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Roanoke River at Williamston

Highest listed crest 20.50 ftFlood stage 12.0 ft17 crests since 1877

The Roanoke River at Williamston crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 17 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1877 to 2020. The highest, 20.50 ft on August 22, 1940, was major flooding, 8.50 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Roanoke River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 3 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
20.50 ft
August 22, 1940
Flood stage
12.0 ft
Major flooding from 15.0 ft
Crests at major
5
22nd of 314 gauges in North Carolina
Most recent flood crest
November 28, 2020
12.34 ft, minor flooding
Location
Martin 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, Roanoke River at Williamston
Action stage10.53Oct 14, 2016The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.04Nov 28, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage13.05Sep 18, 1999Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage15.05Apr 18, 1957Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

17 crests from 1877 to 2020. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Roanoke River at Williamston, 1877 to 2020 10121416182022ft Flood stage 12.0 ftMajor 15.0 ft Jan 1, 1877: 18.10 ft, major floodingJan 1, 1919: 16.10 ft, major floodingJan 1, 1923: 14.30 ft, moderate floodingJan 27, 1936: 14.70 ft, moderate floodingJan 27, 1937: 14.00 ft, moderate floodingAug 22, 1940: 20.50 ft, major floodingSep 26, 1945: 15.00 ft, major floodingFeb 22, 1948: 13.10 ft, moderate floodingApr 18, 1957: 16.00 ft, major floodingSep 22, 1996: 12.20 ft, minor floodingSep 18, 1999: 13.01 ft, moderate floodingApr 6, 2012: 11.01 ft, action stageJul 17, 2013: 11.40 ft, action stageOct 14, 2016: 11.61 ft, action stageMay 14, 2017: 12.10 ft, minor flooding; 28,775 cubic feet per secondDec 1, 2018: 12.37 ft, minor floodingNov 28, 2020: 12.34 ft, minor flooding; 33,317 cubic feet per second Highest, 20.50 ft, Aug 22, 1940 18801900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Roanoke River at Williamston 1870s: 1 1880s: 0 1890s: 0 1900s: 0 1910s: 1 1920s: 1 1930s: 2 1940s: 3 3 1950s: 1 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 2 2000s: 0 2010s: 2 2020s: 1 1870s1890s1910s1930s1950s1970s1990s2010s
  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.
  3. 1 crest measured on an earlier gauge datum is left out: 17.80 ft on Mar 15, 1912.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Roanoke River at Williamston
1Aug 22, 194020.50+8.50Major—
2Jan 1, 187718.10+6.10Major—
3Jan 1, 191916.10+4.10Major—
4Apr 18, 195716.00+4.00Major—
5Sep 26, 194515.00+3.00Major—
6Jan 27, 193614.70+2.70Moderate—
7Jan 1, 192314.30+2.30Moderate—
8Jan 27, 193714.00+2.00Moderate—
9Feb 22, 194813.10+1.10Moderate—
10Sep 18, 199913.01+1.01Moderate—
11Dec 1, 201812.37+0.37Minor—
12Nov 28, 202012.34+0.34Minor33,317
13Sep 22, 199612.20+0.20Minor—
14May 14, 201712.10+0.10Minor28,775
15Oct 14, 201611.61−0.39Action—
16Jul 17, 201311.40−0.60Action—
17Apr 6, 201211.01−0.99Action—

The worst floods along the Roanoke River

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

August 22, 1940: 20.50 ft here, major flooding

  • RandolphVA · Aug 16, 1940 · 41.60 ft · Major · its highest
  • AltavistaVA · Aug 15, 1940 · 40.08 ft · Major · its highest
  • Roanoke RapidsNC · Aug 18, 1940 · 39.00 ft · Major · its highest

September 26, 1945: 15.00 ft here, major flooding

  • Scotland NeckNC · Sep 23, 1945 · 37.05 ft · Major · its highest
  • Roanoke RapidsNC · Sep 22, 1945 · 26.78 ft · Major
  • RandolphVA · Sep 30, 1945 · 32.60 ft · Moderate
  • AltavistaVA · Sep 19, 1945 · 28.30 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Roanoke River

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

Flood gauges on the Roanoke River
AltavistaVA18.040.08 ft, Aug 15, 19408
BrooknealVA23.039.80 ft, Sep 9, 198718
GlenvarVA9.017.73 ft, Apr 21, 19925
LafayetteVA8.015.60 ft, Jun 21, 19723
NiagaraVA13.025.30 ft, Nov 4, 19854
RandolphVA24.041.60 ft, Aug 16, 19403
RoanokeVA10.023.35 ft, Nov 4, 19857
Roanoke RapidsNC9.039.00 ft, Aug 18, 19408
Smith Mountain LakeVA797.0799.79 ft, Apr 27, 19783
Williamston this gaugeNC12.020.50 ft, Aug 22, 19405
Scotland NeckNC28.037.05 ft, Sep 23, 19453

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WLLN7, 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.