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Tar River at Greenville

Highest listed crest 29.74 ftFlood stage 13.0 ft37 crests since 1887

The Tar River at Greenville crested at major flood stage 13 times among the 37 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1887 to 2024. The highest, 29.74 ft on September 21, 1999, was major flooding, 16.74 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Tar River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 3 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
29.74 ft
September 21, 1999
Flood stage
13.0 ft
Major flooding from 19.0 ft
Crests at major
13
4th of 314 gauges in North Carolina
Most recent flood crest
August 16, 2024
16.39 ft, minor flooding
Location
Pitt County
Near Greenville (1.4 mi), Winterville (6.3 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Tar River at Greenville
Action stage12.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)13.010Aug 16, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage17.013May 3, 2017Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage19.013Nov 17, 2020Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

37 crests from 1887 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Tar River at Greenville, 1887 to 2024 51015202530ft Flood stage 13.0 ftMajor 19.0 ft Nov 7, 1887: 22.30 ft, major floodingSep 2, 1908: 19.40 ft, major floodingJun 19, 1910: 18.50 ft, moderate floodingJul 28, 1919: 24.50 ft, major floodingMar 11, 1922: 19.10 ft, major floodingSep 25, 1928: 21.90 ft, major floodingOct 6, 1928: 23.50 ft, major floodingMar 9, 1929: 18.60 ft, moderate floodingOct 8, 1929: 19.70 ft, major floodingDec 8, 1934: 18.80 ft, moderate floodingApr 14, 1936: 18.13 ft, moderate floodingFeb 3, 1937: 18.70 ft, moderate floodingSep 5, 1939: 18.60 ft, moderate floodingAug 22, 1940: 22.07 ft, major flooding; 36,500 cubic feet per secondSep 25, 1945: 19.24 ft, major floodingFeb 19, 1948: 17.80 ft, moderate floodingJan 29, 1954: 18.77 ft, moderate floodingMar 14, 1958: 19.70 ft, major floodingOct 10, 1964: 18.53 ft, moderate floodingAug 24, 1967: 18.50 ft, moderate floodingMar 23, 1975: 18.80 ft, moderate floodingMar 10, 1994: 16.30 ft, minor floodingMar 15, 1995: 14.60 ft, minor floodingSep 17, 1996: 18.20 ft, moderate floodingSep 21, 1999: 29.74 ft, major floodingAug 20, 2004: 14.51 ft, minor floodingAug 29, 2012: 9.55 ft, below flood stage; 5,530 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 2013: 13.38 ft, minor floodingMar 14, 2014: 13.18 ft, minor floodingOct 14, 2016: 24.46 ft, major flooding; 44,500 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 2017: 18.28 ft, moderate flooding; 25,100 cubic feet per secondNov 21, 2018: 13.63 ft, minor flooding; 12,700 cubic feet per secondNov 17, 2020: 19.89 ft, major flooding; 27,705 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 2023: 14.72 ft, minor flooding; 12,061 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 2024: 14.72 ft, minor flooding; 12,061 cubic feet per secondJul 30, 2024: 14.04 ft, minor flooding; 10,955 cubic feet per secondAug 16, 2024: 16.39 ft, minor flooding; 16,453 cubic feet per second Highest, 29.74 ft, Sep 21, 1999 1900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Tar River at Greenville 1880s: 1 1890s: 0 1900s: 1 1910s: 2 1920s: 5 5 1930s: 4 1940s: 3 1950s: 2 1960s: 2 1970s: 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 4 2000s: 1 2010s: 5 2020s: 5 1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
  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, Tar River at Greenville
1Sep 21, 199929.74+16.74Major—
2Jul 28, 191924.50+11.50Major—
3Oct 14, 201624.46+11.46Major44,500
4Oct 6, 192823.50+10.50Major—
5Nov 7, 188722.30+9.30Major—
6Aug 22, 194022.07+9.07Major36,500
7Sep 25, 192821.90+8.90Major—
8Nov 17, 202019.89+6.89Major27,705
9Oct 8, 192919.70+6.70Major—
10Mar 14, 195819.70+6.70Major—
11Sep 2, 190819.40+6.40Major—
12Sep 25, 194519.24+6.24Major—
13Mar 11, 192219.10+6.10Major—
14Dec 8, 193418.80+5.80Moderate—
15Mar 23, 197518.80+5.80Moderate—
16Jan 29, 195418.77+5.77Moderate—
17Feb 3, 193718.70+5.70Moderate—
18Mar 9, 192918.60+5.60Moderate—
19Sep 5, 193918.60+5.60Moderate—
20Oct 10, 196418.53+5.53Moderate—
21Jun 19, 191018.50+5.50Moderate—
22Aug 24, 196718.50+5.50Moderate—
23May 3, 201718.28+5.28Moderate25,100
24Sep 17, 199618.20+5.20Moderate—
25Apr 14, 193618.13+5.13Moderate—
26Feb 19, 194817.80+4.80Moderate—
27Aug 16, 202416.39+3.39Minor16,453
28Mar 10, 199416.30+3.30Minor—
29Dec 22, 202314.72+1.72Minor12,061
30Jan 18, 202414.72+1.72Minor12,061
31Mar 15, 199514.60+1.60Minor—
32Aug 20, 200414.51+1.51Minor—
33Jul 30, 202414.04+1.04Minor10,955
34Nov 21, 201813.63+0.63Minor12,700
35Jul 8, 201313.38+0.38Minor—
36Mar 14, 201413.18+0.18Minor—
37Aug 29, 20129.55−3.45Below flood stage5,530

