Potomac River at Paw Paw, MD
River level and flood forecast · Allegany County
The river is 12.4 ft below flood stage (25 ft).
Forecast to fall to 5.9 ft by Thu, Oct 15, 8 PM.
Flow: 14,200 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 Potomac River at Paw Paw to flood, when it floods, and when it's over.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 37 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 30 ft |
| Flood stage | 25 ft |
| Action stage | 22.5 ft |
| Record crest (March 18, 1936) | 54 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 62 ftWater covers the bridge over the Potomac at the state line in Paw Paw.
- 50 ftHomes in Paw Paw begin to flood.
- 46 ftWater approaches the intersection of West Virginia Route 9 and Winchester Street in Paw Paw.
- 40 ftThe right bank of the river floods extensive sections of the town of Paw Paw, north of the B&O Railroad. The towpath of the C&O Canal also begins to flood.
- 37 ftFloodwaters cover both West Virginia Route 9 and Maryland Route 51. Businesses in the town of Paw Paw begin to flood.
- 34 ftWater reaches the settling pond next to Paw Paw Park.
- 30 ftPaw Paw Tunnel Campground begins to flood.
- 26 ftWater covers an access road on the West Virginia side.
- 25 ftA parking area adjacent to the highway bridge begins to flood. The roadway to the C&O Canal parking area floods, as does the lowest end of the Purslane Run hiker/biker area.
- 22.5 ftWater reaches the top of the boat ramp in Paw Paw Festival Park.
- 11 ftThe river reaches danger level for boaters as defined by the State of Maryland. At danger level, conditions are considered extremely hazardous.
- 5 ftThe river reaches caution level for boaters as defined by the State of Maryland. Fast moving water and current changes can be expected.
Highest crests on record
- 54 ft — March 18, 1936
- 53.58 ft — November 5, 1985
- 45 ft — June 1, 1889
- 45 ft — November 24, 1877
- 43.5 ft — March 29, 1924
Recent crests: 30.2 ft (May 14, 2025) · 25.33 ft (December 16, 2018) · 25.9 ft (September 28, 2018) · 25.24 ft (June 3, 2018) · 28.67 ft (May 19, 2011)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- DownstreamPotomac River at Hancock, MD
- Town Creek (MD) near Oldtown, MD
- Cacapon River near Great Cacapon, WV
- Sideling Hill Creek near Bellegrove, MD
- South Branch Potomac River near Springfield, WV
- Tributary to Warm Springs Run near Berkeley Springs, WV
- Warm Springs Run near Berkeley Springs, WV
- Painter Run near Fort Ashby, WV
- North Branch Potomac River at Cumberland, MD
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (PAWW2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.