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Ararat River at Ararat

Highest listed crest 24.46 ftFlood stage 13.0 ft66 crests since 1947

The Ararat River at Ararat crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 66 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1947 to 2026. The highest, 24.46 ft on September 22, 1979, was major flooding, 11.46 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
24.46 ft
September 22, 1979; 35,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
13.0 ft
Major flooding from 21.0 ft
Crests at major
4
32nd of 314 gauges in North Carolina
Most recent flood crest
August 2, 2026
14.54 ft, minor flooding
Location
Surry County
Near Mount Airy (7.8 mi)

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Ararat River at Ararat
Action stage11.016Aug 28, 2023The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)13.021Aug 2, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage17.01Apr 9, 1980Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage21.04Aug 4, 2016Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

66 crests from 1947 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Ararat River at Ararat, 1947 to 2026 0510152025ft Flood stage 13.0 ftMajor 21.0 ft Jun 14, 1947: 21.40 ft, major flooding; 31,000 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 1964: 8.59 ft, below flood stage; 4,450 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1966: 13.56 ft, minor flooding; 8,720 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 1967: 5.78 ft, below flood stage; 2,870 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 1967: 3.91 ft, below flood stage; 1,800 cubic feet per secondOct 19, 1968: 12.43 ft, action stage; 7,530 cubic feet per secondAug 10, 1970: 10.68 ft, below flood stage; 6,280 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1971: 6.50 ft, below flood stage; 3,250 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1972: 14.72 ft, minor flooding; 10,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1973: 11.28 ft, action stage; 6,840 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1974: 14.40 ft, minor flooding; 10,300 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 1975: 10.95 ft, below flood stage; 6,520 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1976: 6.79 ft, below flood stage; 3,840 cubic feet per secondOct 9, 1976: 11.24 ft, action stage; 7,320 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1978: 12.38 ft, action stage; 8,410 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 1979: 24.46 ft, major flooding; 35,000 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1980: 17.63 ft, moderate flooding; 16,000 cubic feet per secondSep 16, 1981: 5.34 ft, below flood stage; 2,810 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1982: 13.56 ft, minor flooding; 9,700 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1983: 16.43 ft, minor flooding; 13,800 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1984: 8.17 ft, below flood stage; 4,810 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 1985: 13.87 ft, minor flooding; 10,100 cubic feet per secondNov 4, 1985: 7.68 ft, below flood stage; 4,470 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1987: 15.85 ft, minor flooding; 12,800 cubic feet per secondJul 21, 1988: 6.02 ft, below flood stage; 3,310 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1989: 12.92 ft, action stage; 8,570 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 1990: 9.99 ft, below flood stage; 5,890 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1991: 10.99 ft, below flood stage; 6,730 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1992: 21.17 ft, major flooding; 25,500 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1993: 14.58 ft, minor flooding; 10,500 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1994: 13.44 ft, minor flooding; 9,130 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 1995: 6.41 ft, below flood stage; 3,240 cubic feet per secondAug 12, 1996: 11.80 ft, action stage; 7,470 cubic feet per secondNov 8, 1996: 10.17 ft, below flood stage; 6,030 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 1998: 10.40 ft, below flood stage; 6,220 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 1999: 5.01 ft, below flood stage; 2,350 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2000: 3.33 ft, below flood stage; 1,400 cubic feet per secondAug 20, 2001: 10.60 ft, below flood stage; 6,390 cubic feet per secondJul 26, 2002: 3.49 ft, below flood stage; 1,480 cubic feet per secondAug 9, 2003: 13.37 ft, minor flooding; 9,060 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 2004: 11.41 ft, action stage; 7,110 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 2005: 14.29 ft, minor flooding; 