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N Fork Catawba River at Highway 221

Highest listed crest 9.23 ftFlood stage 9.0 ft13 crests since 2009

The N Fork Catawba River at Highway 221 crested above flood stage 2 times among the 13 crests the National Weather Service lists from 2009 to 2019. The highest, 9.23 ft on August 21, 2018, was minor flooding, 0.23 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
9.23 ft
August 21, 2018
Flood stage
9.0 ft
Major flooding from 12.0 ft
Crests at major
0
2 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
October 11, 2018
9.18 ft, minor flooding
Location
McDowell County
North Carolina
Identifiers
NWS NFKN7
No USGS station

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, N Fork Catawba River at Highway 221
Action stage7.55Jun 6, 2019The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)9.02Oct 11, 2018Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage12.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

13 crests from 2009 to 2019. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the N Fork Catawba River at Highway 221, 2009 to 2019 24681012ft Flood stage 9.0 ftMajor 12.0 ft Oct 24, 2009: 3.98 ft, below flood stageSep 18, 2010: 6.86 ft, below flood stageMar 6, 2011: 7.70 ft, action stageFeb 7, 2013: 7.90 ft, action stageMay 5, 2013: 7.44 ft, below flood stageDec 2, 2015: 7.00 ft, below flood stageDec 24, 2015: 6.12 ft, below flood stageFeb 3, 2016: 6.22 ft, below flood stageAug 3, 2018: 8.90 ft, action stageAug 21, 2018: 9.23 ft, minor floodingSep 17, 2018: 8.71 ft, action stageOct 11, 2018: 9.18 ft, minor floodingJun 6, 2019: 7.64 ft, action stage Highest, 9.23 ft, Aug 21, 2018 201020152020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, N Fork Catawba River at Highway 221 2000s: 0 2010s: 2 2 2000s2010s
  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, N Fork Catawba River at Highway 221
1Aug 21, 20189.23+0.23Minor—
2Oct 11, 20189.18+0.18Minor—
3Aug 3, 20188.90−0.10Action—
4Sep 17, 20188.71−0.29Action—
5Feb 7, 20137.90−1.10Action—
6Mar 6, 20117.70−1.30Action—
7Jun 6, 20197.64−1.36Action—
8May 5, 20137.44−1.56Below flood stage—
9Dec 2, 20157.00−2.00Below flood stage—
10Sep 18, 20106.86−2.14Below flood stage—
11Feb 3, 20166.22−2.78Below flood stage—
12Dec 24, 20156.12−2.88Below flood stage—
13Oct 24, 20093.98−5.02Below flood stage—

Other gauges in McDowell County

Flood gauges in McDowell County
Pleasant Gardens11.017.55 ft, Sep 8, 20040

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge NFKN7, 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.