South Branch Potomac River at Franklin, WV
River level and flood forecast · Pendleton County
Normal3.2 ftas of Mon 4:35 PM
The river is 3.8 ft below flood stage (7 ft).
Forecast to fall to 2.5 ft by Thu, Oct 15, 2 PM.
Flow: 479 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 3 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 11 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 9 ft |
| Flood stage | 7 ft |
| Action stage | 6 ft |
| Record crest (November 4, 1985) | 22.58 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 13 ftThe lowest end of the Route 220/12 bridge begins to flood.
- 11 ftHomes along Dickenson Mountain Road are flooded.
- 9 ftSeveral roads in or near Franklin are flooded, including Dickenson Mountain Road (Route 220/12), parts of US Route 220, County Route 220/13, and Taylor Hollow Road.
- 8 ftThe Franklin city park begins to flood.
- 7 ftA low spot on Dickenson Mountain Road (Route 220/12) 300 feet downstream from the bridge begins to flood.
- 6.5 ftWater begins to cover Taylor Hollow Road in Franklin.
- 5 ftWater begins to overflow the low water crossing on County Route 220/12 at the south end of town.
Highest crests on record
- 22.58 ft — November 4, 1985
- 19.16 ft — September 6, 1996
- 16.06 ft — January 19, 1996
- 12.26 ft — November 19, 2003
- 12.14 ft — September 19, 2003
Recent crests: 7.92 ft (September 23, 2021) · 6.68 ft (April 8, 2021) · 6.48 ft (March 1, 2021) · 8.89 ft (June 18, 2020) · 9.1 ft (April 16, 2018)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- DownstreamSouth Branch Potomac River near Petersburg, WV
- South Fork South Branch Potomac River at Brandywine, WV
- Brushy Fork near Sugar Grove, WV
- South Mill Creek near Mozer, WV
- North River near Stokesville, VA
- Muddy Creek at Mount Clinton, VA
- Shavers Fork Cheat River at Bemis, WV
- North Fork South Branch Potomac River at Cabins, WV
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (FKLW2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.