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South Branch Potomac River near Petersburg

Highest listed crest 22.83 ftFlood stage 14.0 ft75 crests since 1877

The South Branch Potomac River near Petersburg crested at major flood stage 7 times among the 75 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1877 to 2021. The highest, 22.83 ft on June 17, 1949, was major flooding, 8.83 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the South Branch Potomac River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
22.83 ft
June 17, 1949; 62,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
14.0 ft
Major flooding from 17.0 ft
Crests at major
7
12th of 116 gauges in West Virginia
Most recent flood crest
April 16, 2018
16.93 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Grant County
West Virginia

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, South Branch Potomac River near Petersburg
Action stage12.020Mar 1, 2021The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)14.010May 16, 2014Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage15.04Apr 16, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage17.07Sep 6, 1996Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

75 crests from 1877 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the South Branch Potomac River near Petersburg, 1877 to 2021 10152025ft Flood stage 14.0 ftMajor 17.0 ft Nov 24, 1877: 21.20 ft, major flooding; 59,000 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1924: 19.20 ft, major flooding; 4,500,027 cubic feet per secondOct 22, 1929: 12.21 ft, action stage; 14,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 1932: 15.18 ft, moderate flooding; 28,300 cubic feet per secondAug 24, 1933: 10.20 ft, below flood stage; 11,900 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1936: 20.30 ft, major flooding; 49,800 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1937: 10.30 ft, below flood stage; 12,200 cubic feet per secondOct 24, 1937: 11.66 ft, below flood stage; 16,100 cubic feet per secondJan 30, 1939: 10.89 ft, below flood stage; 13,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1939: 14.60 ft, minor flooding; 26,000 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1939: 10.85 ft, below flood stage; 13,500 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1940: 14.50 ft, minor flooding; 25,600 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1942: 13.93 ft, action stage; 23,400 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1942: 13.69 ft, action stage; 22,600 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 1942: 10.12 ft, below flood stage; 11,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1948: 10.00 ft, below flood stage; 11,400 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1949: 10.78 ft, below flood stage; 13,500 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1949: 22.83 ft, major flooding; 62,000 cubic feet per secondDec 8, 1950: 10.95 ft, below flood stage; 14,800 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1951: 10.38 ft, below flood stage; 13,300 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1954: 11.50 ft, below flood stage; 16,200 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 1954: 13.34 ft, action stage; 21,600 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 1954: 11.02 ft, below flood stage; 14,800 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 1955: 12.86 ft, action stage; 20,300 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1960: 11.65 ft, below flood stage; 16,500 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1960: 10.09 ft, below flood stage; 12,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1961: 10.16 ft, below flood stage; 12,800 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1962: 11.11 ft, below flood stage; 15,100 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1963: 14.79 ft, minor flooding; 26,700 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1964: 12.37 ft, action stage; 18,700 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1967: 14.74 ft, minor flooding; 26,600 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1967: 10.92 ft, below flood stage; 14,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1972: 11.28 ft, below flood stage; 15,600 cubic feet per secondOct 6, 1972: 16.16 ft, moderate flooding; 32,100 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 1973: 13.13 ft, action stage; 21,000 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1974: 13.58 ft, action stage; 22,500 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1975: 12.73 ft, action stage; 19,800 cubic feet per secondOct 18, 1975: 13.47 ft, action stage; 22,200 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1976: 10.85 ft, below flood stage; 14,400 cubic feet per secondOct 9, 1976: 15.14 ft, moderate flooding; 28,100 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1977: 11.50 ft, below flood stage; 16,200 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1978: 13.93 ft, action stage; 23,600 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1978: 12.00 ft, action stage; 17,000 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1978: 10.03 ft, below flood stage; 12,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1979: 11.90 ft, below flood stage; 16,800 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1980: 12.21 ft, action stage; 17,600 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1980: 10.36 ft, below flood stage; 12,900 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1982: 13.45 ft, action stage; 21,900 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1983: 11.13 ft, below flood stage; 14,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1984: 13.10 ft, action stage; 20,700 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1985: 10.24 ft, below flood stage; 12,600 cubic feet per secondNov 5, 1985: 21.80 ft, major flooding; 130,000 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1993: 10.28 ft, below flood stageJan 15, 1995: 10.80 ft, below flood stageJan 19, 1996: 20.00 ft, major flooding; 82,000 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1996: 10.38 ft, below flood stage; 10,800 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1996: 10.33 ft, below flood stage; 10,600 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1996: 14.29 ft, minor flooding; 28,800 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1996: 10.37 ft, below flood stage; 10,800 cubic feet per secondJul 31, 1996: 11.21 ft, below flood stage; 13,800 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 1996: 22.20 ft, major flooding; 113,000 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 2002: 10.81 ft, below flood stage; 20,600 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 2003: 13.96 ft, action stageNov 19, 2003: 14.86 ft, minor flooding; 29,000 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2007: 14.07 ft, minor flooding; 24,700 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2008: 14.16 ft, minor flooding; 25,100 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2010: 14.86 ft, minor flooding; 29,000 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2011: 11.66 ft, below flood stage; 14,540 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2011: 13.56 ft, action stage; 22,300 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2011: 12.32 ft, action stage; 16,880 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2011: 11.80 ft, below flood stageMay 8, 2013: 12.80 ft, action stage; 16,300 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2014: 14.38 ft, minor flooding; 22,920 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2018: 16.93 ft, moderate flooding; 36,500 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 2021: 12.25 ft, action stage; 14,400 cubic feet per second Highest, 22.83 ft, Jun 17, 1949 18801900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, South Branch Potomac River near Petersburg 1870s: 1 1880s: 0 1890s: 0 1900s: 0 1910s: 0 1920s: 1 1930s: 3 3 1940s: 2 1950s: 0 1960s: 2 1970s: 2 1980s: 1 1990s: 3 2000s: 3 2010s: 3 2020s: 0 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

