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Watauga River near Foscoe

Highest listed crest 11.96 ftFlood stage 9.0 ft17 crests since 2010

The Watauga River near Foscoe crested above flood stage 6 times among the 17 crests the National Weather Service lists from 2010 to 2026. The highest, 11.96 ft on May 19, 2018, was minor flooding, 2.96 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Watauga River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
11.96 ft
May 19, 2018
Flood stage
9.0 ft
Major flooding from 19.0 ft
Crests at major
0
6 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
October 11, 2026
10.37 ft, minor flooding
Location
Watauga County
Near Boone (5.2 mi)
Identifiers
NWS FOSN7
No USGS station

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Watauga River near Foscoe
Action stage7.010Mar 5, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)9.06Oct 11, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage15.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage19.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

17 crests from 2010 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Watauga River near Foscoe, 2010 to 2026 5101520ft Flood stage 9.0 ftMajor 19.0 ft Jan 25, 2010: 8.72 ft, action stageDec 1, 2010: 8.18 ft, action stageSep 6, 2011: 7.68 ft, action stageSep 25, 2011: 10.84 ft, minor floodingNov 29, 2011: 7.74 ft, action stageJan 30, 2013: 9.38 ft, minor floodingNov 19, 2015: 7.74 ft, action stageFeb 3, 2016: 7.10 ft, action stageOct 24, 2017: 8.86 ft, action stageJan 12, 2018: 6.88 ft, below flood stageMay 19, 2018: 11.96 ft, minor floodingOct 11, 2018: 8.16 ft, action stageJun 9, 2019: 11.48 ft, minor floodingJan 12, 2020: 8.30 ft, action stageDec 29, 2024: 9.10 ft, minor floodingMar 5, 2025: 7.16 ft, action stageOct 11, 2026: 10.37 ft, minor flooding Highest, 11.96 ft, May 19, 2018 2010201520202025

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Watauga River near Foscoe 2010s: 4 4 2020s: 2 2010s2020s
  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, Watauga River near Foscoe
1May 19, 201811.96+2.96Minor—
2Jun 9, 201911.48+2.48Minor—
3Sep 25, 201110.84+1.84Minor—
4Oct 11, 202610.37+1.37Minor—
5Jan 30, 20139.38+0.38Minor—
6Dec 29, 20249.10+0.10Minor—
7Oct 24, 20178.86−0.14Action—
8Jan 25, 20108.72−0.28Action—
9Jan 12, 20208.30−0.70Action—
10Dec 1, 20108.18−0.82Action—
11Oct 11, 20188.16−0.84Action—
12Nov 29, 20117.74−1.26Action—
13Nov 19, 20157.74−1.26Action—
14Sep 6, 20117.68−1.32Action—
15Mar 5, 20257.16−1.84Action—
16Feb 3, 20167.10−1.90Action—
17Jan 12, 20186.88−2.12Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Watauga River

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

May 19, 2018: 11.96 ft here, minor flooding

June 9, 2019: 11.48 ft here, minor flooding

September 25, 2011: 10.84 ft here, minor flooding

Gauges on the Watauga River

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

Flood gauges on the Watauga River
Aldridge RoadNC6.09.00 ft, Oct 11, 20260
ElizabethtonTN8.521.00 ft, May 21, 19016
Foscoe this gaugeNC9.011.96 ft, May 19, 20180
Sugar GroveNC6.029.60 ft, Aug 13, 19405

Other gauges in Watauga County

Flood gauges in Watauga County
Broadstone Road6.08.16 ft, Oct 11, 20260
Deerfield Road4.57.95 ft, Oct 11, 20260
Deerfield Road5.06.29 ft, Oct 11, 20260
Boone12.012.28 ft, Oct 23, 20170
US Hwy 22123.025.71 ft, Sep 27, 20240
Aldridge Road6.09.00 ft, Oct 11, 20260
Sugar Grove6.029.60 ft, Aug 13, 19405
Meadowview Drive in Boone9.216.30 ft, Sep 27, 20241

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge FOSN7, 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.