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Potomac River near Washington DC (Little Falls)

Highest listed crest 22.03 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft44 crests since 1967

The Potomac River near Washington DC (Little Falls) crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 44 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1967 to 2025. The highest, 22.03 ft on June 24, 1972, was major flooding, 12.03 feet above flood stage. 6 other gauges on the Potomac River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
22.03 ft
June 24, 1972; 359,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 14.0 ft
Crests at major
4
17th of 108 gauges in Maryland
Most recent flood crest
May 16, 2025
11.73 ft, minor flooding
Location
Montgomery County
Near Falls Church (5.2 mi), Washington (6.8 mi), Takoma Park (7.1 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 near Washington DC (Little Falls)
Action stage5.03Sep 9, 2011The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.029May 16, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage12.08Jun 5, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage14.04Sep 8, 1996Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

44 crests from 1967 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Potomac River near Washington DC (Little Falls), 1967 to 2025 510152025ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 14.0 ft Mar 9, 1967: 11.48 ft, minor flooding; 147,000 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1972: 22.03 ft, major flooding; 359,000 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 1973: 10.36 ft, minor flooding; 120,000 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1975: 12.23 ft, moderate flooding; 166,000 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 1975: 13.39 ft, moderate flooding; 195,000 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 1976: 13.18 ft, moderate flooding; 208,000 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1978: 10.47 ft, minor flooding; 145,000 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1978: 10.83 ft, minor flooding; 153,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1979: 13.12 ft, moderate flooding; 206,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1984: 13.73 ft, moderate flooding; 222,000 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1984: 10.74 ft, minor flooding; 151,000 cubic feet per secondNov 7, 1985: 17.99 ft, major flooding; 317,000 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1986: 10.09 ft, minor flooding; 136,000 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1987: 11.41 ft, minor flooding; 167,000 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 1993: 10.13 ft, minor floodingMar 6, 1993: 12.35 ft, moderate flooding; 189,000 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1993: 10.16 ft, minor flooding; 138,000 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1993: 10.55 ft, minor flooding; 147,000 cubic feet per secondNov 29, 1993: 10.09 ft, minor flooding; 136,000 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1994: 10.37 ft, minor flooding; 142,000 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1996: 19.29 ft, major flooding; 347,000 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 1996: 17.84 ft, major flooding; 314,000 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 1998: 10.43 ft, minor flooding; 144,000 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1998: 10.79 ft, minor flooding; 152,000 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 2003: 11.44 ft, minor flooding; 167,000 cubic feet per secondDec 12, 2003: 10.87 ft, minor flooding; 154,000 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2005: 10.28 ft, minor flooding; 140,000 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2007: 9.43 ft, action stage; 116,000 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2008: 10.04 ft, minor flooding; 135,000 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2009: 9.67 ft, action stage; 124,000 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 2010: 11.17 ft, minor flooding; 161,100 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2010: 12.82 ft, moderate flooding; 199,000 