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Smith River at Eden

Highest listed crest 19.28 ftFlood stage 12.0 ft86 crests since 1940

The Smith River at Eden crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 86 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1940 to 2024. The highest, 19.28 ft on August 15, 1940, was major flooding, 7.28 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
19.28 ft
August 15, 1940; 45,600 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
12.0 ft
Major flooding from 18.0 ft
Crests at major
1
76th of 314 gauges in North Carolina
Most recent flood crest
January 10, 2024
12.73 ft, minor flooding
Location
Rockingham County
Near Eden (2.1 mi), Martinsville (12.2 mi), Reidsville (13.9 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Smith River at Eden
Action stage10.021Oct 30, 2020The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.017Jan 10, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage15.06Sep 6, 1996Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage18.01Aug 15, 1940Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

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

Listed crests at the Smith River at Eden, 1940 to 2024 05101520ft Flood stage 12.0 ftMajor 18.0 ft Aug 15, 1940: 19.28 ft, major flooding; 45,600 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 1941: 9.83 ft, below flood stage; 10,700 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1942: 11.25 ft, action stage; 13,900 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 1943: 11.81 ft, action stage; 15,700 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 1944: 9.59 ft, below flood stage; 10,200 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 1945: 15.32 ft, moderate flooding; 28,200 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 1946: 10.15 ft, action stage; 11,700 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1947: 7.70 ft, below flood stage; 6,440 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 1947: 13.18 ft, minor flooding; 20,400 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 1950: 11.48 ft, action stage; 15,100 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 1951: 8.72 ft, below flood stage; 7,870 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1953: 7.95 ft, below flood stage; 6,750 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1954: 9.16 ft, below flood stage; 8,800 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 1954: 10.78 ft, action stage; 12,200 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1956: 7.16 ft, below flood stage; 5,500 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 1957: 10.58 ft, action stage; 11,800 cubic feet per secondNov 19, 1957: 9.68 ft, below flood stage; 9,800 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 1959: 10.80 ft, action stage; 12,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 1960: 8.93 ft, below flood stage; 8,220 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1961: 7.09 ft, below flood stage; 5,350 cubic feet per secondDec 12, 1961: 8.35 ft, below flood stage; 7,310 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1963: 10.02 ft, action stage; 10,400 cubic feet per secondAug 31, 1964: 9.80 ft, below flood stage; 10,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 1965: 9.04 ft, below flood stage; 8,480 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1966: 8.50 ft, below flood stage; 7,550 cubic feet per secondOct 19, 1966: 6.63 ft, below flood stage; 4,680 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 1967: 6.40 ft, below flood stage; 4,360 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 1969: 8.69 ft, below flood stage; 7,850 cubic feet per secondAug 11, 1970: 7.96 ft, below flood stage; 6,690 cubic feet per secondOct 31, 1970: 8.93 ft, below flood stage; 8,270 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1972: 16.24 ft, moderate flooding; 24,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1973: 10.54 ft, action stage; 11,100 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1974: 10.83 ft, action stage; 11,700 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1975: 13.73 ft, minor flooding; 18,300 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1976: 7.40 ft, below flood stage; 5,700 cubic feet per secondOct 9, 1976: 10.29 ft, action stage; 10,600 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1978: 12.58 ft, minor flooding; 15,500 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 1979: 15.68 ft, moderate flooding; 23,300 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1980: 12.33 ft, minor flooding; 14,800 cubic feet per secondSep 16, 1981: 4.22 ft, below flood stage; 2,050 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1982: 7.10 ft, below flood stage; 5,330 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1983: 10.88 ft, action stage; 11,700 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1984: 8.44 ft, below flood stage; 7,280 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 1985: 15.40 ft, moderate flooding; 22,600 cubic feet per secondNov 4, 1985: 9.41 ft, below flood stage; 8,920 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 1987: 16.17 ft, moderate flooding; 24,700 cubic feet per secondJul 28, 1988: 8.96 ft, below flood stage; 8,130 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 1989: 12.23 ft, minor flooding; 14,600 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1990: 10.22 ft, action stage; 10,400 cubic feet per secondOct 23, 1990: 13.65 ft, minor flooding; 18,000 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1992: 10.37 ft, action stage; 10,700 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1993: 12.37 ft, minor flooding; 14,900 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1994: 10.36 ft, action stage; 10,700 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 