Ararat River at Mt Airy

Highest listed crest 28.94 ftFlood stage 20.5 ft4 crests since 2023

The Ararat River at Mt Airy crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 4 crests the National Weather Service lists from 2023 to 2026. The highest, 28.94 ft on August 2, 2026, was major flooding, 8.44 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Ararat River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest: 28.94 ft; August 2, 2026
Flood stage: 20.5 ft; Major flooding from 27.5 ft
Crests at major: 1; 76th of 314 gauges in North Carolina
Most recent flood crest: August 2, 2026; 28.94 ft, major flooding
Location: Surry County; Near Mount Airy (1.3 mi)
Identifiers: NWS ARLN7; No USGS station

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 Mt Airy

Action stage	18.5	0	—	The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)	20.5	1	Jan 9, 2024	Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage	22.0	1	Aug 28, 2023	Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage	27.5	1	Aug 2, 2026	Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

4 crests from 2023 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

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.
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

Highest listed crests, Ararat River at Mt Airy

1	Aug 2, 2026	28.94	+8.44	Major	—
2	Aug 28, 2023	23.71	+3.21	Moderate	—
3	Jan 9, 2024	20.92	+0.42	Minor	—
4	Sep 27, 2024	16.04	−4.46	Below flood stage	—

The worst floods along the Ararat River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Ararat River that crested above flood stage within a week.

August 2, 2026: 28.94 ft here, major flooding

AraratNC · Aug 2, 2026 · 14.54 ft · Minor

January 9, 2024: 20.92 ft here, minor flooding

AraratNC · Jan 10, 2024 · 15.00 ft · Minor

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	NC	13.0	24.46 ft, Sep 22, 1979	4
Mt Airy this gauge	NC	20.5	28.94 ft, Aug 2, 2026	1

Other gauges in Surry County

Flood gauges in Surry County

Ararat	13.0	24.46 ft, Sep 22, 1979	4
S.R. 1100 (Turkey Ford Road)	9.0	15.40 ft, Sep 26, 2024	0

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge ARLN7, 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.