Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

South Fork South Branch Potomac River near SF Moorefield

Highest listed crest 19.99 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft15 crests since 1924

The South Fork South Branch Potomac River near SF Moorefield crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 15 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1924 to 2018. The highest, 19.99 ft on November 5, 1985, was major flooding, 9.99 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the South Fork South Branch Potomac River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
19.99 ft
November 5, 1985; 110,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 14.0 ft
Crests at major
3
25th of 116 gauges in West Virginia
Most recent flood crest
June 3, 2018
10.80 ft, minor flooding
Location
Hardy 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 Fork South Branch Potomac River near SF Moorefield
Action stage8.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.09Jun 3, 2018Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage12.03Sep 7, 1996Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage14.03Nov 5, 1985Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

15 crests from 1924 to 2018. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the South Fork South Branch Potomac River near SF Moorefield, 1924 to 2018 101214161820ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 14.0 ft Mar 29, 1924: 13.50 ft, moderate flooding; 28,000 cubic feet per secondAug 24, 1933: 10.20 ft, minor flooding; 14,000 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1936: 14.90 ft, major flooding; 30,400 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1942: 11.07 ft, minor flooding; 14,600 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 1942: 10.53 ft, minor flooding; 12,800 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1949: 16.10 ft, major flooding; 39,000 cubic feet per secondDec 8, 1950: 10.04 ft, minor flooding; 11,500 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 1954: 12.14 ft, moderate flooding; 19,800 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 1955: 11.23 ft, minor flooding; 17,100 cubic feet per secondOct 6, 1972: 11.56 ft, minor flooding; 180,005 cubic feet per secondNov 5, 1985: 19.99 ft, major flooding; 110,000 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1996: 10.50 ft, minor floodingSep 7, 1996: 12.27 ft, moderate flooding; 19,700 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 2003: 10.94 ft, minor floodingJun 3, 2018: 10.80 ft, minor flooding; 14,075 cubic feet per second Highest, 19.99 ft, Nov 5, 1985 1940196019802000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, South Fork South Branch Potomac River near SF Moorefield 1920s: 1 1930s: 2 1940s: 3 3 1950s: 3 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 2 2000s: 1 2010s: 1 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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 Fork South Branch Potomac River near SF Moorefield
1Nov 5, 198519.99+9.99Major110,000
2Jun 18, 194916.10+6.10Major39,000
3Mar 17, 193614.90+4.90Major30,400
4Mar 29, 192413.50+3.50Moderate28,000
5Sep 7, 199612.27+2.27Moderate19,700
6Oct 16, 195412.14+2.14Moderate19,800
7Oct 6, 197211.56+1.56Minor180,005
8Aug 18, 195511.23+1.23Minor17,100
9May 22, 194211.07+1.07Minor14,600
10Sep 19, 200310.94+0.94Minor—
11Jun 3, 201810.80+0.80Minor14,075
12Oct 15, 194210.53+0.53Minor12,800
13Jan 19, 199610.50+0.50Minor—
14Aug 24, 193310.20+0.20Minor14,000
15Dec 8, 195010.04+0.04Minor11,500

The worst floods along the South Fork South Branch Potomac River

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

November 5, 1985: 19.99 ft here, major flooding

  • BrandywineWV · Nov 4, 1985 · 18.42 ft · Moderate · its highest

June 18, 1949: 16.10 ft here, major flooding

  • BrandywineWV · Jun 17, 1949 · 14.60 ft · Moderate

September 7, 1996: 12.27 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the South Fork South Branch Potomac River

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

Flood gauges on the South Fork South Branch Potomac River
BrandywineWV10.018.42 ft, Nov 4, 19850
SF Moorefield this gaugeWV10.019.99 ft, Nov 5, 19853

Other gauges in Hardy County

Flood gauges in Hardy County
18 miles NNE of Test Site 811.012.50 ft, Apr 22, 20030
Wardensville9.59.93 ft, Feb 10, 20100

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MOFW2, 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.