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East Fork Pigeon River above Canton

Highest listed crest 16.03 ftFlood stage 8.5 ft22 crests since 1966

The East Fork Pigeon River above Canton crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 22 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1966 to 2021. The highest, 16.03 ft on August 17, 2021, was major flooding, 7.53 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
16.03 ft
August 17, 2021; 19,800 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
8.5 ft
Major flooding from 12.0 ft
Crests at major
3
39th of 314 gauges in North Carolina
Most recent flood crest
August 17, 2021
16.03 ft, major flooding
Location
Haywood County
Near Waynesville (7.5 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, East Fork Pigeon River above Canton
Action stage7.05Apr 19, 2019The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)8.50—Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.04Apr 13, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage12.03Aug 17, 2021Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

22 crests from 1966 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the East Fork Pigeon River above Canton, 1966 to 2021 05101520ft Flood stage 8.5 ftMajor 12.0 ft Feb 13, 1966: 10.13 ft, moderate floodingApr 28, 1973: 11.19 ft, moderate floodingMay 15, 1976: 10.08 ft, moderate floodingSep 8, 2004: 12.03 ft, major flooding; 6,200 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 2004: 13.05 ft, major flooding; 12,900 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2005: 5.27 ft, below flood stage; 2,870 cubic feet per secondNov 29, 2005: 6.09 ft, below flood stage; 3,770 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 2007: 4.16 ft, below flood stage; 1,870 cubic feet per secondAug 26, 2008: 7.48 ft, action stage; 5,470 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 2009: 6.31 ft, below flood stage; 4,020 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 2010: 5.14 ft, below flood stage; 2,740 cubic feet per secondNov 30, 2010: 6.06 ft, below flood stage; 3,740 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 2011: 7.28 ft, action stage; 5,210 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 2013: 6.71 ft, below flood stage; 4,280 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 2013: 4.23 ft, below flood stage; 1,730 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2015: 6.84 ft, below flood stage; 4,440 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 2015: 7.87 ft, action stage; 5,760 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 2017: 6.82 ft, below flood stage; 4,410 cubic feet per secondOct 23, 2017: 7.69 ft, action stage; 5,520 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2019: 7.54 ft, action stage; 5,320 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2020: 10.80 ft, moderate flooding; 9,990 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 2021: 16.03 ft, major flooding; 19,800 cubic feet per second Highest, 16.03 ft, Aug 17, 2021 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, East Fork Pigeon River above Canton 1960s: 1 1970s: 2 2 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 2 2010s: 0 2020s: 2 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, East Fork Pigeon River above Canton
1Aug 17, 202116.03+7.53Major19,800
2Sep 17, 200413.05+4.55Major12,900
3Sep 8, 200412.03+3.53Major6,200
4Apr 28, 197311.19+2.69Moderate—
5Apr 13, 202010.80+2.30Moderate9,990
6Feb 13, 196610.13+1.63Moderate—
7May 15, 197610.08+1.58Moderate—
8Dec 29, 20157.87−0.63Action5,760
9Oct 23, 20177.69−0.81Action5,520
10Apr 19, 20197.54−0.96Action5,320
11Aug 26, 20087.48−1.02Action5,470
12Nov 28, 20117.28−1.22Action5,210
13Apr 19, 20156.84−1.66Below flood stage4,440
14Jan 23, 20176.82−1.68Below flood stage4,410
15May 5, 20136.71−1.79Below flood stage4,280
16Sep 21, 20096.31−2.19Below flood stage4,020
17Nov 29, 20056.09−2.41Below flood stage3,770
18Nov 30, 20106.06−2.44Below flood stage3,740
19Jun 12, 20055.27−3.23Below flood stage2,870
20Jan 24, 20105.14−3.36Below flood stage2,740
21Dec 23, 20134.23−4.27Below flood stage1,730
22Jan 1, 20074.16−4.34Below flood stage1,870

Other gauges in Haywood County

Flood gauges in Haywood County
(W Fork) Abv Lake Logan9.010.83 ft, Sep 17, 20040
(W Fork) nr Retreat10.014.15 ft, Sep 17, 20040
Old River Rd (NC 215), 1 SW Canton10.026.96 ft, Sep 27, 20245
Jonathans Ck, 4 NW Crabtree13.018.00 ft, Jun 2, 18760
Bethel10.016.27 ft, Sep 17, 20041

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CEPN7, 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.