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South Fork Catawba River near HENRY FORK

Highest listed crest 29.20 ftFlood stage 20.0 ft27 crests since 1916

The South Fork Catawba River near HENRY FORK crested above flood stage 2 times among the 27 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1916 to 2013. The highest, 29.20 ft on August 13, 1940, was minor flooding, 9.20 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
29.20 ft
August 13, 1940; 31,300 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
20.0 ft
Major flooding from 40.0 ft
Crests at major
0
2 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
August 13, 1940
29.20 ft, minor flooding
Location
Catawba County
Near Hickory (5.8 mi), Newton (9.7 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, South Fork Catawba River near HENRY FORK
Action stage10.016Jul 27, 2013The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)20.02Aug 13, 1940Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage35.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage40.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

27 crests from 1916 to 2013. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the South Fork Catawba River near HENRY FORK, 1916 to 2013 010203040ft Flood stage 20.0 ftMajor 40.0 ft Jul 16, 1916: 23.00 ft, minor flooding; 20,700 cubic feet per secondAug 16, 1928: 15.30 ft, action stage; 11,500 cubic feet per secondOct 2, 1929: 18.40 ft, action stage; 15,300 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 1940: 29.20 ft, minor flooding; 31,300 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 1945: 16.58 ft, action stage; 13,000 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1947: 16.56 ft, action stage; 13,000 cubic feet per secondAug 10, 1970: 17.95 ft, action stage; 12,200 cubic feet per secondOct 17, 1975: 17.01 ft, action stage; 11,100 cubic feet per secondNov 6, 1977: 18.06 ft, action stage; 11,600 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1987: 15.80 ft, action stage; 9,220 cubic feet per secondOct 12, 1990: 18.71 ft, action stage; 15,300 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 1994: 14.19 ft, action stage; 7,850 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 1995: 12.52 ft, action stageJan 27, 1996: 11.07 ft, action stageDec 1, 1996: 8.88 ft, below flood stageJan 8, 1998: 8.67 ft, below flood stage; 3,760 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 2000: 6.57 ft, below flood stage; 2,510 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2001: 6.19 ft, below flood stage; 2,240 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2003: 7.84 ft, below flood stage; 3,250 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 2004: 18.04 ft, action stage; 11,600 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 2004: 2.12 ft, below flood stage; 263 cubic feet per secondOct 8, 2005: 10.01 ft, action stageMar 2, 2007: 8.35 ft, below flood stage; 3,560 cubic feet per secondAug 27, 2008: 4.80 ft, below flood stage; 1,490 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2010: 14.47 ft, action stage; 7,870 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 2011: 9.41 ft, below flood stageJul 27, 2013: 11.75 ft, action stage Highest, 29.20 ft, Aug 13, 1940 19201940196019802000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, South Fork Catawba River near HENRY FORK 1910s: 1 1 1920s: 0 1930s: 0 1940s: 1 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, South Fork Catawba River near HENRY FORK
1Aug 13, 194029.20+9.20Minor31,300
2Jul 16, 191623.00+3.00Minor20,700
3Oct 12, 199018.71−1.29Action15,300
4Oct 2, 192918.40−1.60Action15,300
5Nov 6, 197718.06−1.94Action11,600
6Sep 8, 200418.04−1.96Action11,600
7Aug 10, 197017.95−2.05Action12,200
8Oct 17, 197517.01−2.99Action11,100
9Sep 18, 194516.58−3.42Action13,000
10Jun 14, 194716.56−3.44Action13,000
11Mar 1, 198715.80−4.20Action9,220
12Aug 16, 192815.30−4.70Action11,500
13Jan 25, 201014.47−5.53Action7,870
14Aug 17, 199414.19−5.81Action7,850
15Jan 14, 199512.52−7.48Action—
16Jul 27, 201311.75−8.25Action—
17Jan 27, 199611.07−8.93Action—
18Oct 8, 200510.01−9.99Action—
19Mar 6, 20119.41−10.59Below flood stage—
20Dec 1, 19968.88−11.12Below flood stage—
21Jan 8, 19988.67−11.33Below flood stage3,760
22Mar 2, 20078.35−11.65Below flood stage3,560
23Apr 18, 20037.84−12.16Below flood stage3,250
24Mar 20, 20006.57−13.43Below flood stage2,510
25Mar 29, 20016.19−13.81Below flood stage2,240
26Aug 27, 20084.80−15.20Below flood stage1,490
27Sep 18, 20042.12−17.88Below flood stage263

Gauges on the South Fork Catawba River

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

Flood gauges on the South Fork Catawba River
HENRY FORK this gaugeNC20.029.20 ft, Aug 13, 19400
LaboratoryNC10.011.70 ft, Oct 1, 19290

Other gauges in Catawba County

Flood gauges in Catawba County
Lake Hickory/Oxford Dam101.0104.70 ft, Aug 30, 19400

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge HNRN7, 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.