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Catawba River at Lake Rhodhiss Dam

Highest listed crest 110.10 ftFlood stage 104.0 ft21 crests since 1940

The Catawba River at Lake Rhodhiss Dam crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 21 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1940 to 2024. The highest, 110.10 ft on August 30, 1940, was major flooding, 6.10 feet above flood stage. 4 other gauges on the Catawba River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 3 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
110.10 ft
August 30, 1940
Flood stage
104.0 ft
Major flooding from 110.0 ft
Crests at major
1
76th of 314 gauges in North Carolina
Most recent flood crest
September 28, 2024
109.62 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Caldwell County
Near Hickory (6.9 mi), Lenoir (10.5 mi), Newton (13.9 mi)
Identifiers
NWS RHON7
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, Catawba River at Lake Rhodhiss Dam
Action stage102.08Jan 25, 2010The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)104.04Jun 10, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage106.02Sep 28, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage110.01Aug 30, 1940Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

21 crests from 1940 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Catawba River at Lake Rhodhiss Dam, 1940 to 2024 100102104106108110112ft Flood stage 104.0 ftMajor 110.0 ft Aug 30, 1940: 110.10 ft, major floodingMar 1, 1987: 103.70 ft, action stageOct 1, 1989: 102.20 ft, action stageOct 13, 1990: 103.70 ft, action stageMar 30, 1991: 102.00 ft, action stageApr 22, 1992: 101.30 ft, below flood stageMar 24, 1993: 103.20 ft, action stageAug 17, 1994: 104.90 ft, minor floodingJan 15, 1995: 105.33 ft, minor floodingJan 27, 1996: 102.10 ft, action stageJan 8, 1998: 101.28 ft, below flood stageApr 11, 2003: 101.91 ft, below flood stageSep 9, 2004: 107.41 ft, moderate floodingSep 18, 2004: 103.01 ft, action stageJan 25, 2010: 103.24 ft, action stageMay 6, 2013: 105.34 ft, minor floodingDec 3, 2015: 101.13 ft, below flood stageDec 25, 2015: 101.27 ft, below flood stageFeb 12, 2018: 101.73 ft, below flood stageJun 10, 2019: 104.17 ft, minor floodingSep 28, 2024: 109.62 ft, moderate flooding; 94,000 cubic feet per second Highest, 110.10 ft, Aug 30, 1940 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Catawba River at Lake Rhodhiss Dam 1940s: 1 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 2 2 2000s: 1 2010s: 2 2020s: 1 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

Highest listed crests, Catawba River at Lake Rhodhiss Dam
1Aug 30, 1940110.10+6.10Major—
2Sep 28, 2024109.62+5.62Moderate94,000
3Sep 9, 2004107.41+3.41Moderate—
4May 6, 2013105.34+1.34Minor—
5Jan 15, 1995105.33+1.33Minor—
6Aug 17, 1994104.90+0.90Minor—
7Jun 10, 2019104.17+0.17Minor—
8Mar 1, 1987103.70−0.30Action—
9Oct 13, 1990103.70−0.30Action—
10Jan 25, 2010103.24−0.76Action—
11Mar 24, 1993103.20−0.80Action—
12Sep 18, 2004103.01−0.99Action—
13Oct 1, 1989102.20−1.80Action—
14Jan 27, 1996102.10−1.90Action—
15Mar 30, 1991102.00−2.00Action—
16Apr 11, 2003101.91−2.09Below flood stage—
17Feb 12, 2018101.73−2.27Below flood stage—
18Apr 22, 1992101.30−2.70Below flood stage—
19Jan 8, 1998101.28−2.72Below flood stage—
20Dec 25, 2015101.27−2.73Below flood stage—
21Dec 3, 2015101.13−2.87Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Catawba River

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

August 30, 1940: 110.10 ft here, major flooding

September 28, 2024: 109.62 ft here, moderate flooding

September 9, 2004: 107.41 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Catawba River

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

Flood gauges on the Catawba River
CatawbaSC23.024.66 ft, Feb 8, 20200
Rock HillSC15.024.15 ft, May 23, 19010
Cedar Creek Reservoir/Rocky Ck-Cedar Ck DamSC102.0106.62 ft, Sep 29, 20242
Great Falls Reservoir/Great Falls-Dearborn DamsSC102.0105.90 ft, Sep 29, 20240
Lake Hickory/Oxford DamNC101.0104.70 ft, Aug 30, 19400
Lake James/Linville DamNC102.0110.70 ft, Sep 26, 20241
Lake Rhodhiss Dam this gaugeNC104.0110.10 ft, Aug 30, 19401
Lookout Shoals Lake and DamNC103.0114.40 ft, Aug 30, 19407
Mountain Island Lake and DamNC103.0109.60 ft, Aug 30, 19403
Pleasant GardensNC11.017.55 ft, Sep 8, 20040

Other gauges in Caldwell County

Flood gauges in Caldwell County
Lenoir11.011.43 ft, Dec 28, 20180
Edgemont5.013.00 ft, May 18, 20182
Patterson5.012.80 ft, Aug 7, 19732

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge RHON7, 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.