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SF Catawba River below George Poston Park, 1 N Lowell

Highest listed crest 21.33 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft77 crests since 1940

The SF Catawba River below George Poston Park, 1 N Lowell crested at major flood stage 7 times among the 77 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1940 to 2024. The highest, 21.33 ft on August 15, 1940, was major flooding, 11.33 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
21.33 ft
August 15, 1940; 34,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 15.5 ft
Crests at major
7
14th of 314 gauges in North Carolina
Most recent flood crest
September 28, 2024
15.43 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Gaston County
Near Gastonia (5.3 mi), Belmont (5.6 mi), Mount Holly (5.7 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, SF Catawba River below George Poston Park, 1 N Lowell
Action stage9.07Aug 8, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.048Dec 28, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage13.09Sep 28, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage15.57Feb 7, 2020Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

77 crests from 1940 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the SF Catawba River below George Poston Park, 1 N Lowell, 1940 to 2024 0510152025ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 15.5 ft Aug 15, 1940: 21.33 ft, major flooding; 34,000 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 1943: 10.54 ft, minor flooding; 8,380 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 1943: 12.88 ft, minor flooding; 12,800 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 1944: 11.98 ft, minor flooding; 11,000 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 1945: 16.98 ft, major flooding; 22,000 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 1946: 12.04 ft, minor flooding; 11,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 1946: 12.95 ft, minor flooding; 13,000 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1947: 10.60 ft, minor flooding; 8,540 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1948: 10.60 ft, minor flooding; 8,060 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1948: 11.57 ft, minor flooding; 9,450 cubic feet per secondOct 7, 1949: 12.67 ft, minor flooding; 12,400 cubic feet per secondOct 31, 1949: 11.09 ft, minor flooding; 8,470 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 1951: 11.94 ft, minor flooding; 10,700 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1952: 15.30 ft, moderate flooding; 18,300 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1952: 12.45 ft, minor flooding; 11,700 cubic feet per secondAug 7, 1952: 10.84 ft, minor flooding; 8,540 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1953: 10.58 ft, minor flooding; 8,190 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 1954: 13.32 ft, moderate flooding; 13,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1957: 11.04 ft, minor flooding; 8,800 cubic feet per secondNov 20, 1957: 13.36 ft, moderate flooding; 13,900 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1958: 13.05 ft, moderate flooding; 13,000 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 1958: 11.79 ft, minor flooding; 10,500 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 1959: 11.68 ft, minor flooding; 10,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 1960: 12.39 ft, minor flooding; 11,700 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1963: 12.60 ft, minor flooding; 12,300 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1963: 12.11 ft, minor flooding; 11,100 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1964: 12.59 ft, minor flooding; 12,200 cubic feet per secondOct 17, 1964: 14.20 ft, moderate flooding; 15,800 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1966: 11.03 ft, minor flooding; 8,860 cubic feet per secondAug 11, 1970: 17.38 ft, major flooding; 24,800 cubic feet per secondJul 22, 1972: 11.00 ft, minor flooding; 8,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1973: 12.50 ft, minor flooding; 11,800 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1975: 10.10 ft, minor floodingMay 29, 1984: 12.10 ft, minor flooding; 11,100 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 1987: 15.72 ft, major flooding; 19,500 cubic feet per secondOct 2, 1989: 12.67 ft, minor flooding; 12,400 cubic feet per secondOct 14, 1990: 12.06 ft, minor flooding; 11,200 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1993: 11.71 ft, minor flooding; 10,600 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1994: 10.65 ft, minor flooding; 8,850 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1995: 13.12 ft, moderate flooding; 14,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1996: 10.28 ft, minor flooding; 8,260 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1997: 12.97 ft, minor flooding; 13,000 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1998: 10.56 