Tar River near Tar River

Highest listed crest 24.06 ftFlood stage 16.0 ft5 crests since 1978

The Tar River near Tar River crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 5 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1978 to 2018. The highest, 24.06 ft on September 6, 1996, was major flooding, 8.06 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Tar River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest: 24.06 ft; September 6, 1996; 19,900 cubic feet per second
Flood stage: 16.0 ft; Major flooding from 21.0 ft
Crests at major: 1; 76th of 314 gauges in North Carolina
Most recent flood crest: September 18, 2018; 20.04 ft, moderate flooding
Location: Granville County; Near Henderson (13.1 mi)
Identifiers: NWS TRVN7; USGS 02081500

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Tar River near Tar River

Action stage	15.0	0	—	The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)	16.0	2	Oct 9, 2016	Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage	19.0	1	Sep 18, 2018	Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage	21.0	1	Sep 6, 1996	Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

5 crests from 1978 to 2018. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

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.
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 near Tar River

1	Sep 6, 1996	24.06	+8.06	Major	19,900
2	Sep 18, 2018	20.04	+4.04	Moderate	14,540
3	Apr 27, 1978	18.87	+2.87	Minor	14,200
4	Oct 9, 2016	17.56	+1.56	Minor	13,500
5	Oct 12, 2018	12.88	−3.12	Below flood stage	6,648

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 6, 1996: 24.06 ft here, major flooding

NC97 In Rocky MountNC · Sep 12, 1996 · 25.88 ft · Major
LouisburgNC · Sep 7, 1996 · 25.34 ft · Major

September 18, 2018: 20.04 ft here, moderate flooding

LouisburgNC · Sep 19, 2018 · 20.98 ft · Minor

April 27, 1978: 18.87 ft here, minor flooding

LouisburgNC · Apr 28, 1978 · 24.36 ft · Major

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	NC	13.0	29.74 ft, Sep 21, 1999	13
Grimesland	NC	7.0	11.74 ft, Oct 15, 2016	0
Louisburg	NC	20.0	26.05 ft, Sep 17, 1999	6
NC97 In Rocky Mount	NC	21.0	31.66 ft, Sep 17, 1999	5
Rock Springs	NC	18.0	25.93 ft, Oct 14, 2016	1
Tarboro	NC	19.0	41.51 ft, Sep 19, 1999	3
US301 Bypass at Rocky Mount	NC	17.0	17.86 ft, Aug 12, 2024	0
Langley Crossroads	NC	16.0	17.39 ft, Aug 12, 2024	0
Tar River this gauge	NC	16.0	24.06 ft, Sep 6, 1996	1

Other gauges in Granville County

Flood gauges in Granville County

Knap of the Reeds Creek neat Butner, NC	9.0	9.94 ft, Sep 17, 2018	0

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge TRVN7, 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.