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Little River at Manchester

Highest listed crest 38.30 ftFlood stage 18.0 ft19 crests since 1939

The Little River at Manchester crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 19 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1939 to 2025. The highest, 38.30 ft on September 18, 2018, was major flooding, 20.30 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Little River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
38.30 ft
September 18, 2018
Flood stage
18.0 ft
Major flooding from 27.0 ft
Crests at major
5
22nd of 314 gauges in North Carolina
Most recent flood crest
August 15, 2025
19.58 ft, minor flooding
Location
Cumberland County
Near Spring Lake (0.8 mi), Fayetteville (7.7 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Little River at Manchester
Action stage16.01Oct 14, 2018The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)18.07Aug 15, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage24.02Nov 15, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage27.05Aug 10, 2024Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

19 crests from 1939 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Little River at Manchester, 1939 to 2025 10203040ft Flood stage 18.0 ftMajor 27.0 ft Mar 3, 1939: 12.77 ft, below flood stage; 2,960 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1941: 12.28 ft, below flood stage; 2,760 cubic feet per secondAug 21, 1942: 11.70 ft, below flood stage; 2,540 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 1945: 29.00 ft, major floodingOct 10, 1949: 11.20 ft, below flood stage; 2,340 cubic feet per secondAug 11, 2003: 24.72 ft, moderate flooding; 5,090 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 2004: 18.26 ft, minor floodingJun 16, 2006: 18.80 ft, minor floodingFeb 8, 2010: 20.23 ft, minor floodingSep 29, 2016: 31.20 ft, major floodingOct 10, 2016: 32.19 ft, major floodingSep 18, 2018: 38.30 ft, major floodingOct 14, 2018: 17.26 ft, action stage; 2,238 cubic feet per secondNov 15, 2018: 24.79 ft, moderate flooding; 5,293 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 2020: 21.86 ft, minor flooding; 3,775 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 2021: 18.23 ft, minor flooding; 2,493 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 2021: 20.61 ft, minor flooding; 3,257 cubic feet per secondAug 10, 2024: 27.71 ft, major flooding; 7,226 cubic feet per secondAug 15, 2025: 19.58 ft, minor flooding; 3,279 cubic feet per second Highest, 38.30 ft, Sep 18, 2018 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Little River at Manchester 1930s: 0 1940s: 1 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 3 2010s: 5 5 2020s: 5 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Little River at Manchester
1Sep 18, 201838.30+20.30Major—
2Oct 10, 201632.19+14.19Major—
3Sep 29, 201631.20+13.20Major—
4Sep 19, 194529.00+11.00Major—
5Aug 10, 202427.71+9.71Major7,226
6Nov 15, 201824.79+6.79Moderate5,293
7Aug 11, 200324.72+6.72Moderate5,090
8Jan 31, 202021.86+3.86Minor3,775
9Feb 21, 202120.61+2.61Minor3,257
10Feb 8, 201020.23+2.23Minor—
11Aug 15, 202519.58+1.58Minor3,279
12Jun 16, 200618.80+0.80Minor—
13Sep 10, 200418.26+0.26Minor—
14Feb 16, 202118.23+0.23Minor2,493
15Oct 14, 201817.26−0.74Action2,238
16Mar 3, 193912.77−5.23Below flood stage2,960
17Apr 7, 194112.28−5.72Below flood stage2,760
18Aug 21, 194211.70−6.30Below flood stage2,540
19Oct 10, 194911.20−6.80Below flood stage2,340

The worst floods along the Little River

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

September 18, 2018: 38.30 ft here, major flooding

October 10, 2016: 32.19 ft here, major flooding

  • PrincetonNC · Oct 10, 2016 · 14.72 ft · Moderate · its highest

August 10, 2024: 27.71 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Little River

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

Flood gauges on the Little River
Tributary at FairntoshNC12.016.09 ft, Mar 19, 19980
PrincetonNC12.014.72 ft, Oct 10, 20160
Manchester this gaugeNC18.038.30 ft, Sep 18, 20185

Other gauges in Cumberland County

Flood gauges in Cumberland County
Fayetteville35.065.30 ft, Oct 4, 19296
Langdon St8.010.25 ft, Aug 8, 20240
Strickland Bridge Rd10.012.35 ft, Aug 8, 20240
Research Dr near Fayetteville14.024.96 ft, Aug 9, 20240

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MANN7, 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.