic feet per secondOct 23, 1929: 17.40 ft, minor flooding; 110,000 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1932: 23.34 ft, moderate flooding; 158,000 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1933: 19.30 ft, minor flooding; 123,000 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 1934: 19.78 ft, minor flooding; 128,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1936: 18.13 ft, minor flooding; 113,000 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1936: 41.03 ft, major flooding; 480,000 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1937: 33.86 ft, major flooding; 310,000 cubic feet per secondOct 30, 1937: 24.93 ft, moderate flooding; 175,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 5, 1939: 19.39 ft, minor flooding; 124,000 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1942: 21.13 ft, moderate flooding; 125,000 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 1942: 40.43 ft, major flooding; 418,000 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1942: 20.47 ft, moderate flooding; 126,000 cubic feet per secondSep 20, 1945: 21.98 ft, moderate flooding; 139,000 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1948: 16.04 ft, minor flooding; 8,700 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1949: 21.20 ft, moderate flooding; 132,000 cubic feet per secondDec 5, 1950: 20.75 ft, moderate flooding; 128,000 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 1950: 18.42 ft, minor flooding; 107,000 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1951: 17.52 ft, minor flooding; 99,000 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1952: 17.12 ft, minor flooding; 95,800 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1952: 20.67 ft, moderate flooding; 127,000 cubic feet per secondNov 23, 1952: 19.68 ft, minor flooding; 118,000 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1954: 18.65 ft, minor flooding; 109,000 cubic feet per secondOct 17, 1954: 21.02 ft, moderate flooding; 130,000 cubic feet per secondAug 20, 1955: 29.08 ft, major flooding; 214,000 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1960: 17.35 ft, minor flooding; 97,800 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1960: 18.25 ft, minor flooding; 105,000 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1960: 20.28 ft, moderate flooding; 124,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1961: 17.90 ft, minor flooding; 102,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 1961: 16.60 ft, minor flooding; 91,800 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1962: 19.45 ft, minor flooding; 116,000 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1963: 17.60 ft, minor flooding; 99,800 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1963: 20.47 ft, moderate flooding; 125,000 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1964: 16.00 ft, minor flooding; 87,000 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1965: 17.35 ft, minor flooding; 97,800 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1967: 22.53 ft, moderate flooding; 144,000 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1970: 16.64 ft, minor flooding; 92,100 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1972: 37.43 ft, major flooding; 347,000 cubic feet per secondOct 8, 1972: 18.28 ft, minor flooding; 106,000 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1973: 16.58 ft, minor flooding; 91,600 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 1973: 21.27 ft, moderate flooding; 132,000 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1975: 26.15 ft, moderate flooding; 181,000 cubic feet per secondSep 26, 1975: 24.35 ft, moderate flooding; 126,000 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 1976: 27.25 ft, major flooding; 193,000 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1978: 21.22 ft, moderate flooding; 132,000 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1978: 22.01 ft, moderate flooding; 139,000 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1978: 18.43 ft, minor flooding; 107,000 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1978: 17.67 ft, minor flooding; 100,000 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1979: 17.29 ft, minor flooding; 96,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 1979: 25.94 ft, moderate flooding; 178,000 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 1979: 16.19 ft, minor flooding; 87,800 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1982: 16.66 ft, minor flooding; 92,000 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1983: 19.21 ft, minor flooding; 115,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1984: 28.14 ft, major flooding; 199,000 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1984: 20.80 ft, moderate flooding; 128,000 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1984: 19.49 ft, minor flooding; 117,000 cubic feet per secondNov 7, 1985: 36.28 ft, major flooding; 309,000 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1986: 19.35 ft, minor flooding; 116,000 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1987: 23.49 ft, moderate flooding; 153,000 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 1988: 17.01 ft, minor flooding; 96,100 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1992: 16.25 ft, minor flooding; 90,000 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1993: 24.94 ft, moderate flooding; 167,000 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1993: 18.12 ft, minor flooding; 105,000 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1993: 18.19 ft, minor flooding; 106,000 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1993: 20.17 ft, moderate flooding; 123,000 cubic feet per secondNov 29, 1993: 19.25 ft, minor flooding; 115,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1994: 