Potomac River at Paw Paw, WV

Allegany County, Maryland · USGS gauge 01610000 · NWS PAWW2 · Potomac River flood status · Maryland river levels

Is Potomac River at Paw Paw, WV flooding right now?

Potomac River at Paw Paw, WV measured 3.79 ft on 2026-09-11 01:15:00 UTC. That observation was 21.2 ft below its 25 ft flood stage. This is the latest available reading, not a guarantee of current conditions.

Gauge height
3.79 ft
as of 63 min ago
Streamflow
636 cfs
data refreshed just now

Minor flooding here begins at 25 ft, with major flooding at 37 ft. The highest crest on record was 54 ft on Wed, Mar 18, 1936.

Flood forecast

NWS forecast, issued 12 hours ago. Forecasts are issued for select river points and update through the day.

Flood stages at this gauge

CategoryStageCurrent distance
Action22.5 ft18.7 ft below
Minor flood25 ft21.2 ft below
Moderate flood30 ft26.2 ft below
Major flood37 ft33.2 ft below

New to these numbers? What does flood stage mean? · How to read a river gauge · Why is the river rising?

Highest crests on record

StageDate
54 ft1936-03-18
53.58 ft1985-11-05
45 ft1889-06-01
45 ft1877-11-24
43.5 ft1924-03-29

Nearby gauges

GaugeDistanceCounty
Town Creek near Oldtown, MD5.4 miAllegany County
Cacapon River near Great Cacapon, WV8.3 miMorgan County
Sideling Hill Creek near Bellegrove, MD9.7 miWashington County
South Branch Potomac River near Springfield, WV12.3 miHampshire County
Warm Springs Run near Berkeley Springs, WV14.4 miMorgan County
Provisional data: Real-time readings are provisional and subject to revision by the USGS — sensors can be affected by ice, debris, or equipment malfunction. Do not rely on this site for decisions involving personal safety; follow official guidance from the National Weather Service and local authorities.

Sources: USGS monitoring location · NWS gauge & forecast