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N.E. Cape Fear River near Burgaw

Highest listed crest 25.58 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft82 crests since 1999

The N.E. Cape Fear River near Burgaw crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 82 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1999 to 2024. The highest, 25.58 ft on September 19, 2018, was major flooding, 15.58 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the N.E. Cape Fear River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
25.58 ft
September 19, 2018
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 16.0 ft
Crests at major
5
22nd of 314 gauges in North Carolina
Most recent flood crest
September 21, 2024
11.35 ft, minor flooding
Location
Pender 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, N.E. Cape Fear River near Burgaw
Action stage7.045Jul 31, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.020Sep 21, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage12.09Sep 4, 2023Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage16.05Aug 13, 2024Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

82 crests from 1999 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the N.E. Cape Fear River near Burgaw, 1999 to 2024 51015202530ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 16.0 ft Sep 20, 1999: 22.77 ft, major floodingOct 24, 1999: 12.74 ft, moderate floodingFeb 1, 2000: 8.94 ft, action stageMar 25, 2000: 8.08 ft, action stageSep 29, 2000: 8.11 ft, action stageMar 27, 2001: 10.48 ft, minor floodingMar 7, 2002: 7.25 ft, action stageMar 26, 2003: 9.46 ft, action stage; 3,992 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2003: 11.28 ft, minor floodingJun 1, 2003: 10.01 ft, minor floodingJun 24, 2003: 9.47 ft, action stageJul 8, 2003: 8.71 ft, action stageJul 24, 2003: 10.92 ft, minor floodingNov 4, 2003: 9.43 ft, action stageDec 19, 2003: 9.20 ft, action stageMay 8, 2004: 8.90 ft, action stageAug 20, 2004: 10.18 ft, minor floodingOct 13, 2005: 11.58 ft, minor floodingSep 5, 2006: 16.66 ft, major flooding; 17,783 cubic feet per secondNov 26, 2006: 15.41 ft, moderate floodingDec 30, 2006: 10.41 ft, minor floodingApr 20, 2007: 7.04 ft, action stageApr 11, 2008: 9.13 ft, action stageMar 7, 2009: 6.26 ft, below flood stageNov 17, 2009: 9.13 ft, action stage; 3,672 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 2009: 8.68 ft, action stageDec 31, 2009: 9.11 ft, action stage; 3,653 cubic feet per secondJan 30, 2010: 9.09 ft, action stage; 3,635 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 2010: 11.07 ft, minor flooding; 5,908 cubic feet per secondOct 4, 2010: 15.32 ft, moderate floodingFeb 11, 2011: 8.39 ft, action stageSep 2, 2011: 8.71 ft, action stageJun 6, 2012: 7.53 ft, action stageAug 31, 2012: 7.66 ft, action stageJul 6, 2013: 13.41 ft, moderate flooding; 10,358 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2014: 7.51 ft, action stageApr 24, 2014: 9.13 ft, action stageAug 9, 2014: 9.06 ft, action stageSep 19, 2014: 8.62 ft, action stageJan 29, 2015: 7.87 ft, action stageMar 3, 2015: 9.82 ft, action stageMay 16, 2015: 10.38 ft, minor floodingOct 8, 2015: 12.58 ft, moderate flooding; 8,755 cubic feet per secondNov 13, 2015: 8.53 ft, action stageNov 25, 2015: 9.90 ft, action stageJan 4, 2016: 11.00 ft, minor flooding; 5,800 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 2016: 8.09 ft, action stageFeb 10, 2016: 14.63 ft, moderate floodingSep 7, 2016: 10.64 ft, minor floodingOct 13, 2016: 17.83 ft, major floodingJan 8, 2017: 7.65 ft, action stageMay 1, 2017: 10.32 ft, minor floodingJan 17, 2018: 8.13 ft, action stageFeb 3, 2018: 7.86 ft, action stageMay 25, 2018: 8.29 ft, action stageJun 4, 2018: 10.63 ft, minor floodingJul 30, 2018: 8.33 ft, action stageAug 7, 2018: 9.19 ft, action stageSep 19, 2018: 25.58 ft, major floodingDec 19, 2018: 11.02 ft, minor flooding; 5,831 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 2019: 10.83 ft, minor floodingFeb 12, 2020: 10.87 ft, minor floodingFeb 25, 2020: 7.77 ft, action stageMay 26, 2020: 11.17 ft, minor floodingJun 3, 2020: 10.60 ft, minor floodingJun 22, 2020: 8.58 ft, action stageSep 22, 2020: 7.78 ft, action stageNov 17, 2020: 13.73 ft, moderate floodingDec 28, 2020: 7.88 ft, action stageJan 7, 2021: 11.41 ft, minor floodingFeb 22, 2021: 15.70 ft, moderate floodingApr 6, 2021: 7.52 ft, action stageAug 13, 2021: 9.21 ft, action stageJul 12, 2022: 5.13 ft, below flood stageJul 13, 2023: 8.33 ft, action stageSep 4, 2023: 13.03 ft, moderate floodingDec 25, 2023: 9.50 ft, action stageDec 31, 2023: 8.61 ft, action stageJan 14, 2024: 6.86 ft, below flood stageJul 31, 2024: 9.39 ft, action stageAug 13, 2024: 16.51 ft, major floodingSep 21, 2024: 11.35 ft, minor flooding Highest, 25.58 ft, Sep 19, 2018 200020052010201520202025

