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Contentnea Creek at Hookerton

Highest listed crest 28.28 ftFlood stage 13.0 ft27 crests since 1928

The Contentnea Creek at Hookerton crested at major flood stage 9 times among the 27 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1928 to 2024. The highest, 28.28 ft on September 18, 1999, was major flooding, 15.28 feet above flood stage. 4 other gauges on the Contentnea Creek crested above flood stage within a week of it, 4 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
28.28 ft
September 18, 1999; 31,900 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
13.0 ft
Major flooding from 18.0 ft
Crests at major
9
8th of 314 gauges in North Carolina
Most recent flood crest
August 13, 2024
16.16 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Greene County
Near Kinston (10.6 mi), Winterville (12.4 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Contentnea Creek at Hookerton
Action stage12.01Jul 31, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)13.012Dec 21, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage16.05Aug 13, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage18.09Nov 16, 2020Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

27 crests from 1928 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Contentnea Creek at Hookerton, 1928 to 2024 1015202530ft Flood stage 13.0 ftMajor 18.0 ft Sep 1, 1928: 23.30 ft, major floodingOct 6, 1929: 18.90 ft, major floodingApr 11, 1936: 15.93 ft, minor floodingFeb 3, 1937: 16.28 ft, moderate flooding; 7,450 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1948: 17.75 ft, moderate floodingSep 8, 1955: 16.18 ft, moderate floodingOct 7, 1964: 22.10 ft, major flooding; 17,200 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1987: 16.39 ft, moderate flooding; 8,450 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 1989: 15.81 ft, minor floodingSep 18, 1996: 15.11 ft, minor flooding; 6,390 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 1998: 15.27 ft, minor flooding; 5,910 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 1999: 28.28 ft, major flooding; 31,900 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 1999: 18.95 ft, major flooding; 11,600 cubic feet per secondAug 16, 2003: 14.71 ft, minor floodingSep 6, 2006: 14.53 ft, minor flooding; 4,404 cubic feet per secondOct 6, 2010: 14.25 ft, minor flooding; 4,360 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2011: 13.63 ft, minor flooding; 3,600 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 2013: 14.33 ft, minor flooding; 4,290 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 2014: 13.20 ft, minor flooding; 2,910 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 2016: 24.15 ft, major flooding; 26,600 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2017: 20.18 ft, major flooding; 14,600 cubic feet per secondSep 20, 2018: 18.98 ft, major flooding; 11,200 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 2019: 13.01 ft, minor floodingNov 16, 2020: 19.72 ft, major flooding; 14,956 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 2023: 14.16 ft, minor flooding; 4,286 cubic feet per secondJul 31, 2024: 12.71 ft, action stage; 2,124 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 2024: 16.16 ft, moderate flooding; 8,308 cubic feet per second Highest, 28.28 ft, Sep 18, 1999 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Contentnea Creek at Hookerton 1920s: 2 1930s: 2 1940s: 1 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 2 1990s: 4 2000s: 2 2010s: 8 8 2020s: 3 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Contentnea Creek at Hookerton
1Sep 18, 199928.28+15.28Major31,900
2Oct 11, 201624.15+11.15Major26,600
3Sep 1, 192823.30+10.30Major—
4Oct 7, 196422.10+9.10Major17,200
5Apr 29, 201720.18+7.18Major14,600
6Nov 16, 202019.72+6.72Major14,956
7Sep 20, 201818.98+5.98Major11,200
8Oct 1, 199918.95+5.95Major11,600
9Oct 6, 192918.90+5.90Major—
10Feb 17, 194817.75+4.75Moderate—
11Jan 26, 198716.39+3.39Moderate8,450
12Feb 3, 193716.28+3.28Moderate7,450
13Sep 8, 195516.18+3.18Moderate—
14Aug 13, 202416.16+3.16Moderate8,308
15Apr 11, 193615.93+2.93Minor—
16May 4, 198915.81+2.81Minor—
17Feb 9, 199815.27+2.27Minor5,910
18Sep 18, 199615.11+2.11Minor6,390
19Aug 16, 200314.71+1.71Minor—
20Sep 6, 200614.53+1.53Minor4,404
21Jul 8, 201314.33+1.33Minor4,290
22Oct 6, 201014.25+1.25Minor4,360
23Dec 21, 202314.16+1.16Minor4,286
24Aug 28, 201113.63+0.63Minor3,600
25Jan 18, 201413.20+0.20Minor2,910
26Sep 9, 201913.01+0.01Minor—
27Jul 31, 202412.71−0.29Action2,124

The worst floods along the Contentnea Creek

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

September 18, 1999: 28.28 ft here, major flooding

  • Snow HillNC · Sep 21, 1999 · 33.58 ft · Major · its highest
  • Sheppard FerryNC · Sep 21, 1999 · 33.20 ft · Major · its highest
  • Speights BridgeNC · Sep 21, 1999 · 30.10 ft · Major · its highest
  • StantonsburgNC · Sep 21, 1999 · 24.97 ft · Major · its highest

October 11, 2016: 24.15 ft here, major flooding

  • LucamaNC · Oct 10, 2016 · 17.53 ft · Minor · its highest

Gauges on the Contentnea Creek

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

Flood gauges on the Contentnea Creek
GriftonNC16.020.04 ft, Sep 18, 20180
Hookerton this gaugeNC13.028.28 ft, Sep 18, 19999
Sheppard FerryNC21.033.20 ft, Sep 21, 19991
Snow HillNC20.533.58 ft, Sep 21, 19991
Speights BridgeNC19.030.10 ft, Sep 21, 19991
Black CreekNC15.019.38 ft, Aug 10, 20240
LucamaNC17.017.53 ft, Oct 10, 20160
StantonsburgNC17.524.97 ft, Sep 21, 19991

Other gauges in Greene County

Flood gauges in Greene County
Sheppard Ferry21.033.20 ft, Sep 21, 19991
Snow Hill20.533.58 ft, Sep 21, 19991
Speights Bridge19.030.10 ft, Sep 21, 19991
Ayden24.024.36 ft, Jun 17, 20250
Shine17.021.00 ft, Sep 17, 19991

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge HOKN7, 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.