1995: 12.36 ft, minor flooding; 14,900 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 1996: 15.61 ft, moderate flooding; 23,100 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1997: 8.59 ft, below flood stage; 7,810 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1998: 9.23 ft, below flood stage; 8,930 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 1999: 7.25 ft, below flood stage; 5,420 cubic feet per secondSep 3, 2000: 7.44 ft, below flood stage; 5,710 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2001: 9.07 ft, below flood stage; 8,480 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 2002: 7.12 ft, below flood stage; 5,220 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 2003: 13.06 ft, minor flooding; 16,800 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 2004: 11.39 ft, action stage; 13,100 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 2005: 8.22 ft, below flood stage; 6,980 cubic feet per secondNov 17, 2006: 9.17 ft, below flood stage; 8,800 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 2007: 10.39 ft, action stage; 12,600 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 2008: 11.30 ft, action stage; 14,700 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 2009: 8.18 ft, below flood stage; 7,060 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2010: 13.99 ft, minor flooding; 18,200 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 2010: 12.16 ft, minor flooding; 14,317 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 2011: 7.16 ft, below flood stage; 5,510 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 2013: 8.65 ft, below flood stage; 7,820 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 2013: 6.53 ft, below flood stage; 4,630 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2015: 7.49 ft, below flood stage; 5,998 cubic feet per secondNov 10, 2015: 9.67 ft, below flood stage; 9,560 cubic feet per secondDec 24, 2015: 9.28 ft, below flood stage; 8,800 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 2017: 9.51 ft, below flood stage; 9,046 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2018: 12.55 ft, minor flooding; 14,900 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 2018: 11.88 ft, action stage; 13,537 cubic feet per secondOct 12, 2018: 13.70 ft, minor flooding; 15,288 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2020: 13.42 ft, minor flooding; 16,800 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 2020: 14.01 ft, minor flooding; 18,100 cubic feet per secondAug 21, 2020: 10.45 ft, action stage; 10,700 cubic feet per secondOct 30, 2020: 11.09 ft, action stage; 12,000 cubic feet per secondNov 12, 2020: 12.76 ft, minor flooding; 15,400 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 12.73 ft, minor flooding; 15,309 cubic feet per second Highest, 19.28 ft, Aug 15, 1940 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Smith River at Eden 1940s: 3 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 4 4 1980s: 4 1990s: 4 2000s: 1 2010s: 4 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 86 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Smith River at Eden
1Aug 15, 194019.28+7.28Major45,600
2Jun 21, 197216.24+4.24Moderate24,800
3Sep 8, 198716.17+4.17Moderate24,700
4Sep 22, 197915.68+3.68Moderate23,300
5Sep 6, 199615.61+3.61Moderate23,100
6Aug 18, 198515.40+3.40Moderate22,600
7Sep 18, 194515.32+3.32Moderate28,200
8May 25, 202014.01+2.01Minor18,100
9Jan 25, 201013.99+1.99Minor18,200
10Mar 30, 197513.73+1.73Minor18,300
11Oct 12, 201813.70+1.70Minor15,288
12Oct 23, 199013.65+1.65Minor18,000
13Feb 7, 202013.42+1.42Minor16,800
14Oct 10, 194713.18+1.18Minor20,400
15Mar 20, 200313.06+1.06Minor16,800
16Nov 12, 202012.76+0.76Minor15,400
17Jan 10, 202412.73+0.73Minor15,309
18Apr 27, 197812.58+0.58Minor15,500
19May 19, 201812.55+0.55Minor14,900
20Mar 4, 199312.37+0.37Minor14,900
21Jun 29, 199512.36+0.36Minor14,900
22Apr 9, 198012.33+0.33Minor14,800
23Jul 6, 198912.23+0.23Minor14,600
24Sep 30, 201012.16+0.16Minor14,317
25Sep 17, 201811.88−0.12Action13,537
26Jul 10, 194311.81−0.19Action15,700
27Sep 10, 195011.48−0.52Action15,100
28Sep 8, 200411.39−0.61Action13,100
29May 9, 200811.30−0.70Action14,700
30May 22, 194211.25−0.75Action13,900
31Oct 30, 202011.09−0.91Action12,000
32Apr 10, 198310.88−1.12Action11,700
33Apr 4, 197410.83−1.17Action11,700
34Sep 30, 195910.80−1.20Action12,200
35Oct 15, 195410.78−1.22Action12,200
36Sep 17, 195710.58−1.42Action11,800
37Feb 2, 197310.54−1.46Action11,100
38Aug 21, 202010.45−1.55Action10,700
39Jan 1, 200710.39−1.61Action12,600
40Jun 5, 199210.37−1.63Action10,700
41Mar 28, 199410.36−1.64Action10,700
42Oct 9, 197610.29−1.71Action10,600
43Mar 17, 199010.22−1.78Action10,400
44Jan 8, 194610.15−1.85Action11,700
45Mar 12, 196310.02−1.98Action10,400
46Jul 8, 19419.83−2.17Below flood stage10,700
47Aug 31, 19649.80−2.20Below flood stage10,000
48Nov 19, 19579.68−2.32Below flood stage9,800
49Nov 10, 20159.67−2.33Below flood stage9,560
50Sep 30, 19449.59−2.41Below flood stage10,200

The worst floods along the Smith River

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

June 21, 1972: 16.24 ft here, moderate flooding

September 8, 1987: 16.17 ft here, moderate flooding

  • MartinsvilleVA · Sep 8, 1987 · 20.08 ft · Major · its highest

September 22, 1979: 15.68 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Smith River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Smith River
Smith River Church near WoolwineVA9.016.11 ft, Sep 29, 20151
MartinsvilleVA11.020.08 ft, Sep 8, 19873
Eden this gaugeNC12.019.28 ft, Aug 15, 19401

Other gauges in Rockingham County

Flood gauges in Rockingham County
Wentworth19.031.60 ft, Jun 22, 19721
Price8.015.49 ft, Aug 17, 19852

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge EDSN7, 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.