Cape Fear River at Lillington

Highest listed crest 33.19 ftFlood stage 14.0 ft12 crests since 1929

The Cape Fear River at Lillington crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 12 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1929 to 2024. The highest, 33.19 ft on September 19, 1945, was major flooding, 19.19 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Cape Fear River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest: 33.19 ft; September 19, 1945; 150,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage: 14.0 ft; Major flooding from 27.0 ft
Crests at major: 2; 55th of 314 gauges in North Carolina
Most recent flood crest: August 9, 2024; 15.85 ft, minor flooding
Location: Harnett County; Near Fuquay-Varina (14.2 mi)
Identifiers: NWS LLLN7; USGS 02102500

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Cape Fear River at Lillington

Action stage	13.0	1	Feb 9, 2020	The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)	14.0	6	Aug 9, 2024	Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage	19.0	2	Sep 18, 2018	Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage	27.0	2	Sep 19, 1945	Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

12 crests from 1929 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

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, Cape Fear River at Lillington

1	Sep 19, 1945	33.19	+19.19	Major	150,000
2	Oct 2, 1929	27.55	+13.55	Major	107,000
3	Sep 18, 2018	21.27	+7.27	Moderate	63,536
4	Oct 9, 2016	19.41	+5.41	Moderate	53,000
5	Sep 7, 1996	18.97	+4.97	Minor	51,800
6	Nov 14, 2018	17.98	+3.98	Minor	46,404
7	Aug 9, 2024	15.85	+1.85	Minor	37,446
8	Mar 1, 1987	15.59	+1.59	Minor	36,500
9	Jun 14, 2006	14.60	+0.60	Minor	29,600
10	Jul 24, 1997	14.26	+0.26	Minor	29,000
11	Feb 9, 2020	13.61	−0.39	Action	28,979
12	Oct 12, 2018	10.01	−3.99	Below flood stage	17,201

The worst floods along the Cape Fear River

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

September 19, 1945: 33.19 ft here, major flooding

W.O. Huske LockNC · Sep 22, 1945 · 75.50 ft · Major · its highest
ElizabethtownNC · Sep 23, 1945 · 43.20 ft · Major · its highest

October 2, 1929: 27.55 ft here, major flooding

FayettevilleNC · Oct 4, 1929 · 65.30 ft · Major · its highest
ElizabethtownNC · Oct 6, 1929 · 38.90 ft · Moderate

September 18, 2018: 21.27 ft here, moderate flooding

W.O. Huske LockNC · Sep 20, 2018 · 70.73 ft · Major
FayettevilleNC · Sep 19, 2018 · 61.58 ft · Major
ElizabethtownNC · Sep 21, 2018 · 42.51 ft · Major
Lock 1NC · Sep 21, 2018 · 30.68 ft · Major · its highest
Wilmington (IN MLLW)NC · Sep 14, 2018 · 8.28 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Cape Fear River

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

Flood gauges on the Cape Fear River

Elizabethtown	NC	25.0	43.20 ft, Sep 23, 1945	2
Fayetteville	NC	35.0	65.30 ft, Oct 4, 1929	6
Lillington this gauge	NC	14.0	33.19 ft, Sep 19, 1945	2
Lock 1	NC	24.0	30.68 ft, Sep 21, 2018	2
W.O. Huske Lock	NC	42.0	75.50 ft, Sep 22, 1945	3
Wilmington (IN MLLW)	NC	5.5	9.03 ft, Aug 4, 2020	0

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge LLLN7, 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.