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Difficult Run near Great Falls

Highest listed crest 21.40 ftFlood stage 11.0 ft63 crests since 1936

The Difficult Run near Great Falls crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 63 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1936 to 2021. The highest, 21.40 ft on June 22, 1972, was major flooding, 10.40 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
21.40 ft
June 22, 1972; 32,200 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
11.0 ft
Major flooding from 20.0 ft
Crests at major
1
90th of 242 gauges in Virginia
Most recent flood crest
July 8, 2019
12.95 ft, minor flooding
Location
Fairfax County
Near Vienna (5.4 mi), Falls Church (7.3 mi), Herndon (7.6 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Difficult Run near Great Falls
Action stage9.040Sep 1, 2021The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)11.016Jul 8, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage13.06Sep 8, 2011Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage20.01Jun 22, 1972Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

63 crests from 1936 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Difficult Run near Great Falls, 1936 to 2021 510152025ft Flood stage 11.0 ftMajor 20.0 ft Jun 13, 1936: 10.58 ft, action stage; 2,890 cubic feet per secondOct 28, 1937: 10.64 ft, action stage; 2,890 cubic feet per secondNov 13, 1937: 9.04 ft, action stage; 1,820 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 1942: 10.50 ft, action stage; 2,820 cubic feet per secondSep 1, 1952: 9.17 ft, action stage; 1,940 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 1955: 10.70 ft, action stage; 2,960 cubic feet per secondJul 21, 1956: 10.96 ft, action stage; 3,190 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 1957: 9.05 ft, action stage; 1,820 cubic feet per secondAug 25, 1967: 13.18 ft, moderate flooding; 6,610 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 1968: 9.37 ft, action stage; 2,030 cubic feet per secondJul 23, 1969: 10.97 ft, action stage; 3,360 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1971: 9.07 ft, action stage; 1,850 cubic feet per secondOct 25, 1971: 9.40 ft, action stage; 2,030 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1972: 21.40 ft, major flooding; 32,200 cubic feet per secondAug 31, 1975: 9.10 ft, action stage; 1,850 cubic feet per secondSep 26, 1975: 13.82 ft, moderate flooding; 7,770 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1976: 9.59 ft, action stage; 2,160 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1978: 11.11 ft, minor flooding; 3,480 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1979: 9.87 ft, action stage; 2,370 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 1979: 11.54 ft, minor flooding; 3,960 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 1979: 9.53 ft, action stage; 2,090 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1983: 9.21 ft, action stage; 1,920 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 1985: 9.33 ft, action stage; 1,990 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1988: 11.75 ft, minor flooding; 4,310 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1989: 13.31 ft, moderate flooding; 6,810 cubic feet per secondOct 23, 1990: 10.89 ft, action stage; 3,050 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1993: 9.09 ft, action stage; 1,840 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1993: 12.04 ft, minor flooding; 4,720 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1996: 11.25 ft, minor flooding; 3,660 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 1996: 11.15 ft, minor flooding; 3,540 cubic feet per secondOct 19, 1996: 10.15 ft, action stage; 2,570 cubic feet per secondNov 8, 1996: 10.11 ft, action stage; 2,540 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1997: 9.61 ft, action stage; 2,170 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1998: 9.08 ft, action stage; 2,060 cubic feet per secondFeb 5, 1998: 9.29 ft, action stage; 2,180 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1998: 10.51 ft, action stage; 3,030 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2001: 9.11 ft, action stage; 2,070 cubic feet per secondAug 11, 2001: 12.03 ft, minor flooding; 4,830 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 2003: 9.56 ft, action stage; 2,350 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 2003: 10.35 ft, action stage; 2,900 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 2003: 11.71 ft, minor flooding; 4,400 cubic feet per secondDec 11, 2003: 12.20 ft, minor flooding; 5,070 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 2005: 9.17 ft, action stage; 2,110 