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Tar River at Louisburg

Highest listed crest 26.05 ftFlood stage 20.0 ft25 crests since 1974

The Tar River at Louisburg crested at major flood stage 6 times among the 25 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1974 to 2024. The highest, 26.05 ft on September 17, 1999, was major flooding, 6.05 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
26.05 ft
September 17, 1999; 23,700 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
20.0 ft
Major flooding from 23.0 ft
Crests at major
6
19th of 314 gauges in North Carolina
Most recent flood crest
August 9, 2024
23.23 ft, major flooding
Location
Franklin County
North Carolina

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 Louisburg
Action stage20.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)20.011Dec 26, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage22.02Nov 14, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage23.06Aug 9, 2024Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

25 crests from 1974 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Tar River at Louisburg, 1974 to 2024 182022242628ft Flood stage 20.0 ftMajor 23.0 ft Sep 9, 1974: 19.85 ft, below flood stage; 7,617 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 1975: 23.00 ft, major flooding; 12,500 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1978: 24.36 ft, major flooding; 13,100 cubic feet per secondNov 13, 1980: 21.05 ft, minor flooding; 7,740 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1982: 19.57 ft, below flood stage; 6,020 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1984: 20.69 ft, minor flooding; 7,250 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1985: 18.79 ft, below flood stage; 5,380 cubic feet per secondNov 23, 1985: 21.16 ft, minor flooding; 7,880 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 1987: 21.24 ft, minor flooding; 7,990 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 1989: 20.63 ft, minor flooding; 6,890 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1990: 18.29 ft, below flood stage; 4,860 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1991: 18.88 ft, below flood stage; 5,031 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 1992: 21.57 ft, minor flooding; 8,920 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 1996: 25.34 ft, major flooding; 21,100 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 1999: 26.05 ft, major flooding; 23,700 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2001: 20.75 ft, minor flooding; 6,160 cubic feet per secondOct 13, 2002: 21.77 ft, minor flooding; 8,000 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2014: 21.68 ft, minor flooding; 10,500 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 2016: 23.25 ft, major floodingApr 26, 2017: 22.90 ft, moderate flooding; 13,000 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 2018: 20.98 ft, minor flooding; 8,934 cubic feet per secondOct 13, 2018: 18.43 ft, below flood stage; 5,353 cubic feet per secondNov 14, 2018: 22.03 ft, moderate flooding; 11,136 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 2020: 20.59 ft, minor flooding; 8,204 cubic feet per secondAug 9, 2024: 23.23 ft, major flooding; 13,699 cubic feet per second Highest, 26.05 ft, Sep 17, 1999 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Tar River at Louisburg 1970s: 2 1980s: 5 5 1990s: 3 2000s: 2 2010s: 5 2020s: 2 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 Louisburg
1Sep 17, 199926.05+6.05Major23,700
2Sep 7, 199625.34+5.34Major21,100
3Apr 28, 197824.36+4.36Major13,100
4Oct 10, 201623.25+3.25Major—
5Aug 9, 202423.23+3.23Major13,699
6Jul 16, 197523.00+3.00Major12,500
7Apr 26, 201722.90+2.90Moderate13,000
8Nov 14, 201822.03+2.03Moderate11,136
9Oct 13, 200221.77+1.77Minor8,000
10May 17, 201421.68+1.68Minor10,500
11Jan 5, 199221.57+1.57Minor8,920
12Mar 2, 198721.24+1.24Minor7,990
13Nov 23, 198521.16+1.16Minor7,880
14Nov 13, 198021.05+1.05Minor7,740
15Sep 19, 201820.98+0.98Minor8,934
16Mar 31, 200120.75+0.75Minor6,160
17Mar 7, 198420.69+0.69Minor7,250
18Feb 23, 198920.63+0.63Minor6,890
19Dec 26, 202020.59+0.59Minor8,204
20Sep 9, 197419.85−0.15Below flood stage7,617
21Jun 12, 198219.57−0.43Below flood stage6,020
22Mar 31, 199118.88−1.12Below flood stage5,031
23Feb 3, 198518.79−1.21Below flood stage5,380
24Oct 13, 201818.43−1.57Below flood stage5,353
25Apr 4, 199018.29−1.71Below flood stage4,860

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 17, 1999: 26.05 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
  • GreenvilleNC · Sep 21, 1999 · 29.74 ft · Major · its highest

September 7, 1996: 25.34 ft here, major flooding

April 28, 1978: 24.36 ft here, major flooding

  • Tar RiverNC · Apr 27, 1978 · 18.87 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
GreenvilleNC13.029.74 ft, Sep 21, 199913
GrimeslandNC7.011.74 ft, Oct 15, 20160
Louisburg this gaugeNC20.026.05 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

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge LOUN7, 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.