ft, minor floodingMar 9, 1998: 11.04 ft, minor flooding; 9,480 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1999: 6.85 ft, below flood stageMar 20, 2000: 8.57 ft, below flood stage; 5,620 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2001: 8.69 ft, below flood stage; 5,780 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2003: 15.88 ft, major flooding; 20,000 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 2003: 12.67 ft, minor floodingSep 9, 2004: 11.46 ft, minor flooding; 10,200 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 2005: 7.12 ft, below flood stageOct 9, 2005: 12.96 ft, minor flooding; 12,923 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 2007: 11.80 ft, minor flooding; 10,784 cubic feet per secondNov 12, 2009: 9.80 ft, action stageDec 26, 2009: 11.52 ft, minor flooding; 10,295 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2010: 12.70 ft, minor flooding; 12,446 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 2010: 11.90 ft, minor flooding; 10,960 cubic feet per secondOct 28, 2010: 6.39 ft, below flood stageAug 5, 2011: 9.48 ft, action stage; 6,940 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2013: 10.86 ft, minor flooding; 9,187 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 2013: 11.29 ft, minor flooding; 11,047 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 2013: 17.50 ft, major floodingJan 12, 2014: 10.34 ft, minor flooding; 9,470 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2015: 9.97 ft, action stage; 8,940 cubic feet per secondDec 24, 2015: 9.79 ft, action stage; 8,563 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 2015: 12.39 ft, minor flooding; 12,912 cubic feet per secondOct 8, 2016: 3.10 ft, below flood stage; 652 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 2017: 9.35 ft, action stage; 7,760 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 2018: 9.30 ft, action stage; 7,670 cubic feet per secondNov 13, 2018: 11.05 ft, minor flooding; 9,880 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 2019: 11.02 ft, minor flooding; 9,840 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2019: 14.10 ft, moderate flooding; 15,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2020: 16.22 ft, major flooding; 20,400 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2023: 11.44 ft, minor flooding; 10,400 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 15.14 ft, moderate flooding; 17,600 cubic feet per secondAug 8, 2024: 9.08 ft, action stage; 6,870 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 2024: 15.43 ft, moderate flooding; 18,300 cubic feet per second Highest, 21.33 ft, Aug 15, 1940 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, SF Catawba River below George Poston Park, 1 N Lowell 1940s: 12 12 1950s: 11 1960s: 6 1970s: 4 1980s: 3 1990s: 8 2000s: 6 2010s: 10 2020s: 4 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 77 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, SF Catawba River below George Poston Park, 1 N Lowell
1Aug 15, 194021.33+11.33Major34,000
2Jul 29, 201317.50+7.50Major—
3Aug 11, 197017.38+7.38Major24,800
4Sep 19, 194516.98+6.98Major22,000
5Feb 7, 202016.22+6.22Major20,400
6Mar 21, 200315.88+5.88Major20,000
7Mar 2, 198715.72+5.72Major19,500
8Sep 28, 202415.43+5.43Moderate18,300
9Mar 4, 195215.30+5.30Moderate18,300
10Jan 10, 202415.14+5.14Moderate17,600
11Oct 17, 196414.20+4.20Moderate15,800
12Jun 10, 201914.10+4.10Moderate15,200
13Nov 20, 195713.36+3.36Moderate13,900
14Jan 23, 195413.32+3.32Moderate13,700
15Feb 17, 199513.12+3.12Moderate14,000
16Apr 29, 195813.05+3.05Moderate13,000
17Apr 29, 199712.97+2.97Minor13,000
18Oct 9, 200512.96+2.96Minor12,923
19Feb 11, 194612.95+2.95Minor13,000
20Jul 10, 194312.88+2.88Minor12,800
21Jan 26, 201012.70+2.70Minor12,446
22Oct 7, 194912.67+2.67Minor12,400
23Oct 2, 198912.67+2.67Minor12,400
24Apr 11, 200312.67+2.67Minor—
25Mar 6, 196312.60+2.60Minor12,300
26Apr 8, 196412.59+2.59Minor12,200
27Feb 2, 197312.50+2.50Minor11,800
28Mar 24, 195212.45+2.45Minor11,700
29Feb 6, 196012.39+2.39Minor11,700
30Dec 31, 201512.39+2.39Minor12,912
31Mar 13, 196312.11+2.11Minor11,100
32May 29, 198412.10+2.10Minor11,100
33Oct 14, 199012.06+2.06Minor11,200
34Jan 8, 194612.04+2.04Minor11,000
35Sep 30, 194411.98+1.98Minor11,000
36Dec 21, 195111.94+1.94Minor10,700
37Feb 6, 201011.90+1.90Minor10,960
38Mar 2, 200711.80+1.80Minor10,784
39Dec 29, 195811.79+1.79Minor10,500
40Mar 24, 199311.71+1.71Minor10,600
41Sep 30, 195911.68+1.68Minor10,300
42Nov 28, 194811.57+1.57Minor9,450
43Dec 26, 200911.52+1.52Minor10,295
44Sep 9, 200411.46+1.46Minor10,200
45Dec 28, 202311.44+1.44Minor10,400
46Jul 6, 201311.29+1.29Minor11,047
47Oct 31, 194911.09+1.09Minor8,470
48Nov 13, 201811.05+1.05Minor9,880
49Feb 2, 195711.04+1.04Minor8,800
50Mar 9, 199811.04+1.04Minor9,480

Other gauges in Gaston County

Flood gauges in Gaston County
Mountain Island Lake and Dam103.0109.60 ft, Aug 30, 19403

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge LOWN7, 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.