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, N.E. Cape Fear River near Burgaw 1990s: 2 2000s: 9 2010s: 14 14 2020s: 9 1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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

The 50 highest of 82 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, N.E. Cape Fear River near Burgaw
1Sep 19, 201825.58+15.58Major—
2Sep 20, 199922.77+12.77Major—
3Oct 13, 201617.83+7.83Major—
4Sep 5, 200616.66+6.66Major17,783
5Aug 13, 202416.51+6.51Major—
6Feb 22, 202115.70+5.70Moderate—
7Nov 26, 200615.41+5.41Moderate—
8Oct 4, 201015.32+5.32Moderate—
9Feb 10, 201614.63+4.63Moderate—
10Nov 17, 202013.73+3.73Moderate—
11Jul 6, 201313.41+3.41Moderate10,358
12Sep 4, 202313.03+3.03Moderate—
13Oct 24, 199912.74+2.74Moderate—
14Oct 8, 201512.58+2.58Moderate8,755
15Oct 13, 200511.58+1.58Minor—
16Jan 7, 202111.41+1.41Minor—
17Sep 21, 202411.35+1.35Minor—
18Apr 15, 200311.28+1.28Minor—
19May 26, 202011.17+1.17Minor—
20Feb 12, 201011.07+1.07Minor5,908
21Dec 19, 201811.02+1.02Minor5,831
22Jan 4, 201611.00+1.00Minor5,800
23Jul 24, 200310.92+0.92Minor—
24Feb 12, 202010.87+0.87Minor—
25Sep 13, 201910.83+0.83Minor—
26Sep 7, 201610.64+0.64Minor—
27Jun 4, 201810.63+0.63Minor—
28Jun 3, 202010.60+0.60Minor—
29Mar 27, 200110.48+0.48Minor—
30Dec 30, 200610.41+0.41Minor—
31May 16, 201510.38+0.38Minor—
32May 1, 201710.32+0.32Minor—
33Aug 20, 200410.18+0.18Minor—
34Jun 1, 200310.01+0.01Minor—
35Nov 25, 20159.90−0.10Action—
36Mar 3, 20159.82−0.18Action—
37Dec 25, 20239.50−0.50Action—
38Jun 24, 20039.47−0.53Action—
39Mar 26, 20039.46−0.54Action3,992
40Nov 4, 20039.43−0.57Action—
41Jul 31, 20249.39−0.61Action—
42Aug 13, 20219.21−0.79Action—
43Dec 19, 20039.20−0.80Action—
44Aug 7, 20189.19−0.81Action—
45Apr 11, 20089.13−0.87Action—
46Nov 17, 20099.13−0.87Action3,672
47Apr 24, 20149.13−0.87Action—
48Dec 31, 20099.11−0.89Action3,653
49Jan 30, 20109.09−0.91Action3,635
50Aug 9, 20149.06−0.94Action—

The worst floods along the N.E. Cape Fear River

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

September 19, 2018: 25.58 ft here, major flooding

  • BeulavilleNC · Sep 17, 2018 · 28.28 ft · Major · its highest
  • ChinquapinNC · Sep 17, 2018 · 25.77 ft · Major · its highest

September 20, 1999: 22.77 ft here, major flooding

October 13, 2016: 17.83 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the N.E. Cape Fear River

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

Flood gauges on the N.E. Cape Fear River
BeulavilleNC18.028.28 ft, Sep 17, 20181
Burgaw this gaugeNC10.025.58 ft, Sep 19, 20185
ChinquapinNC13.025.77 ft, Sep 17, 20187

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BGWN7, 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.