Web Portal Changes: The Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS) hosted at https://water.weather.gov will be replaced by the National Water Prediction Service (NWPS), with a target of March 2024. Existing AHPS content and features will be preserved and expanded within NWPS.

Experimental National Water Center Products: The National Hydrologic Discussion, Area Hydrologic Discussion, and Flood Hazard Outlook, and real-time geospatial services depicting River Forecast Center and National Water Model forecasts, continue to be accessible via https://www.weather.gov/owp/operations, as described in the StoryMap here.

Weather Forecast Office (Baltimore/Washington) Sterling, VA

Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center

Hydrograph

River at a Glance

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Probability Information Weekly Chance of Exceeding Levels Chance of Exceeding Levels During Entire Period Short-term Probabilistic Guidance (Experimental) Not Available

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Printable Image About this graph Tabular Data (UTC) Tabular Data (EDT) Datum: Not Available Metadata

NOTE: Gauge reading affected by reservoir operations. NOTE: Forecasts for the North Branch Potomac River at Luke are issued routinely year-round.

Default Hydrograph Scale to Flood Categories   Return to Area Map

Upstream Gauge

Downstream Gauge

Flood Categories (in feet) Major Flood Stage: 15 Moderate Flood Stage: 12.5 Flood Stage: 10.5 Action Stage: 9 Low Stage (in feet): -9999 Historic Crests (1) 17.15 ft on 10/15/1954 (2) 17.00 ft on 03/25/1924 (3) 16.76 ft on 03/17/1936 (4) 15.53 ft on 08/17/1955 (5) 14.87 ft on 07/03/1978 Show More Historic Crests (P): Preliminary values subject to further review. Recent Crests (1) 9.49 ft on 05/11/2003 (2) 10.26 ft on 09/07/1996 (3) 9.83 ft on 04/01/1993 (4) 9.76 ft on 05/06/1988 (5) 9.72 ft on 04/05/1984 Show More Recent Crests (P): Preliminary values subject to further review. Low Water Records Currently none available.

Zoom Level:14 Legend FEMA Layer Gauge Location Disclaimer Latitude/Longitude Disclaimer: The gauge location shown in the above map is the approximate location based on the latitude/longitude coordinates provided to the NWS by the gauge owner.

Flood Impacts & Photos

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20	Water overtops the railroad bridges at the old paper mill.
17	Levees protect the old paper mill at Luke up to approximately this level. If water reaches the top of the levee, water may affect structures.
16	Water reaches the railroad tracks in the town of Westernport.
15	Significant flooding is occurring in Westernport and Piedmont, with buildings and roads flooded.
13.5	Maryland Route 135 begins to flood west of the town of Luke. Water also reaches the underside of railroad bridges near the old paper mill.
12.5	Backwater from the Potomac begins to flood the town of Westernport. Portions of Maryland Route 135 east of downtown may be affected, and water will approach Westernport Elementary School. This flooding will be more severe if Georges Creek is also in flood.
12	Floodwaters begin to affect portions of Piedmont, West Virginia.
10.5	If water levels are elevated on Georges Creek, a combination of the creek and backwater from the Potomac will begin to flood the town of Westernport. Portions of Maryland Route 135 may be affected, and water will approach Westernport Elementary School.
7	Water begins to flow over the dam near the old paper mill in Luke. No flooding is occurring.

About This Location

Latitude: 39.478889° N, Longitude: 79.063889° W, Horizontal Datum: NAD83/WGS84 River Stage Reference Frame Gauge Height Flood Stage Uses NWS stage 0 ft 10.5 ft Interpreting hydrographs and NWS watch, warnings, and forecasts, and inundation maps Vertical Datum Elevation (gauge height = 0) Elevation (gauge height = flood stage) Elevation information source NAVD88 Not Available Not Available Survey grade GPS equipment, FEMA flood plain maps, newer USGS topographic maps NGVD 29 944.22 ft 954.72 ft Older USGS topographic maps, NGVD29 benchmarks MSL Not Available Not Available Older USGS topographic maps, MSL benchmarks Other Not Available Not Available   Current/Historical Observations: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Data and Site Info for Luke

Additional Information

Potential River Levels Used to Estimate the Chance of Flooding and the Range of Possible River Levels 10 Day (HEFS) 7 Day (NAEFS) 7 Day (GEFS) Note: Use the official hydrograph at the top of this web page for river levels within the next 72 hours. Click individual graphics to enlarge.

Resources

Hydrologic Resources Text Products Past Precipitation Forecast Precipitation River Forecast Centers River Stage Summary Automated Flood Warning Systems Inundation Mapping Locations

Additional Resources Area Hydrographs NWS Precipitation and River Forecasting AHPS Iframes for Developers Mobile iNWS for emergency management Snow Information Ensemble River Forecasts Hourly Precipitation

Collaborative Agencies The National Weather Service prepares its forecasts and other services in collaboration with agencies like the US Geological Survey, US Bureau of Reclamation, US Army Corps of Engineers, Natural Resource Conservation Service, National Park Service, ALERT Users Group, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and many state and local emergency managers across the country. For details, please click here. NWS Information National Weather Service (Baltimore/Washington) Sterling Weather Forecast Office 43858 Weather Service Rd. Sterling, VA 20166 (571) 888-3500 Ask Questions/Webmaster Page last modified: 2-Nov-2020 7:30 PM Disclaimer Credits Glossary Privacy Policy About Us Career Opportunities