Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Tar River at NC97 In Rocky Mount

Highest listed crest 31.66 ftFlood stage 21.0 ft8 crests since 1996

The Tar River at NC97 In Rocky Mount crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 8 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1996 to 2024. The highest, 31.66 ft on September 17, 1999, was major flooding, 10.66 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
31.66 ft
September 17, 1999; 34,100 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
21.0 ft
Major flooding from 25.0 ft
Crests at major
5
22nd of 314 gauges in North Carolina
Most recent flood crest
August 12, 2024
24.43 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Edgecombe County
Near Rocky Mount (1.5 mi), Tarboro (13.3 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 NC97 In Rocky Mount
Action stage19.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)21.01Feb 20, 2021Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage23.01Aug 12, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage25.05Jun 18, 2020Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

8 crests from 1996 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Tar River at NC97 In Rocky Mount, 1996 to 2024 1520253035ft Flood stage 21.0 ftMajor 25.0 ft Sep 12, 1996: 25.88 ft, major flooding; 15,100 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 1999: 31.66 ft, major flooding; 34,100 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 2016: 28.73 ft, major flooding; 25,000 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 2017: 25.76 ft, major flooding; 15,040 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 2018: 16.19 ft, below flood stage; 6,235 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2020: 27.25 ft, major flooding; 18,804 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 2021: 21.01 ft, minor flooding; 9,360 cubic feet per secondAug 12, 2024: 24.43 ft, moderate flooding; 12,782 cubic feet per second Highest, 31.66 ft, Sep 17, 1999 200020052010201520202025

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Tar River at NC97 In Rocky Mount 1990s: 2 2000s: 0 2010s: 2 2020s: 3 3 1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 NC97 In Rocky Mount
1Sep 17, 199931.66+10.66Major34,100
2Oct 10, 201628.73+7.73Major25,000
3Jun 18, 202027.25+6.25Major18,804
4Sep 12, 199625.88+4.88Major15,100
5Apr 26, 201725.76+4.76Major15,040
6Aug 12, 202424.43+3.43Moderate12,782
7Feb 20, 202121.01+0.01Minor9,360
8Sep 18, 201816.19−4.81Below flood stage6,235

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: 31.66 ft here, major flooding

  • TarboroNC · Sep 19, 1999 · 41.51 ft · Major · its highest
  • GreenvilleNC · Sep 21, 1999 · 29.74 ft · Major · its highest
  • LouisburgNC · Sep 17, 1999 · 26.05 ft · Major · its highest

October 10, 2016: 28.73 ft here, major flooding

  • TarboroNC · Oct 13, 2016 · 36.29 ft · Major
  • Rock SpringsNC · Oct 14, 2016 · 25.93 ft · Major · its highest
  • GreenvilleNC · Oct 14, 2016 · 24.46 ft · Major
  • 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

September 12, 1996: 25.88 ft here, major flooding

  • LouisburgNC · Sep 7, 1996 · 25.34 ft · Major
  • Tar RiverNC · Sep 6, 1996 · 24.06 ft · Major · its highest
  • TarboroNC · Sep 15, 1996 · 26.57 ft · Moderate
  • GreenvilleNC · Sep 17, 1996 · 18.20 ft · Moderate

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
LouisburgNC20.026.05 ft, Sep 17, 19996
NC97 In Rocky Mount this gaugeNC21.031.66 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 Edgecombe County

Flood gauges in Edgecombe County
Enfield16.022.10 ft, Apr 19, 19103
Tarboro19.041.51 ft, Sep 19, 19993

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge ROKN7, 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.