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Swannanoa River below Hendersonville Rd (NC 81), in Biltmore Village (2 S Asheville)

Highest listed crest 27.33 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft63 crests since 1901

The Swannanoa River below Hendersonville Rd (NC 81), in Biltmore Village (2 S Asheville) crested at major flood stage 8 times among the 63 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1901 to 2024. The highest, 27.33 ft on September 27, 2024, was major flooding, 17.33 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
27.33 ft
September 27, 2024
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 16.5 ft
Crests at major
8
10th of 314 gauges in North Carolina
Most recent flood crest
September 27, 2024
27.33 ft, major flooding
Location
Buncombe County
Near Asheville (0.5 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Swannanoa River below Hendersonville Rd (NC 81), in Biltmore Village (2 S Asheville)
Action stage9.04Oct 24, 2017The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.024Apr 19, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage14.59Jan 15, 1995Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage16.58Sep 27, 2024Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

63 crests from 1901 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Swannanoa River below Hendersonville Rd (NC 81), in Biltmore Village (2 S Asheville), 1901 to 2024 51015202530ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 16.5 ft May 21, 1901: 16.00 ft, moderate flooding; 12,400 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 1901: 15.00 ft, moderate flooding; 10,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1902: 14.00 ft, minor flooding; 8,800 cubic feet per secondAug 1, 1910: 15.00 ft, moderate flooding; 10,600 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 1916: 14.00 ft, minor flooding; 8,800 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 1916: 20.70 ft, major flooding; 23,000 cubic feet per secondAug 16, 1928: 18.74 ft, major flooding; 17,800 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 1940: 19.00 ft, major flooding; 18,400 cubic feet per secondAug 30, 1940: 15.34 ft, moderate flooding; 11,200 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 1945: 18.00 ft, major flooding; 16,400 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1949: 14.65 ft, moderate flooding; 9,930 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 1949: 12.56 ft, minor flooding; 6,760 cubic feet per secondAug 1, 1950: 13.00 ft, minor flooding; 7,300 cubic feet per secondAug 1, 1952: 15.00 ft, moderate flooding; 10,600 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1957: 10.80 ft, minor flooding; 5,340 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1963: 11.23 ft, minor flooding; 5,260 cubic feet per secondOct 4, 1964: 11.16 ft, minor flooding; 5,210 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1968: 8.49 ft, below flood stage; 3,340 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1972: 12.10 ft, minor flooding; 5,720 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1973: 13.30 ft, minor flooding; 6,770 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 1975: 17.00 ft, major flooding; 14,400 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1975: 10.75 ft, minor flooding; 4,780 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1976: 14.19 ft, minor flooding; 7,680 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1976: 15.00 ft, moderate flooding; 10,600 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1977: 10.61 ft, minor flooding; 4,680 cubic feet per secondNov 6, 1978: 15.12 ft, moderate flooding; 9,650 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1979: 8.14 ft, below flood stage; 3,280 cubic feet per secondNov 2, 1980: 10.44 ft, minor flooding; 4,560 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1982: 8.07 ft, below flood stage; 3,220 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1983: 7.46 ft, below flood stage; 2,890 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1984: 7.83 ft, below flood stage; 3,090 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1987: 7.25 ft, below flood stage; 2,780 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1990: 10.15 ft, minor flooding; 4,390 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1991: 9.93 ft, action stage; 4,260 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 1994: 13.28 ft, minor flooding; 5,850 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 1995: 15.79 ft, moderate flooding; 11,700 cubic