16.03 ft, minor flooding; 88,200 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1994: 17.78 ft, minor flooding; 102,000 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1994: 19.00 ft, minor flooding; 113,000 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1996: 36.34 ft, major flooding; 310,000 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1996: 16.53 ft, minor flooding; 92,200 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1996: 16.60 ft, minor flooding; 92,800 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 1996: 36.26 ft, major flooding; 309,000 cubic feet per secondNov 9, 1997: 17.37 ft, minor flooding; 99,100 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 1998: 19.92 ft, minor flooding; 122,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 1998: 17.99 ft, minor flooding; 104,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1998: 18.23 ft, minor flooding; 106,000 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1998: 20.24 ft, moderate flooding; 123,000 cubic feet per secondJan 3, 2003: 16.22 ft, minor floodingFeb 24, 2003: 16.50 ft, minor floodingMar 22, 2003: 16.85 ft, minor floodingSep 21, 2003: 23.12 ft, moderate floodingDec 12, 2003: 19.58 ft, minor floodingJan 27, 2010: 21.42 ft, moderate flooding; 134,200 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2010: 25.52 ft, moderate flooding; 172,200 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2011: 19.92 ft, minor flooding; 120,200 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2011: 22.52 ft, moderate flooding; 144,200 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2011: 22.15 ft, moderate flooding; 140,500 cubic feet per secondOct 31, 2012: 18.19 ft, minor flooding; 105,900 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2014: 22.62 ft, moderate flooding; 145,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 5, 2016: 16.00 ft, minor flooding; 88,000 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2018: 17.39 ft, minor flooding; 99,229 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2018: 25.83 ft, moderate flooding; 175,398 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 2018: 19.92 ft, minor flooding; 120,662 cubic feet per secondSep 29, 2018: 21.39 ft, moderate flooding; 133,687 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 2018: 22.40 ft, moderate flooding; 142,869 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 2021: 16.39 ft, minor flooding; 91,100 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 2022: 18.29 ft, minor flooding; 106,706 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 2025: 23.56 ft, moderate flooding; 153,641 cubic feet per second Highest, 41.03 ft, Mar 19, 1936 18401880192019602000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Potomac River at Point of Rocks 1810s: 1 1820s: 0 1830s: 0 1840s: 0 1850s: 0 1860s: 0 1870s: 0 1880s: 1 1890s: 2 1900s: 4 1910s: 6 1920s: 5 1930s: 8 1940s: 6 1950s: 9 1960s: 11 1970s: 15 1980s: 9 1990s: 18 18 2000s: 5 2010s: 13 2020s: 3 1810s1830s1850s1870s1890s1910s1930s1950s1970s1990s2010s
  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 116 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Potomac River at Point of Rocks
1Mar 19, 193641.03+25.03Major480,000
2Oct 16, 194240.43+24.43Major418,000
3Jun 2, 188940.20+24.20Major460,000
4Jun 23, 197237.43+21.43Major347,000
5Jan 21, 199636.34+20.34Major310,000
6Nov 7, 198536.28+20.28Major309,000
7Sep 8, 199636.26+20.26Major309,000
8Apr 27, 193733.86+17.86Major310,000
9May 13, 192432.20+16.20Major277,000
10Aug 20, 195529.08+13.08Major214,000
11Mar 2, 190229.00+13.00Major219,000
12Feb 16, 198428.14+12.14Major199,000
13Oct 11, 197627.25+11.25Major193,000
14Oct 1, 189627.20+11.20Major204,000
15Mar 21, 197526.15+10.15Moderate181,000
16Feb 27, 197925.94+9.94Moderate178,000
17Jun 5, 201825.83+9.83Moderate175,398
18Mar 15, 201025.52+9.52Moderate172,200
19Apr 18, 192924.94+8.94Moderate180,000
20Mar 6, 199324.94+8.94Moderate167,000
21Oct 30, 193724.93+8.93Moderate175,000
22Sep 26, 197524.35+8.35Moderate126,000
23May 15, 202523.56+7.56Moderate153,641
24Jun 18, 191023.50+7.50Moderate168,000
25Apr 18, 198723.49+7.49Moderate153,000
26May 14, 193223.34+7.34Moderate158,000
27Sep 21, 200323.12+7.12Moderate—
28May 17, 201422.62+6.62Moderate145,200
29Mar 8, 196722.53+6.53Moderate144,000
30Apr 18, 201122.52+6.52Moderate144,200
31Dec 17, 201822.40+6.40Moderate142,869
32May 19, 201122.15+6.15Moderate140,500
33Mar 16, 197822.01+6.01Moderate139,000
34Apr 22, 190122.00+6.00Moderate161,000
35Sep 20, 194521.98+5.98Moderate139,000
36Jan 27, 201021.42+5.42Moderate134,200
37Sep 29, 201821.39+5.39Moderate133,687
38May 2, 192821.30+5.30Moderate145,000
39Dec 28, 197321.27+5.27Moderate132,000
40Jan 28, 197821.22+5.22Moderate132,000
41Jun 20, 194921.20+5.20Moderate132,000
42May 24, 194221.13+5.13Moderate125,000
43Oct 17, 195421.02+5.02Moderate130,000
44Mar 30, 198420.80+4.80Moderate128,000
45Dec 5, 195020.75+4.75Moderate128,000
46Apr 29, 195220.67+4.67Moderate127,000
47Dec 31, 194220.47+4.47Moderate126,000
48Mar 21, 196320.47+4.47Moderate125,000
49May 10, 196020.28+4.28Moderate124,000
50Mar 22, 199820.24+4.24Moderate123,000

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 19, 1936: 41.03 ft here, major flooding

October 16, 1942: 40.43 ft here, major flooding

June 2, 1889: 40.20 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 PawMD25.054.00 ft, Mar 18, 19368
Point of Rocks this gaugeMD16.041.03 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 Frederick County

Flood gauges in Frederick County
Park Mills11.022.10 ft, Jun 21, 19721
Bridgeport13.025.42 ft, Jun 19, 19961
Monocacy Blvd. in Frederick17.825.86 ft, Sep 2, 20216
Frederick at Interstate 7015.035.90 ft, Jun 23, 197221

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PORM2, 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.