Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Neuse River near Goldsboro

Highest listed crest 29.74 ftFlood stage 18.0 ft32 crests since 1929

The Neuse River near Goldsboro crested at major flood stage 12 times among the 32 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1929 to 2024. The highest, 29.74 ft on October 12, 2016, was major flooding, 11.74 feet above flood stage. 4 other gauges on the Neuse River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
29.74 ft
October 12, 2016; 40,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
18.0 ft
Major flooding from 24.0 ft
Crests at major
12
5th of 314 gauges in North Carolina
Most recent flood crest
October 1, 2024
18.89 ft, minor flooding
Location
Wayne County
Near Goldsboro (3.2 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 Goldsboro
Action stage17.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)18.06Oct 1, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage20.014Aug 14, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage24.012Sep 19, 2018Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

32 crests from 1929 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Neuse River near Goldsboro, 1929 to 2024 18202224262830ft Flood stage 18.0 ftMajor 24.0 ft Oct 5, 1929: 27.30 ft, major flooding; 38,600 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1936: 25.30 ft, major flooding; 26,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1937: 24.10 ft, major flooding; 22,000 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 1945: 26.70 ft, major flooding; 30,700 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1954: 23.77 ft, moderate flooding; 21,400 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 1955: 24.40 ft, major flooding; 23,200 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1958: 22.35 ft, moderate flooding; 16,500 cubic feet per secondOct 9, 1964: 26.10 ft, major flooding; 28,800 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1966: 21.38 ft, moderate flooding; 14,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 1973: 23.20 ft, moderate flooding; 18,800 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1975: 24.39 ft, major flooding; 22,300 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1987: 22.93 ft, moderate flooding; 18,000 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1989: 20.84 ft, moderate flooding; 13,120 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1993: 19.43 ft, minor flooding; 10,800 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1994: 19.59 ft, minor flooding; 11,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 1995: 21.01 ft, moderate flooding; 13,400 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 1996: 26.21 ft, major flooding; 29,300 cubic feet per secondSep 20, 1999: 28.85 ft, major flooding; 38,500 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2003: 20.00 ft, moderate flooding; 12,100 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 2006: 20.00 ft, moderate flooding; 12,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 2010: 19.85 ft, minor flooding; 10,500 cubic feet per secondOct 12, 2016: 29.74 ft, major flooding; 40,000 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2017: 24.90 ft, major flooding; 25,000 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 2018: 27.60 ft, major flooding; 38,873 cubic feet per secondNov 19, 2018: 20.07 ft, moderate flooding; 11,775 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 2020: 22.39 ft, moderate flooding; 16,122 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 2020: 18.40 ft, minor flooding; 9,564 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 2021: 21.49 ft, moderate flooding; 14,166 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 2021: 21.96 ft, moderate flooding; 15,134 cubic feet per secondAug 14, 2024: 21.29 ft, moderate flooding; 14,036 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 2024: 18.21 ft, minor flooding; 10,285 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 2024: 18.89 ft, minor flooding; 10,951 cubic feet per second Highest, 29.74 ft, Oct 12, 2016 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Neuse River near Goldsboro 1920s: 1 1930s: 2 1940s: 1 1950s: 3 1960s: 2 1970s: 2 1980s: 2 1990s: 5 2000s: 2 2010s: 5 2020s: 7 7 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Neuse River near Goldsboro
1Oct 12, 201629.74+11.74Major40,000
2Sep 20, 199928.85+10.85Major38,500
3Sep 19, 201827.60+9.60Major38,873
4Oct 5, 192927.30+9.30Major38,600
5Sep 23, 194526.70+8.70Major30,700
6Sep 12, 199626.21+8.21Major29,300
7Oct 9, 196426.10+8.10Major28,800
8Apr 11, 193625.30+7.30Major26,000
9Apr 30, 201724.90+6.90Major25,000
10Sep 8, 195524.40+6.40Major23,200
11Mar 4, 197524.39+6.39Major22,300
12Feb 3, 193724.10+6.10Major22,000
13Jan 28, 195423.77+5.77Moderate21,400
14Feb 9, 197323.20+5.20Moderate18,800
15Mar 6, 198722.93+4.93Moderate18,000
16Feb 12, 202022.39+4.39Moderate16,122
17May 13, 195822.35+4.35Moderate16,500
18Feb 20, 202121.96+3.96Moderate15,134
19Jan 7, 202121.49+3.49Moderate14,166
20Mar 10, 196621.38+3.38Moderate14,400
21Aug 14, 202421.29+3.29Moderate14,036
22Feb 23, 199521.01+3.01Moderate13,400
23May 7, 198920.84+2.84Moderate13,120
24Nov 19, 201820.07+2.07Moderate11,775
25Apr 15, 200320.00+2.00Moderate12,100
26Jun 21, 200620.00+2.00Moderate12,100
27Feb 11, 201019.85+1.85Minor10,500
28Mar 8, 199419.59+1.59Minor11,000
29Mar 11, 199319.43+1.43Minor10,800
30Oct 1, 202418.89+0.89Minor10,951
31Dec 30, 202018.40+0.40Minor9,564
32Sep 22, 202418.21+0.21Minor10,285

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.

October 12, 2016: 29.74 ft here, major flooding

  • SmithfieldNC · Oct 10, 2016 · 29.09 ft · Major · its highest
  • KinstonNC · Oct 14, 2016 · 28.31 ft · Major · its highest
  • Fort BarnwellNC · Oct 15, 2016 · 20.51 ft · Major
  • ClaytonNC · Oct 9, 2016 · 20.48 ft · Major

September 20, 1999: 28.85 ft here, major flooding

  • KinstonNC · Sep 23, 1999 · 27.71 ft · Major
  • SmithfieldNC · Sep 18, 1999 · 26.72 ft · Major
  • Fort BarnwellNC · Sep 20, 1999 · 22.75 ft · Major · its highest
  • ClaytonNC · Sep 17, 1999 · 20.67 ft · Major

September 19, 2018: 27.60 ft here, major flooding

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
ClaytonNC9.022.12 ft, Sep 19, 194515
Goldsboro this gaugeNC18.029.74 ft, Oct 12, 201612

Other gauges in Wayne County

Flood gauges in Wayne County
Main St in Seven Springs15.017.67 ft, Aug 15, 20240

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge GLDN7, 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.