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South Branch Pawtuxet River at Washington

Highest listed crest 9.22 ftFlood stage 4.0 ft24 crests since 1954

The South Branch Pawtuxet River at Washington crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 24 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1954 to 2024. The highest, 9.22 ft on March 31, 2010, was major flooding, 5.22 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
9.22 ft
March 31, 2010; 4,649 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
4.0 ft
Major flooding from 7.0 ft
Crests at major
1
9th of 16 gauges in Rhode Island
Most recent flood crest
January 14, 2024
4.48 ft, minor flooding
Location
Kent County
Near Cranston (6.9 mi), Warwick (7.6 mi), Providence (11.9 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, South Branch Pawtuxet River at Washington
Action stage3.510Mar 29, 2005The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)4.013Jan 14, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage5.80—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage7.01Mar 31, 2010Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

24 crests from 1954 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the South Branch Pawtuxet River at Washington, 1954 to 2024 246810ft Flood stage 4.0 ftMajor 7.0 ft Sep 12, 1954: 4.11 ft, minor flooding; 1,320 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1967: 3.62 ft, action stage; 9,026 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1968: 5.13 ft, minor flooding; 1,860 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1970: 3.96 ft, action stage; 15,306 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1972: 3.68 ft, action stage; 9,386 cubic feet per secondDec 7, 1972: 3.62 ft, action stage; 9,026 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1977: 3.63 ft, action stage; 9,106 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1978: 4.47 ft, minor flooding; 1,420 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1979: 4.95 ft, minor flooding; 1,730 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1980: 4.66 ft, minor flooding; 1,550 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1982: 5.30 ft, minor flooding; 1,980 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1983: 4.75 ft, minor flooding; 1,600 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1984: 4.21 ft, minor flooding; 1,260 cubic feet per secondDec 4, 1986: 3.79 ft, action stage; 10,006 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1998: 3.76 ft, action stage; 9,866 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 2001: 3.90 ft, action stage; 10,706 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2004: 3.76 ft, action stageMar 29, 2005: 3.57 ft, action stageOct 16, 2005: 4.86 ft, minor floodingMar 15, 2010: 5.44 ft, minor flooding; 2,076 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 2010: 4.02 ft, minor flooding; 1,142 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2010: 9.22 ft, major flooding; 4,649 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 2023: 4.74 ft, minor flooding; 1,809 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 2024: 4.48 ft, minor flooding; 1,630 cubic feet per second Highest, 9.22 ft, Mar 31, 2010 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, South Branch Pawtuxet River at Washington 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 2 1980s: 4 4 1990s: 0 2000s: 1 2010s: 3 2020s: 2 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, South Branch Pawtuxet River at Washington
1Mar 31, 20109.22+5.22Major4,649
2Mar 15, 20105.44+1.44Minor2,076
3Jun 6, 19825.30+1.30Minor1,980
4Mar 18, 19685.13+1.13Minor1,860
5Jan 25, 19794.95+0.95Minor1,730
6Oct 16, 20054.86+0.86Minor—
7Apr 25, 19834.75+0.75Minor1,600
8Dec 19, 20234.74+0.74Minor1,809
9Mar 22, 19804.66+0.66Minor1,550
10Jan 14, 20244.48+0.48Minor1,630
11Jan 27, 19784.47+0.47Minor1,420
12Jun 1, 19844.21+0.21Minor1,260
13Sep 12, 19544.11+0.11Minor1,320
14Mar 24, 20104.02+0.02Minor1,142
15Apr 3, 19703.96−0.04Action15,306
16Mar 23, 20013.90−0.10Action10,706
17Dec 4, 19863.79−0.21Action10,006
18Jun 15, 19983.76−0.24Action9,866
19Apr 14, 20043.76−0.24Action—
20Mar 4, 19723.68−0.32Action9,386
21Mar 23, 19773.63−0.37Action9,106
22May 26, 19673.62−0.38Action9,026
23Dec 7, 19723.62−0.38Action9,026
24Mar 29, 20053.57−0.43Action—

Kent County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Rhode Island

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WASR1, 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.