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Neuse River near Clayton

Highest listed crest 22.12 ftFlood stage 9.0 ft54 crests since 1919

The Neuse River near Clayton crested at major flood stage 15 times among the 54 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1919 to 2025. The highest, 22.12 ft on September 19, 1945, was major flooding, 13.12 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Neuse River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
22.12 ft
September 19, 1945; 22,900 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
9.0 ft
Major flooding from 16.0 ft
Crests at major
15
2nd of 314 gauges in North Carolina
Most recent flood crest
March 17, 2025
9.92 ft, minor flooding
Location
Johnston County
Near Clayton (2.4 mi), Smithfield (9.0 mi), Wendell (10.6 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Neuse River near Clayton
Action stage8.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)9.023Mar 17, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage13.016Aug 9, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage16.015Apr 26, 2017Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

54 crests from 1919 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Neuse River near Clayton, 1919 to 2025 510152025ft Flood stage 9.0 ftMajor 16.0 ft Jul 23, 1919: 21.15 ft, major flooding; 21,200 cubic feet per secondSep 20, 1928: 17.50 ft, major flooding; 16,000 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1929: 16.22 ft, major flooding; 13,800 cubic feet per secondOct 3, 1929: 21.62 ft, major flooding; 22,000 cubic feet per secondAug 6, 1931: 14.00 ft, moderate flooding; 11,000 cubic feet per secondDec 1, 1934: 18.70 ft, major flooding; 17,000 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1936: 15.40 ft, moderate flooding; 12,600 cubic feet per secondJan 30, 1937: 13.22 ft, moderate flooding; 9,920 cubic feet per secondJul 30, 1938: 15.01 ft, moderate flooding; 12,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 1939: 15.23 ft, moderate flooding; 12,300 cubic feet per secondAug 16, 1940: 14.60 ft, moderate flooding; 11,500 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 1945: 22.12 ft, major flooding; 22,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 1948: 14.16 ft, moderate flooding; 11,200 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1952: 15.72 ft, moderate flooding; 12,900 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1954: 16.10 ft, major flooding; 13,400 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 1955: 14.59 ft, moderate flooding; 11,500 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1958: 16.40 ft, major flooding; 13,800 cubic feet per secondOct 23, 1959: 14.06 ft, moderate flooding; 10,900 cubic feet per secondOct 6, 1964: 13.95 ft, moderate flooding; 10,800 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1966: 13.35 ft, moderate flooding; 10,000 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1967: 15.13 ft, moderate flooding; 12,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 1973: 17.93 ft, major flooding; 15,900 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1975: 18.32 ft, major flooding; 16,400 cubic feet per secondNov 16, 1979: 10.32 ft, minor flooding; 6,480 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1982: 11.82 ft, minor flooding; 7,850 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1984: 11.64 ft, minor flooding; 7,680 cubic feet per secondAug 21, 1986: 11.48 ft, minor flooding; 7,530 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1989: 12.32 ft, minor flooding; 8,330 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1990: 10.32 ft, minor flooding; 6,820 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 1991: 10.28 ft, minor flooding; 6,450 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1993: 12.79 ft, minor flooding; 8,850 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 1996: 20.12 ft, major flooding; 19,700 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 1999: 20.67 ft, major flooding; 20,500 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 2006: 16.10 ft, major flooding; 13,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 2010: 11.71 ft, minor flooding; 7,700 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2014: 12.98 ft, minor flooding; 9,000 cubic feet per secondOct 9, 2016: 20.48 ft, major flooding; 20,900 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 2017: 19.31 ft, major flooding; 18,219 cubic feet per secondSep 16, 2018: 10.62 ft, minor flooding; 6,804 cubic feet per secondOct 12, 2018: 9.25 ft, minor flooding; 5,674 cubic feet per secondNov 14, 2018: 14.01 ft, moderate flooding; 10,406 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2020: 14.91 ft, moderate flooding; 11,603 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 2020: 11.18 ft, minor flooding; 7,312 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 2021: 12.03 ft, minor flooding; 8,131 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 2021: 9.01 ft, minor flooding; 5,480 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 2021: 9.17 ft, minor flooding; 5,609 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 2021: 9.39 ft, minor flooding; 5,786 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 2021: 9.02 ft, minor flooding; 5,488 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 2022: 9.78 ft, minor flooding; 6,104 cubic feet per secondAug 9, 2024: 13.10 ft, moderate flooding; 9,303 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2024: 9.69 ft, minor flooding; 6,030 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 2024: 9.62 ft, minor flooding; 5,973 cubic feet per secondSep 25, 2024: 10.82 ft, minor flooding; 6,984 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2025: 9.92 ft, minor flooding; 6,218 cubic feet per second Highest, 22.12 ft, Sep 19, 1945 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Neuse River near Clayton 1910s: 1 1920s: 3 1930s: 6 1940s: 3 1950s: 5 1960s: 3 1970s: 3 1980s: 4 1990s: 5 2000s: 1 2010s: 7 2020s: 13 13 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

