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Catawba River at Lookout Shoals Lake and Dam

Highest listed crest 114.40 ftFlood stage 103.0 ft23 crests since 1940

The Catawba River at Lookout Shoals Lake and Dam crested at major flood stage 7 times among the 23 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1940 to 2024. The highest, 114.40 ft on August 30, 1940, was major flooding, 11.40 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
114.40 ft
August 30, 1940
Flood stage
103.0 ft
Major flooding from 106.0 ft
Crests at major
7
14th of 314 gauges in North Carolina
Most recent flood crest
September 28, 2024
109.45 ft, major flooding
Location
Iredell County
Near Newton (10.4 mi), Statesville (12.3 mi), Hickory (13.2 mi)
Identifiers
NWS LKSN7
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 Lookout Shoals Lake and Dam
Action stage102.03Dec 25, 2009The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)103.04Jul 5, 2013Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage104.07Feb 7, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage106.07Sep 28, 2024Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

23 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 Lookout Shoals Lake and Dam, 1940 to 2024 100105110115ft Flood stage 103.0 ftMajor 106.0 ft Aug 30, 1940: 114.40 ft, major floodingMar 1, 1987: 105.00 ft, moderate floodingOct 1, 1989: 104.20 ft, moderate floodingOct 13, 1990: 104.70 ft, moderate floodingMar 30, 1991: 103.30 ft, minor floodingApr 22, 1992: 104.00 ft, moderate floodingMar 24, 1993: 103.90 ft, minor floodingAug 18, 1994: 105.50 ft, moderate floodingJan 15, 1995: 107.00 ft, major floodingApr 19, 1998: 102.35 ft, action stageApr 11, 2003: 103.27 ft, minor floodingSep 9, 2004: 107.36 ft, major floodingSep 19, 2004: 102.08 ft, action stageDec 25, 2009: 102.60 ft, action stageJan 25, 2010: 104.73 ft, moderate floodingMay 6, 2013: 106.98 ft, major floodingJul 5, 2013: 103.90 ft, minor floodingDec 3, 2015: 101.91 ft, below flood stageDec 30, 2015: 101.58 ft, below flood stageJun 9, 2019: 108.19 ft, major floodingFeb 7, 2020: 105.13 ft, moderate floodingNov 12, 2020: 108.30 ft, major floodingSep 28, 2024: 109.45 ft, major flooding; 101,300 cubic feet per second Highest, 114.40 ft, Aug 30, 1940 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Catawba River at Lookout Shoals Lake and Dam 1940s: 1 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 2 1990s: 6 6 2000s: 2 2010s: 4 2020s: 3 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 Lookout Shoals Lake and Dam
1Aug 30, 1940114.40+11.40Major—
2Sep 28, 2024109.45+6.45Major101,300
3Nov 12, 2020108.30+5.30Major—
4Jun 9, 2019108.19+5.19Major—
5Sep 9, 2004107.36+4.36Major—
6Jan 15, 1995107.00+4.00Major—
7May 6, 2013106.98+3.98Major—
8Aug 18, 1994105.50+2.50Moderate—
9Feb 7, 2020105.13+2.13Moderate—
10Mar 1, 1987105.00+2.00Moderate—
11Jan 25, 2010104.73+1.73Moderate—
12Oct 13, 1990104.70+1.70Moderate—
13Oct 1, 1989104.20+1.20Moderate—
14Apr 22, 1992104.00+1.00Moderate—
15Mar 24, 1993103.90+0.90Minor—
16Jul 5, 2013103.90+0.90Minor—
17Mar 30, 1991103.30+0.30Minor—
18Apr 11, 2003103.27+0.27Minor—
19Dec 25, 2009102.60−0.40Action—
20Apr 19, 1998102.35−0.65Action—
21Sep 19, 2004102.08−0.92Action—
22Dec 3, 2015101.91−1.09Below flood stage—
23Dec 30, 2015101.58−1.42Below 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: 114.40 ft here, major flooding

September 28, 2024: 109.45 ft here, major flooding

June 9, 2019: 108.19 ft here, major 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 DamNC104.0110.10 ft, Aug 30, 19401
Lookout Shoals Lake and Dam this gaugeNC103.0114.40 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 Iredell County

Flood gauges in Iredell County
E Houstonville Rd. 3 NNE Harmony18.025.05 ft, Sep 22, 19790

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge LKSN7, 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.