Potomac River at Alexandria
Flood levels
Official flood levels at this gauge: action stage begins at 2.5 ft; minor flooding begins at 3.3 ft; moderate flooding begins at 4.2 ft; major flooding begins at 6.6 ft.
| Action stage | 2.5 ft |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 3.3 ft |
| Moderate flooding | 4.2 ft |
| Major flooding | 6.6 ft |
Highest recorded crests
- 8.7 ft on Sep 19, 2003 (historic crest)
- 7.4 ft on Mar 19, 1936 (historic crest)
- 6.0 ft on Oct 29, 2021 (historic crest)
- 5.1 ft on Apr 16, 2011 (historic crest)
What the water does
National Weather Service impact statements for this gauge, in the Weather Service's own words.
| 2.7 ft | Water begins to pool near the corner of Strand Street and Wales Alley in Alexandria. |
|---|---|
| 3.1 ft | Water reaches the curb near the intersection of King Street and Strand Street. |
| 3.2 ft | Water covers the easternmost end of King Street. |
| 3.8 ft | Union Street is covered by water near King Street. Water starts to cover the driveway leading to Belle Haven Marina. |
| 3.8 ft | Water covers part of Mt. Vernon Trail along the George Washington Memorial Parkway between Belle View Blvd and Tulane Drive. |
| 4.0 ft | Water approaches buildings near the intersection of King Street and Union Street. This flooding will be slightly more widespread in a tidal flood than a freshwater flood. |
| 4.5 ft | Flooding is ongoing at several businesses near the intersection of King Street and Union Street. |
| 5.0 ft | Flooding begins in the vicinity of the Joint Base Anacostia Bolling marina. Access to the Daingerfield Island area is cut off due to flooding. Several parks along the Alexandria waterfront are flooded. Union Street is flooded between Wales Alley and Thompson Alley. Lower portions of King Street, Prince Street, and Strand Street are flooded. Water approaches the southern tip of Lee Street. |
| 5.5 ft | Floodwaters reach about a block and a half inland at King Street and cover several blocks of Union Street in Alexandria. |
| 6.5 ft | Water approaches the George Washington Parkway near Daingerfield Island and Belle Haven. Flooding is occurring near the Joint Base Anacostia Bolling marina. Significant flooding is occurring along Union Street in Old Town Alexandria, along with nearby streets. Flooding is also occurring further south at Jones Point. |
| 7.5 ft | On Joint Base Anacostia Bolling, floodwaters cross Giovanni Way with structures affected. Daingerfield Island is almost totally underwater. In Alexandria, flooding reaches the east end of Madison Street with structures flooded. Union Street is flooded between Queen Street and Duke Street with numerous structures impacted. A large section of the George Washington Parkway is flooded and closed both north and south of Old Town Alexandria. |
| 9.0 ft | Flooding is occurring nearshore at Joint Base Anacostia Bolling near the marina and at the Naval Research Lab. Daingerfield Island is completely flooded. Union Street is flooded for almost its entire length in Alexandria. Dozens of structures are impacted. Widespread backwater flooding is affecting Huntington and Belle View. |
Forecast office: NWS Sterling · River Forecast Center: Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center.
Potomac River at Alexandria in your pocket
Tidora puts this spot on your Home Screen and Lock Screen with free widgets, and sends free flood alerts before the water reaches the levels that matter to you. No account, no subscription needed for either.
Download Tidora on the App Store
Tidora is preparing for launch; these pages go fully live when the app ships.
Nearby stations and gauges
- Alexandria NOAA tide station · 0.0 mi
- Bellevue NOAA tide station · 1.6 mi
- Unnamed Tributary at Huntington Ponding Area NWS gauge · 1.6 mi
- Cameron Run at Huntington - Metro Bridge NWS gauge · 1.9 mi
- Unnamed Tributary above New Alexandria Tide Gate NWS gauge · 2.2 mi
- Unnamed Tributary below New Alexandria Tide Gate NWS gauge · 2.2 mi