TornadoLiveMap

Northwest Branch at Kemp Mill — water level right now

Montgomery County, Maryland · NWS gauge CLAM2
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
9
minor flood stage
 
15.89
record crest
set 1972-06-22
–
flood status
official NWS category
Official NOAA forecast → USGS data → Full US flood map →

Flood stages at this gauge

Where the water stands right now against the four official thresholds:

action · 6
minor · 9
moderate · 12
major · 19
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage19extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage12some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage9low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage6water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
115.891972-06-22+6.89 above
213.612006-06-26+4.61 above
312.262014-04-30+3.26 above
412.241975-07-15+3.24 above
511.471979-09-05+2.47 above
610.991953-08-08+1.99 above
710.132013-06-10+1.13 above
810.112022-07-03+1.11 above
910.072012-10-30+1.07 above
109.922003-09-23+0.92 above
119.882017-07-29+0.88 above
129.871971-08-04+0.87 above

Historic crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service — the 12 highest on file.

Where this gauge is

The marker is this gauge; nearby gauges load live and are clickable.

Nearby river gauges

Paint Branch Tributary Near Colesville, MD 3 mi away · loading… Turkey Branch near Aspen Hill 3 mi away · loading… Paint Branch near White Oak 4 mi away · loading… Sligo Creek near Takoma Park 6 mi away · loading… Sligo Creek near Chillum / Riggs Rd. 7 mi away · loading… Hawlings River near Sandy Spring 8 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDCLAM2
USGS site01650500
CountyMontgomery
StateMaryland
NWS forecast officeSterling
River forecast centerMiddle Atlantic River Forecast Center
Coordinates39.066, -77.029
Time zoneEST5EDT
Turn Around, Don't Drown. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet and twelve inches can float a car. Never drive around barricades or into water of unknown depth — most flood deaths happen in vehicles.

Questions about Northwest Branch at Kemp Mill

Is Northwest Branch at Kemp Mill flooding right now?

The live reading at the top of this page answers that: the gauge is compared against its official NWS flood stages every 15 minutes. Minor flooding at this gauge begins at 9 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Northwest Branch at Kemp Mill?

major flood stage 19 ft, moderate flood stage 12 ft, minor flood stage 9 ft, action stage 6 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Northwest Branch at Kemp Mill?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 15.89 ft, reached on 1972-06-22 — that is 6.89 ft above minor flood stage. The full list of the highest crests is in the table on this page.

Where does this data come from?

From the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, the official U.S. river gauge network — a U.S. government work in the public domain. Live stage is refreshed every 15 minutes; flood thresholds and historic crests are refreshed monthly. For life-safety decisions follow NWS Sterling and local emergency management.