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2011: 10.88 ft, minor flooding; 156,200 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2011: 11.68 ft, minor flooding; 173,400 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2011: 11.30 ft, minor flooding; 164,000 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 2011: 9.78 ft, action stageOct 31, 2012: 10.33 ft, minor flooding; 141,600 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2014: 11.70 ft, minor flooding; 174,000 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2018: 12.38 ft, moderate flooding; 177,234 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 2018: 10.85 ft, minor flooding; 144,339 cubic feet per secondSep 29, 2018: 11.01 ft, minor flooding; 147,688 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 2018: 11.56 ft, minor flooding; 153,456 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 2022: 10.16 ft, minor flooding; 117,999 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2025: 11.73 ft, minor flooding; 160,200 cubic feet per second Highest, 22.03 ft, Jun 24, 1972 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Potomac River near Washington DC (Little Falls) 1960s: 1 1970s: 8 1980s: 5 1990s: 10 2000s: 4 2010s: 11 11 2020s: 2 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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.
  3. 55 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 15.25 ft on May 14, 1932; 12.80 ft on Apr 22, 1933; 10.57 ft on Aug 25, 1933; 13.50 ft on Dec 2, 1934; 10.37 ft on Feb 17, 1936; 14.69 ft on Feb 27, 1936; and more.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Potomac River near Washington DC (Little Falls)
1Jun 24, 197222.03+12.03Major359,000
2Jan 21, 199619.29+9.29Major347,000
3Nov 7, 198517.99+7.99Major317,000
4Sep 8, 199617.84+7.84Major314,000
5Feb 16, 198413.73+3.73Moderate222,000
6Sep 27, 197513.39+3.39Moderate195,000
7Oct 11, 197613.18+3.18Moderate208,000
8Feb 26, 197913.12+3.12Moderate206,000
9Mar 15, 201012.82+2.82Moderate199,000
10Jun 5, 201812.38+2.38Moderate177,234
11Mar 6, 199312.35+2.35Moderate189,000
12Mar 21, 197512.23+2.23Moderate166,000
13May 16, 202511.73+1.73Minor160,200
14May 18, 201411.70+1.70Minor174,000
15Apr 18, 201111.68+1.68Minor173,400
16Dec 17, 201811.56+1.56Minor153,456
17Mar 9, 196711.48+1.48Minor147,000
18Sep 21, 200311.44+1.44Minor167,000
19Apr 19, 198711.41+1.41Minor167,000
20May 20, 201111.30+1.30Minor164,000
21Jan 27, 201011.17+1.17Minor161,100
22Sep 29, 201811.01+1.01Minor147,688
23Mar 12, 201110.88+0.88Minor156,200
24Dec 12, 200310.87+0.87Minor154,000
25Sep 11, 201810.85+0.85Minor144,339
26Mar 16, 197810.83+0.83Minor153,000
27Mar 22, 199810.79+0.79Minor152,000
28Mar 30, 198410.74+0.74Minor151,000
29Apr 18, 199310.55+0.55Minor147,000
30Jan 28, 197810.47+0.47Minor145,000
31Jan 10, 199810.43+0.43Minor144,000
32Mar 30, 199410.37+0.37Minor142,000
33Dec 28, 197310.36+0.36Minor120,000
34Oct 31, 201210.33+0.33Minor141,600
35Mar 30, 200510.28+0.28Minor140,000
36Mar 25, 199310.16+0.16Minor138,000
37May 9, 202210.16+0.16Minor117,999
38Jan 29, 199310.13+0.13Minor—
39Mar 16, 198610.09+0.09Minor136,000
40Nov 29, 199310.09+0.09Minor136,000
41May 13, 200810.04+0.04Minor135,000
42Sep 9, 20119.78−0.22Action—
43May 6, 20099.67−0.33Action124,000
44Apr 17, 20079.43−0.57Action116,000

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.

June 24, 1972: 22.03 ft here, major flooding

January 21, 1996: 19.29 ft here, major flooding

November 7, 1985: 17.99 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 RocksMD16.041.03 ft, Mar 19, 193614
ShepherdstownWV15.042.07 ft, Mar 19, 193614
Washington DC (Little Falls) this gaugeMD10.022.03 ft, Jun 24, 19724

Other gauges in Montgomery County

Flood gauges in Montgomery County
Sandy Spring6.59.24 ft, Jan 19, 19960
Kemp Mill9.015.89 ft, Jun 22, 19720
Brighton Dam9.011.88 ft, Jan 31, 20130
Unity8.018.60 ft, Sep 11, 19711
Edwards Ferry15.022.45 ft, Jun 5, 20180
Dawsonville7.516.40 ft, Jun 22, 19722
Takoma Park5.57.52 ft, Jul 19, 20250
Boyds7.09.68 ft, Sep 8, 20110
Clarksburg7.08.27 ft, Jul 30, 20160
Aspen Hill10.012.78 ft, Aug 12, 20100

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BRKM2, 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.