Just how water-logged did Washington become from Wednesday’s torrential rains? More than it has in 50 years, according to the US Geological Survey.
A USGS water monitoring station at Little Falls on the Potomac River recorded the volume of water rushing by at 85,700 cubic feet per second yesterday evening, more than five times the average rate of 16,400 cubic feet per second. Yesterday’s levels are the biggest deluge on the Potomac since 1964, when the USGS measured the discharge rate at 86,200 cubic feet per second.
Chart via US Geological Survey.
The storm caused flooding throughout Washington, especially in Prince George’s County and Alexandria. Rock Creek swelled to historic levels, too, with a water monitoring station in Rock Creek Park observing a flow of 1,810 cubic feet per second, compared to an average of 41.
But the inundation seen this week is nothing compared to March 19, 1936, when the USGS charted 484,000 cubic feet of water per second at Little Falls, caused by a late-winter snow melt in the Allegheny Mountains that flooded Pittsburgh and wreaked havoc downstream.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Wednesday Was the Wettest Day in 50 Years, According to Government Records
Yesterday's deluge, in chart form.
Just how water-logged did Washington become from Wednesday’s torrential rains? More than it has in 50 years, according to the US Geological Survey.
A USGS water monitoring station at Little Falls on the Potomac River recorded the volume of water rushing by at 85,700 cubic feet per second yesterday evening, more than five times the average rate of 16,400 cubic feet per second. Yesterday’s levels are the biggest deluge on the Potomac since 1964, when the USGS measured the discharge rate at 86,200 cubic feet per second.
The storm caused flooding throughout Washington, especially in Prince George’s County and Alexandria. Rock Creek swelled to historic levels, too, with a water monitoring station in Rock Creek Park observing a flow of 1,810 cubic feet per second, compared to an average of 41.
But the inundation seen this week is nothing compared to March 19, 1936, when the USGS charted 484,000 cubic feet of water per second at Little Falls, caused by a late-winter snow melt in the Allegheny Mountains that flooded Pittsburgh and wreaked havoc downstream.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Most Popular in News & Politics
Roe v. Wade Was Overturned. These Protests Are Happening Around DC.
George Huguely and Yeardley Love: Love, Death, and Lacrosse
Anti-Abortion Clinic Protests Are Getting Bigger and More Aggressive
Death and the All-American Boy
Washington DC’s 500 Most Influential People
Washingtonian Magazine
July 2022: Summer Music Guide
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
Guest List: 5 People We’d Love to Hang Out With This June
Not Just Foxes: 5 Animals You Might Spot at the US Capitol
How Rosa Parks Befriended a DC Hotel Owner
Dan About Town: The Best of Bashes, Balls, and Benefits This Past April
More from News & Politics
A First of Its Kind March on the National Mall Counters Anti-Asian Racism
Photos From a Weekend of Abortion Rights Protests at the Supreme Court
Devastation, Joy, and Fury: Reactions From the Supreme Court
Roe v. Wade Was Overturned. These Protests Are Happening Around DC.
PHOTOS: DC’s British Embassy Caps Off Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee
Photos from the Supreme Court: Roe v. Wade Has Been Overturned
50 Years After Title IX: Why Survivors Still Need More Protections
Anti-Abortion Clinic Protests Are Getting Bigger and More Aggressive