The 50 highest of 75 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, South Branch Potomac River near Petersburg
1Jun 17, 194922.83+8.83Major62,000
2Sep 6, 199622.20+8.20Major113,000
3Nov 5, 198521.80+7.80Major130,000
4Nov 24, 187721.20+7.20Major59,000
5Mar 17, 193620.30+6.30Major49,800
6Jan 19, 199620.00+6.00Major82,000
7Jan 1, 192419.20+5.20Major4,500,027
8Apr 16, 201816.93+2.93Moderate36,500
9Oct 6, 197216.16+2.16Moderate32,100
10Feb 4, 193215.18+1.18Moderate28,300
11Oct 9, 197615.14+1.14Moderate28,100
12Nov 19, 200314.86+0.86Minor29,000
13Jan 25, 201014.86+0.86Minor29,000
14Mar 19, 196314.79+0.79Minor26,700
15Mar 7, 196714.74+0.74Minor26,600
16Feb 3, 193914.60+0.60Minor26,000
17May 31, 194014.50+0.50Minor25,600
18May 16, 201414.38+0.38Minor22,920
19May 17, 199614.29+0.29Minor28,800
20Mar 5, 200814.16+0.16Minor25,100
21Apr 15, 200714.07+0.07Minor24,700
22Sep 19, 200313.96−0.04Action—
23May 16, 194213.93−0.07Action23,400
24Jan 26, 197813.93−0.07Action23,600
25May 22, 194213.69−0.31Action22,600
26Jun 2, 197413.58−0.42Action22,500
27Apr 13, 201113.56−0.44Action22,300
28Oct 18, 197513.47−0.53Action22,200
29Mar 20, 198213.45−0.55Action21,900
30Oct 15, 195413.34−0.66Action21,600
31Dec 27, 197313.13−0.87Action21,000
32Feb 14, 198413.10−0.90Action20,700
33Aug 18, 195512.86−1.14Action20,300
34May 8, 201312.80−1.20Action16,300
35Mar 19, 197512.73−1.27Action19,800
36Mar 5, 196412.37−1.63Action18,700
37Apr 17, 201112.32−1.68Action16,880
38Mar 1, 202112.25−1.75Action14,400
39Oct 22, 192912.21−1.79Action14,400
40Apr 14, 198012.21−1.79Action17,600
41Mar 14, 197812.00−2.00Action17,000
42Feb 26, 197911.90−2.10Below flood stage16,800
43May 18, 201111.80−2.20Below flood stage—
44Oct 24, 193711.66−2.34Below flood stage16,100
45Mar 11, 201111.66−2.34Below flood stage14,540
46Mar 30, 196011.65−2.35Below flood stage16,500
47Mar 1, 195411.50−2.50Below flood stage16,200
48Apr 5, 197711.50−2.50Below flood stage16,200
49Feb 26, 197211.28−2.72Below flood stage15,600
50Jul 31, 199611.21−2.79Below flood stage13,800

The worst floods along the South Branch Potomac River

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

June 17, 1949: 22.83 ft here, major flooding

  • SpringfieldWV · Jun 18, 1949 · 29.85 ft · Major
  • FranklinWV · Jun 17, 1949 · 11.40 ft · Major

September 6, 1996: 22.20 ft here, major flooding

  • SpringfieldWV · Sep 7, 1996 · 34.98 ft · Major
  • FranklinWV · Sep 6, 1996 · 19.16 ft · Major

November 5, 1985: 21.80 ft here, major flooding

  • SpringfieldWV · Nov 5, 1985 · 44.22 ft · Major · its highest
  • FranklinWV · Nov 4, 1985 · 22.58 ft · Major · its highest

Gauges on the South Branch Potomac River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the South Branch Potomac River
FranklinWV7.022.58 ft, Nov 4, 19856
Petersburg this gaugeWV14.022.83 ft, Jun 17, 19497
SpringfieldWV15.044.22 ft, Nov 5, 19856

Grant County: every hazard · River floods across the country · West Virginia

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PETW2, 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.