The 50 highest of 54 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Neuse River near Clayton
1Sep 19, 194522.12+13.12Major22,900
2Oct 3, 192921.62+12.62Major22,000
3Jul 23, 191921.15+12.15Major21,200
4Sep 17, 199920.67+11.67Major20,500
5Oct 9, 201620.48+11.48Major20,900
6Sep 7, 199620.12+11.12Major19,700
7Apr 26, 201719.31+10.31Major18,219
8Dec 1, 193418.70+9.70Major17,000
9Mar 20, 197518.32+9.32Major16,400
10Feb 4, 197317.93+8.93Major15,900
11Sep 20, 192817.50+8.50Major16,000
12May 8, 195816.40+7.40Major13,800
13Mar 3, 192916.22+7.22Major13,800
14Jan 24, 195416.10+7.10Major13,400
15Jun 15, 200616.10+7.10Major13,400
16Mar 5, 195215.72+6.72Moderate12,900
17Apr 8, 193615.40+6.40Moderate12,600
18Feb 11, 193915.23+6.23Moderate12,300
19Jun 19, 196715.13+6.13Moderate12,200
20Jul 30, 193815.01+6.01Moderate12,000
21Feb 7, 202014.91+5.91Moderate11,603
22Aug 16, 194014.60+5.60Moderate11,500
23Aug 19, 195514.59+5.59Moderate11,500
24Feb 15, 194814.16+5.16Moderate11,200
25Oct 23, 195914.06+5.06Moderate10,900
26Nov 14, 201814.01+5.01Moderate10,406
27Aug 6, 193114.00+5.00Moderate11,000
28Oct 6, 196413.95+4.95Moderate10,800
29Mar 6, 196613.35+4.35Moderate10,000
30Jan 30, 193713.22+4.22Moderate9,920
31Aug 9, 202413.10+4.10Moderate9,303
32May 17, 201412.98+3.98Minor9,000
33Mar 5, 199312.79+3.79Minor8,850
34Mar 24, 198912.32+3.32Minor8,330
35Jan 4, 202112.03+3.03Minor8,131
36Jun 12, 198211.82+2.82Minor7,850
37Feb 6, 201011.71+2.71Minor7,700
38May 30, 198411.64+2.64Minor7,680
39Aug 21, 198611.48+2.48Minor7,530
40Dec 25, 202011.18+2.18Minor7,312
41Sep 25, 202410.82+1.82Minor6,984
42Sep 16, 201810.62+1.62Minor6,804
43Nov 16, 197910.32+1.32Minor6,480
44Mar 30, 199010.32+1.32Minor6,820
45Jan 12, 199110.28+1.28Minor6,450
46Mar 17, 20259.92+0.92Minor6,218
47Jul 10, 20229.78+0.78Minor6,104
48Sep 2, 20249.69+0.69Minor6,030
49Sep 18, 20249.62+0.62Minor5,973
50Feb 27, 20219.39+0.39Minor5,786

The worst floods along the Neuse River

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

September 19, 1945: 22.12 ft here, major flooding

  • GoldsboroNC · Sep 23, 1945 · 26.70 ft · Major
  • SmithfieldNC · Sep 20, 1945 · 25.90 ft · Major

October 3, 1929: 21.62 ft here, major flooding

  • GoldsboroNC · Oct 5, 1929 · 27.30 ft · Major
  • SmithfieldNC · Oct 3, 1929 · 26.40 ft · Major
  • KinstonNC · Oct 10, 1929 · 22.80 ft · Major

July 23, 1919: 21.15 ft here, major flooding

  • SmithfieldNC · Jul 24, 1919 · 26.80 ft · Major
  • KinstonNC · Jul 24, 1919 · 25.00 ft · Major

Gauges on the Neuse River

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

Flood gauges on the Neuse River
Fort BarnwellNC13.022.75 ft, Sep 20, 19993
KinstonNC14.028.31 ft, Oct 14, 201612
Main St in Seven SpringsNC15.017.67 ft, Aug 15, 20240
Oriental (in MLLW)NC4.09.20 ft, Sep 14, 20181
SmithfieldNC15.029.09 ft, Oct 10, 201620
Spring GardenNC4.58.63 ft, Sep 19, 20181
Falls DamNC6.08.05 ft, Sep 16, 19961
Clayton this gaugeNC9.022.12 ft, Sep 19, 194515
GoldsboroNC18.029.74 ft, Oct 12, 201612

Other gauges in Johnston County

Flood gauges in Johnston County
Princeton12.014.72 ft, Oct 10, 20160
Clayton11.013.56 ft, Sep 25, 20240
Smithfield15.029.09 ft, Oct 10, 201620

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CLYN7, 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.