North Branch Potomac River at Cumberland, MD
River level and flood forecast · Allegany County
The river is 13.6 ft below flood stage (17 ft).
Forecast to fall to 2.7 ft by Thu, Oct 15, 8 PM.
Flow: 1,240 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 8:57 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
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An email when the National Weather Service forecasts North Branch Potomac River at Cumberland to flood, when it floods, and when it's over.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 23 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 21 ft |
| Flood stage | 17 ft |
| Action stage | 12 ft |
| Record crest (June 1, 1889) | 29.2 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 35 ftLevees protect the city of Ridgeley, West Virginia to approximately this level.
- 31 ftLevees protect the city of Cumberland to at least this level. Some areas are protected even higher.
- 30 ftLevees protect the Cumberland water treatment plant to approximately this level.
- 27 ftWater covers the C&O Canal towpath south of Cumberland.
- 25 ftWater begins to flood homes in Wiley Ford, West Virginia.
- 23 ftWater approaches homes on Canal Road in North Branch.
- 22 ftWater reaches a substation in Wiley Ford, West Virginia. Water also approaches an outbuilding in Wiley Ford, and portions of Kelly Road in Cumberland and Canal Road in North Branch.
- 21 ftMuch of the Mexico Farms, West Virginia airstrip is flooded, and water approaches nearby structures.
- 20 ftWater floods several areas of farmland east and southeast of Cumberland Regional Airport. Water also begins to flow into low lying areas south of Ridgeley, West Virginia that are not protected by the levee. However, no personal property is affected in this area.
- 19 ftWater reaches the Gene Mason Sports Complex in Cumberland.
- 17 ftA low spot on Airport Road in Wiley Ford, West Virginia is flooded. A livestock field southeast of the Cumberland Regional Airport floods.
- 15 ftWater approaches the airstrip at the Mexico Farms, West Virginia airport.
- 12 ftLow-lying farmland west of Mexico Farms, West Virginia begins to flood.
Highest crests on record
- 29.2 ft — June 1, 1889
- 29.1 ft — March 17, 1936
- 28.4 ft — March 29, 1924
- 25.56 ft — January 19, 1996
- 25.1 ft — October 28, 1937
Recent crests: 23.58 ft (May 14, 2025) · 18.34 ft (September 2, 2021) · 18.51 ft (September 10, 2018) · 16.53 ft (May 18, 2011) · 16.27 ft (March 11, 2011)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- UpstreamNorth Branch Potomac River at Luke, MD
- Wills Creek near Cumberland, MD
- Painter Run near Fort Ashby, WV
- Town Creek (MD) near Oldtown, MD
- Patterson Creek near Headsville, WV
- Wills Creek below Hyndman, PA
- South Branch Potomac River near Springfield, WV
- Georges Creek near Franklin/Westernport, MD
- Savage River near Barton, MD
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (CBEM2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.