ALERT: November 15 update on the status of the nationwide data transmission error preventing stream gauge data collected at affected locations from being displayed on the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Services (AHPS) webpages. As of 11/08/2018, The USGS has restored all impacted operational stream gauges to transmitting status. The status map of gauge outages from other agencies is here. The outage map will be updated each Thursday. We apologize for the service interruption and hope to have the data restored as soon as possible.

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)

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

NOTE: Forecasts for the South Branch Potomac River near Petersburg 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: 17 Moderate Flood Stage: 15 Flood Stage: 14 Action Stage: 12 Low Stage (in feet): -9999 Historic Crests (1) 22.83 ft on 06/17/1949 (2) 22.20 ft on 09/06/1996 (3) 21.80 ft on 11/05/1985 (4) 21.20 ft on 11/24/1877 (5) 20.30 ft on 03/17/1936 Show More Historic Crests (P): Preliminary values subject to further review. Recent Crests (1) 14.38 ft on 05/16/2014 (2) 11.80 ft on 05/18/2011 (3) 12.32 ft on 04/17/2011 (4) 13.54 ft on 04/13/2011 (5) 11.66 ft on 03/11/2011 Show More Recent Crests (P): Preliminary values subject to further review. Low Water Records (1) 0.40 ft on 08/20/1988 For more information on your flood risk go to www.floodsmart.gov. Show FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layers FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layers not showing? Why aren't the FEMA National Flood Hazard Layers showing on the ESRI Map? Possible reasons: There are no FEMA National Flood Hazard Layers for the location which you are viewing on ESRI Maps. The FEMA Web Mapping Service (WMS) is down. Note: Your zoom level may have changed. ESRI's zoom levels must be between 14 and 16 to show National Flood Hazard layers.

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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22.5	Significant flooding is occurring. More than a hundred buildings in Petersburg are flooded.
20	Several city blocks on the south side of Petersburg are flooded. Backwater may also flood portions of the eastern sections of the city.
18	Water covers the entire runway at Grant County Airport and is in nearby structures. Hundreds of acres of lowlands are flooded. Water approaches homes on the north side of the river in Petersburg.
17	Water reaches structures at the Grant County Airport. Flooding also begins south of the river on the south side of Petersburg.
15	Two structures are flooded upstream of Petersburg. Water also approaches the runway at the Petersburg Airport.
14	Water approaches structures upstream of Petersburg. Water also begins to cover Fish Hatchery Road near the river.
12	Water overflows the natural banks into nearby lowlands. River Road alongside the river begins to flood in its lowest spots.

About This Location

Latitude: 38.991111° N, Longitude: 79.176111° W, Horizontal Datum: NAD83/WGS84 River Stage Reference Frame Gauge Height Flood Stage Uses NWS stage 0 ft 14 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 29 968.34 ft 981.34 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 Petersburg

Additional Information

Potential River Levels Used to Estimate the Chance of Flooding and the Range of Possible River Levels 3 Day (SREF) 7 Day (NAEFS) 7 Day (GEFS)     Note: Use the official hydrograph at the top of this web page for river levels within the next 48 hours. See the Product Description Document link for more details on the interpretation of the 3,7 day graphics.  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 Flood Damage Costs/Fatalities in the US, 1903 - 2014 AHPS Web Brochure 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 (703) 996-2200 Ask Questions/Webmaster Page last modified: 21-Dec-2016 5:21 PM Disclaimer Credits Glossary Privacy Policy About Us Career Opportunities