10,200 cubic feet per secondOct 8, 2005: 11.28 ft, action stage; 6,990 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2009: 10.81 ft, below flood stage; 8,090 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2010: 14.47 ft, minor flooding; 11,523 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 2011: 11.32 ft, action stage; 8,550 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 2012: 12.28 ft, action stage; 9,420 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 2013: 12.44 ft, action stage; 9,560 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 2013: 8.82 ft, below flood stage; 6,360 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2015: 13.08 ft, minor flooding; 10,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 2016: 12.99 ft, action stage; 10,100 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 2016: 21.06 ft, major flooding; 24,300 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 2017: 14.39 ft, minor flooding; 11,400 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 2018: 13.13 ft, minor flooding; 10,200 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2018: 13.94 ft, minor flooding; 10,977 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 2020: 14.98 ft, minor flooding; 12,155 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2020: 13.48 ft, minor flooding; 10,500 cubic feet per secondAug 25, 2020: 11.18 ft, action stage; 8,420 cubic feet per secondOct 29, 2020: 15.40 ft, minor flooding; 12,700 cubic feet per secondNov 11, 2020: 12.15 ft, action stage; 9,300 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 2021: 12.29 ft, action stage; 9,430 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2023: 12.58 ft, action stage; 9,690 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 15.00 ft, minor flooding; 12,200 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 2024: 9.04 ft, below flood stage; 6,550 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 2024: 8.14 ft, below flood stage; 5,680 cubic feet per secondAug 2, 2026: 14.54 ft, minor flooding; 11,590 cubic feet per second Highest, 24.46 ft, Sep 22, 1979 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Ararat River at Ararat 1940s: 1 1950s: 0 1960s: 1 1970s: 3 1980s: 5 1990s: 3 2000s: 2 2010s: 6 6 2020s: 5 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 66 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Ararat River at Ararat
1Sep 22, 197924.46+11.46Major35,000
2Jun 14, 194721.40+8.40Major31,000
3Apr 22, 199221.17+8.17Major25,500
4Aug 4, 201621.06+8.06Major24,300
5Apr 9, 198017.63+4.63Moderate16,000
6Apr 10, 198316.43+3.43Minor13,800
7Mar 1, 198715.85+2.85Minor12,800
8Oct 29, 202015.40+2.40Minor12,700
9Jan 10, 202415.00+2.00Minor12,200
10Feb 6, 202014.98+1.98Minor12,155
11Jun 21, 197214.72+1.72Minor10,800
12Mar 24, 199314.58+1.58Minor10,500
13Aug 2, 202614.54+1.54Minor11,590
14Jan 25, 201014.47+1.47Minor11,523
15Apr 4, 197414.40+1.40Minor10,300
16Apr 24, 201714.39+1.39Minor11,400
17Jan 14, 200514.29+1.29Minor10,200
18Dec 28, 201813.94+0.94Minor10,977
19Aug 18, 198513.87+0.87Minor10,100
20Feb 13, 196613.56+0.56Minor8,720
21Jun 13, 198213.56+0.56Minor9,700
22Apr 13, 202013.48+0.48Minor10,500
23Mar 28, 199413.44+0.44Minor9,130
24Aug 9, 200313.37+0.37Minor9,060
25Oct 11, 201813.13+0.13Minor10,200
26Apr 20, 201513.08+0.08Minor10,200
27Feb 3, 201612.99−0.01Action10,100
28Mar 6, 198912.92−0.08Action8,570
29Aug 28, 202312.58−0.42Action9,690
30Jan 31, 201312.44−0.56Action9,560
31Oct 19, 196812.43−0.57Action7,530
32Jan 26, 197812.38−0.62Action8,410
33Sep 22, 202112.29−0.71Action9,430
34May 9, 201212.28−0.72Action9,420
35Nov 11, 202012.15−0.85Action9,300
36Aug 12, 199611.80−1.20Action7,470
37Sep 28, 200411.41−1.59Action7,110
38Mar 6, 201111.32−1.68Action8,550
39Feb 2, 197311.28−1.72Action6,840
40Oct 8, 200511.28−1.72Action6,990
41Oct 9, 197611.24−1.76Action7,320
42Aug 25, 202011.18−1.82Action8,420
43Mar 29, 199110.99−2.01Below flood stage6,730
44Sep 19, 197510.95−2.05Below flood stage6,520
45Jun 16, 200910.81−2.19Below flood stage8,090
46Aug 10, 197010.68−2.32Below flood stage6,280
47Aug 20, 200110.60−2.40Below flood stage6,390
48Jan 8, 199810.40−2.60Below flood stage6,220
49Nov 8, 199610.17−2.83Below flood stage6,030
50Feb 10, 19909.99−3.01Below flood stage5,890

Gauges on the Ararat River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Ararat River
Ararat this gaugeNC13.024.46 ft, Sep 22, 19794
Mt AiryNC20.528.94 ft, Aug 2, 20261

Other gauges in Surry County

Flood gauges in Surry County
Mt Airy20.528.94 ft, Aug 2, 20261
S.R. 1100 (Turkey Ford Road)9.015.40 ft, Sep 26, 20240

Surry County: every hazard · River floods across the country · North Carolina

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge ARRN7, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.