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Little Tennessee River near Prentiss

Highest listed crest 17.30 ftFlood stage 15.0 ft20 crests since 1916

The Little Tennessee River near Prentiss crested above flood stage 3 times among the 20 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1916 to 2024. The highest, 17.30 ft on November 4, 1964, was moderate flooding, 2.30 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
17.30 ft
November 4, 1964; 12,200 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
15.0 ft
Major flooding from 25.0 ft
Crests at major
0
3 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
September 17, 2004
15.92 ft, minor flooding
Location
Macon County
North Carolina

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Little Tennessee River near Prentiss
Action stage8.015Sep 27, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)15.02Sep 17, 2004Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage17.01Nov 4, 1964Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage25.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

20 crests from 1916 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Little Tennessee River near Prentiss, 1916 to 2024 510152025ft Flood stage 15.0 ftMajor 25.0 ft Jul 1, 1916: 12.50 ft, action stageAug 30, 1940: 12.50 ft, action stageJun 16, 1949: 12.85 ft, action stage; 5,900 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1952: 10.54 ft, action stageDec 12, 1961: 10.17 ft, action stageSep 20, 1964: 9.61 ft, action stage; 3,980 cubic feet per secondNov 4, 1964: 17.30 ft, moderate flooding; 12,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1966: 12.91 ft, action stage; 6,540 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1967: 11.80 ft, action stage; 5,890 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1979: 14.54 ft, action stage; 9,110 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1983: 12.16 ft, action stage; 6,440 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1990: 14.44 ft, action stage; 9,320 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1996: 11.02 ft, action stage; 5,420 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 1997: 7.43 ft, below flood stage; 2,910 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 1998: 11.73 ft, action stage; 6,190 cubic feet per secondOct 4, 1998: 15.00 ft, minor floodingSep 17, 2004: 15.92 ft, minor flooding; 11,200 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 2009: 11.16 ft, action stage; 5,619 cubic feet per secondNov 11, 2009: 6.94 ft, below flood stageSep 27, 2024: 10.84 ft, action stage; 6,720 cubic feet per second Highest, 17.30 ft, Nov 4, 1964 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Little Tennessee River near Prentiss 1910s: 0 1920s: 0 1930s: 0 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 1 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 1 2010s: 0 2020s: 0 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 Tennessee River near Prentiss
1Nov 4, 196417.30+2.30Moderate12,200
2Sep 17, 200415.92+0.92Minor11,200
3Oct 4, 199815.000.00Minor—
4Mar 4, 197914.54−0.46Action9,110
5Feb 16, 199014.44−0.56Action9,320
6Feb 19, 196612.91−2.09Action6,540
7Jun 16, 194912.85−2.15Action5,900
8Jul 1, 191612.50−2.50Action—
9Aug 30, 194012.50−2.50Action—
10Feb 2, 198312.16−2.84Action6,440
11Jun 4, 196711.80−3.20Action5,890
12Jan 8, 199811.73−3.27Action6,190
13Sep 22, 200911.16−3.84Action5,619
14Jan 27, 199611.02−3.98Action5,420
15Sep 27, 202410.84−4.16Action6,720
16Mar 11, 195210.54−4.46Action—
17Dec 12, 196110.17−4.83Action—
18Sep 20, 19649.61−5.39Action3,980
19Dec 2, 19977.43−7.57Below flood stage2,910
20Nov 11, 20096.94−8.06Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Little Tennessee River

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

September 17, 2004: 15.92 ft here, minor flooding

  • NEEDMORENC · Sep 17, 2004 · 12.33 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Little Tennessee River

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

Flood gauges on the Little Tennessee River
IOTLANC11.011.35 ft, Dec 24, 20150
NEEDMORENC11.013.06 ft, Oct 5, 19640
OttoNC17.018.14 ft, Sep 22, 20090
Prentiss this gaugeNC15.017.30 ft, Nov 4, 19640

Other gauges in Macon County

Flood gauges in Macon County
Franklin12.015.60 ft, Jun 1, 19490
Peaceful Cove Rd (above Cullasaja River RV Park), 6 SE Franklin9.815.52 ft, Sep 27, 20240
IOTLA11.011.35 ft, Dec 24, 20150
Otto17.018.14 ft, Sep 22, 20090

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PRTN7, 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.