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 2005: 10.66 ft, action stage; 3,170 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 2005: 9.04 ft, action stage; 2,030 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 2005: 9.28 ft, action stage; 2,180 cubic feet per secondOct 8, 2005: 9.83 ft, action stage; 2,530 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2006: 15.01 ft, moderate flooding; 10,200 cubic feet per secondNov 16, 2006: 11.61 ft, minor flooding; 4,270 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2008: 12.38 ft, minor flooding; 5,330 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 2008: 16.62 ft, moderate flooding; 14,300 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2009: 9.43 ft, action stage; 2,270 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 2009: 9.05 ft, action stage; 1,930 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 2010: 9.94 ft, action stage; 2,520 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 2011: 17.54 ft, moderate flooding; 17,000 cubic feet per secondOct 13, 2011: 9.15 ft, action stage; 2,100 cubic feet per secondOct 30, 2012: 9.99 ft, action stage; 2,650 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2014: 12.57 ft, minor flooding; 5,614 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2014: 12.23 ft, minor flooding; 5,111 cubic feet per secondJul 22, 2018: 12.99 ft, minor flooding; 5,968 cubic feet per secondAug 1, 2018: 11.08 ft, minor flooding; 3,627 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 2019: 12.95 ft, minor flooding; 5,641 cubic feet per secondSep 1, 2021: 9.71 ft, action stage; 3,550 cubic feet per second Highest, 21.40 ft, Jun 22, 1972 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Difficult Run near Great Falls 1930s: 0 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 1 1970s: 4 1980s: 2 1990s: 3 2000s: 7 7 2010s: 6 2020s: 0 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 63 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Difficult Run near Great Falls
1Jun 22, 197221.40+10.40Major32,200
2Sep 8, 201117.54+6.54Moderate17,000
3Sep 6, 200816.62+5.62Moderate14,300
4Jun 26, 200615.01+4.01Moderate10,200
5Sep 26, 197513.82+2.82Moderate7,770
6May 6, 198913.31+2.31Moderate6,810
7Aug 25, 196713.18+2.18Moderate6,610
8Jul 22, 201812.99+1.99Minor5,968
9Jul 8, 201912.95+1.95Minor5,641
10Apr 30, 201412.57+1.57Minor5,614
11May 12, 200812.38+1.38Minor5,330
12May 16, 201412.23+1.23Minor5,111
13Dec 11, 200312.20+1.20Minor5,070
14Nov 28, 199312.04+1.04Minor4,720
15Aug 11, 200112.03+1.03Minor4,830
16May 19, 198811.75+0.75Minor4,310
17Sep 23, 200311.71+0.71Minor4,400
18Nov 16, 200611.61+0.61Minor4,270
19Sep 6, 197911.54+0.54Minor3,960
20Jan 19, 199611.25+0.25Minor3,660
21Sep 6, 199611.15+0.15Minor3,540
22Jan 26, 197811.11+0.11Minor3,480
23Aug 1, 201811.08+0.08Minor3,627
24Jul 23, 196910.97−0.03Action3,360
25Jul 21, 195610.96−0.04Action3,190
26Oct 23, 199010.89−0.11Action3,050
27Aug 13, 195510.70−0.30Action2,960
28Mar 28, 200510.66−0.34Action3,170
29Oct 28, 193710.64−0.36Action2,890
30Jun 13, 193610.58−0.42Action2,890
31Mar 21, 199810.51−0.49Action3,030
32Oct 16, 194210.50−0.50Action2,820
33Jun 19, 200310.35−0.65Action2,900
34Oct 19, 199610.15−0.85Action2,570
35Nov 8, 199610.11−0.89Action2,540
36Oct 30, 20129.99−1.01Action2,650
37Aug 18, 20109.94−1.06Action2,520
38Feb 26, 19799.87−1.13Action2,370
39Oct 8, 20059.83−1.17Action2,530
40Sep 1, 20219.71−1.29Action3,550
41May 26, 19979.61−1.39Action2,170
42Jan 1, 19769.59−1.41Action2,160
43Feb 22, 20039.56−1.44Action2,350
44Sep 22, 19799.53−1.47Action2,090
45May 26, 20099.43−1.57Action2,270
46Oct 25, 19719.40−1.60Action2,030
47Sep 10, 19689.37−1.63Action2,030
48Feb 12, 19859.33−1.67Action1,990
49Feb 5, 19989.29−1.71Action2,180
50Jul 8, 20059.28−1.72Action2,180

Gauges on the Difficult Run

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

Flood gauges on the Difficult Run
Browns Mill Road / Wolf TrapVA195.0196.37 ft, Jul 13, 20250
Great Falls this gaugeVA11.021.40 ft, Jun 22, 19721

Other gauges in Fairfax County

Flood gauges in Fairfax County
Woodburn Road / Strathmeade Springs251.5258.68 ft, Jul 13, 20250
Annandale9.516.32 ft, Sep 8, 20113
Manassas Park12.020.20 ft, Jul 22, 20180
Huntington - Metro Bridge11.012.92 ft, Sep 9, 20110
McLean9.010.54 ft, Dec 25, 20220
Browns Mill Road / Wolf Trap195.0196.37 ft, Jul 13, 20250
Chantilly9.09.21 ft, Sep 8, 20110
Fairview Lake318.0318.47 ft, Sep 8, 20110
New Alexandria Storm Water Pumping Station - Downstream5.57.51 ft, Jul 8, 20191
New Alexandria Tide Gate5.56.19 ft, Oct 29, 20210

Fairfax County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Virginia

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge GFLV2, 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.