feet per secondOct 5, 1995: 12.56 ft, minor flooding; 6,070 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 1998: 12.17 ft, minor flooding; 5,720 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1999: 14.00 ft, minor flooding; 8,800 cubic feet per secondSep 25, 1999: 9.50 ft, action stageMar 20, 2000: 5.41 ft, below flood stageMay 6, 2003: 7.16 ft, below flood stage; 2,460 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 2004: 19.22 ft, major flooding; 12,900 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 2004: 16.74 ft, major flooding; 12,970 cubic feet per secondAug 27, 2008: 5.29 ft, below flood stage; 1,460 cubic feet per secondSep 20, 2009: 5.58 ft, below flood stageNov 11, 2009: 6.19 ft, below flood stageJan 24, 2010: 7.60 ft, below flood stageDec 1, 2010: 5.89 ft, below flood stage; 1,760 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 2012: 6.06 ft, below flood stage; 2,020 cubic feet per secondJan 30, 2013: 8.91 ft, below flood stage; 3,810 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2013: 10.32 ft, minor flooding; 4,585 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 2013: 8.97 ft, below flood stage; 3,850 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 2015: 9.65 ft, action stage; 4,327 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 2015: 12.43 ft, minor flooding; 6,441 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 2016: 7.82 ft, below flood stage; 3,085 cubic feet per secondOct 24, 2017: 9.31 ft, action stage; 4,088 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2018: 14.34 ft, minor flooding; 8,030 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 2018: 10.82 ft, minor flooding; 5,180 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2018: 12.40 ft, minor flooding; 6,420 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2019: 14.35 ft, minor flooding; 8,040 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 2024: 8.77 ft, below flood stage; 3,710 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 2024: 27.33 ft, major flooding Highest, 27.33 ft, Sep 27, 2024 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Swannanoa River below Hendersonville Rd (NC 81), in Biltmore Village (2 S Asheville) 1900s: 3 1910s: 3 1920s: 1 1930s: 0 1940s: 5 1950s: 3 1960s: 2 1970s: 8 8 1980s: 1 1990s: 6 2000s: 2 2010s: 6 2020s: 1 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 63 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Swannanoa River below Hendersonville Rd (NC 81), in Biltmore Village (2 S Asheville)
1Sep 27, 202427.33+17.33Major—
2Jul 16, 191620.70+10.70Major23,000
3Sep 8, 200419.22+9.22Major12,900
4Aug 13, 194019.00+9.00Major18,400
5Aug 16, 192818.74+8.74Major17,800
6May 1, 194518.00+8.00Major16,400
7Feb 1, 197517.00+7.00Major14,400
8Sep 17, 200416.74+6.74Major12,970
9May 21, 190116.00+6.00Moderate12,400
10Jan 15, 199515.79+5.79Moderate11,700
11Aug 30, 194015.34+5.34Moderate11,200
12Nov 6, 197815.12+5.12Moderate9,650
13Dec 30, 190115.00+5.00Moderate10,600
14Aug 1, 191015.00+5.00Moderate10,600
15Aug 1, 195215.00+5.00Moderate10,600
16Jun 17, 197615.00+5.00Moderate10,600
17Jun 16, 194914.65+4.65Moderate9,930
18Apr 19, 201914.35+4.35Minor8,040
19May 30, 201814.34+4.34Minor8,030
20May 29, 197614.19+4.19Minor7,680
21Feb 28, 190214.00+4.00Minor8,800
22Jul 10, 191614.00+4.00Minor8,800
23Mar 19, 199914.00+4.00Minor8,800
24May 28, 197313.30+3.30Minor6,770
25Aug 17, 199413.28+3.28Minor5,850
26Aug 1, 195013.00+3.00Minor7,300
27Aug 28, 194912.56+2.56Minor6,760
28Oct 5, 199512.56+2.56Minor6,070
29Dec 29, 201512.43+2.43Minor6,441
30Dec 28, 201812.40+2.40Minor6,420
31Jan 7, 199812.17+2.17Minor5,720
32Jun 21, 197212.10+2.10Minor5,720
33Mar 13, 196311.23+1.23Minor5,260
34Oct 4, 196411.16+1.16Minor5,210
35Oct 11, 201810.82+0.82Minor5,180
36Apr 5, 195710.80+0.80Minor5,340
37Mar 14, 197510.75+0.75Minor4,780
38Apr 4, 197710.61+0.61Minor4,680
39Nov 2, 198010.44+0.44Minor4,560
40May 6, 201310.32+0.32Minor4,585
41Mar 17, 199010.15+0.15Minor4,390
42Mar 29, 19919.93−0.07Action4,260
43Dec 2, 20159.65−0.35Action4,327
44Sep 25, 19999.50−0.50Action—
45Oct 24, 20179.31−0.69Action4,088
46Jul 4, 20138.97−1.03Below flood stage3,850
47Jan 30, 20138.91−1.09Below flood stage3,810
48Jan 9, 20248.77−1.23Below flood stage3,710
49Mar 12, 19688.49−1.51Below flood stage3,340
50Mar 5, 19798.14−1.86Below flood stage3,280

Other gauges in Buncombe County

Flood gauges in Buncombe County
Pearson Bridge Rd, 2 NW Asheville9.524.82 ft, Sep 27, 20243

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BLTN7, 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.