The worst floods along the Tar River

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

September 21, 1999: 29.74 ft here, major flooding

  • TarboroNC · Sep 19, 1999 · 41.51 ft · Major · its highest
  • NC97 In Rocky MountNC · Sep 17, 1999 · 31.66 ft · Major · its highest
  • LouisburgNC · Sep 17, 1999 · 26.05 ft · Major · its highest

July 28, 1919: 24.50 ft here, major flooding

  • TarboroNC · Jul 27, 1919 · 34.00 ft · Major

October 14, 2016: 24.46 ft here, major flooding

  • TarboroNC · Oct 13, 2016 · 36.29 ft · Major
  • NC97 In Rocky MountNC · Oct 10, 2016 · 28.73 ft · Major
  • Rock SpringsNC · Oct 14, 2016 · 25.93 ft · Major · its highest
  • LouisburgNC · Oct 10, 2016 · 23.25 ft · Major
  • GrimeslandNC · Oct 15, 2016 · 11.74 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • Tar RiverNC · Oct 9, 2016 · 17.56 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Tar River

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

Flood gauges on the Tar River
Greenville this gaugeNC13.029.74 ft, Sep 21, 199913
GrimeslandNC7.011.74 ft, Oct 15, 20160
LouisburgNC20.026.05 ft, Sep 17, 19996
NC97 In Rocky MountNC21.031.66 ft, Sep 17, 19995
Rock SpringsNC18.025.93 ft, Oct 14, 20161
TarboroNC19.041.51 ft, Sep 19, 19993
US301 Bypass at Rocky MountNC17.017.86 ft, Aug 12, 20240
Langley CrossroadsNC16.017.39 ft, Aug 12, 20240
Tar RiverNC16.024.06 ft, Sep 6, 19961

Other gauges in Pitt County

Flood gauges in Pitt County
Grifton16.020.04 ft, Sep 18, 20180
14th St in Greenville7.512.18 ft, Jun 16, 20252
Farmville13.514.47 ft, Nov 13, 20200
Greenville12.513.63 ft, Jun 16, 20250
Grimesland7.011.74 ft, Oct 15, 20160
Rock Springs18.025.93 ft, Oct 14, 20161

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PGVN7, 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.