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Patapsco River near Elkridge below Patapsco Valley State Park — water level right now

Howard County, Maryland · NWS gauge ELKM2
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
16
minor flood stage
 
21.38
record crest
set 2018-08-04
–
flood status
official NWS category
Official NOAA forecast → Full US flood map →

Flood stages at this gauge

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

action · 15
minor · 16
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Minor flood stage16low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage15water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
121.382018-08-04+5.38 above
220.292018-09-28+4.29 above
319.692018-07-26+3.69 above
419.642018-09-10+3.64 above
519.352018-11-25+3.35 above
618.92019-11-01+2.9 above
718.852025-07-13+2.85 above
818.722018-09-18+2.72 above
918.452018-07-24+2.45 above
1018.42018-07-24+2.4 above
1117.952011-03-10+1.95 above
1217.662019-11-01+1.66 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

Patapsco River near Elkridge at Patapsco Valley State Park 1 mi away · loading… East Branch Herbert Run at Arbutus 2 mi away · loading… Patapsco River near Catonsville 4 mi away · loading… Gwynns Falls at Washington Blvd in Baltimore 5 mi away · loading… Sawmill Creek at Glen Burnie 5 mi away · loading… Dead Run near Catonsville 6 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDELKM2
CountyHoward
StateMaryland
NWS forecast officeSterling
River forecast centerMiddle Atlantic River Forecast Center
Coordinates39.215, -76.704
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 Patapsco River near Elkridge below Patapsco Valley State Park

Is Patapsco River near Elkridge below Patapsco Valley State Park 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 16 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Patapsco River near Elkridge below Patapsco Valley State Park?

minor flood stage 16 ft, action stage 15 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Patapsco River near Elkridge below Patapsco Valley State Park?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 21.38 ft, reached on 2018-08-04 — that is 5.38 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.