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West Fork Pigeon River near Bethel

Highest listed crest 16.27 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft14 crests since 1981

The West Fork Pigeon River near Bethel crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 14 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1981 to 2015. The highest, 16.27 ft on September 17, 2004, was major flooding, 6.27 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
16.27 ft
September 17, 2004; 19,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 16.0 ft
Crests at major
1
76th of 314 gauges in North Carolina
Most recent flood crest
December 29, 2015
10.28 ft, minor flooding
Location
Haywood County
Near Waynesville (5.8 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, West Fork Pigeon River near Bethel
Action stage9.01Dec 24, 2015The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.05Dec 29, 2015Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage14.01Sep 8, 2004Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage16.01Sep 17, 2004Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

14 crests from 1981 to 2015. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the West Fork Pigeon River near Bethel, 1981 to 2015 681012141618ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 16.0 ft May 27, 1981: 7.09 ft, below flood stage; 4,390 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1983: 10.96 ft, minor flooding; 9,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1990: 8.19 ft, below flood stage; 5,620 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1991: 7.92 ft, below flood stage; 5,300 cubic feet per secondNov 22, 1991: 7.29 ft, below flood stage; 4,580 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 1994: 12.63 ft, minor flooding; 11,700 cubic feet per secondOct 5, 1995: 12.02 ft, minor flooding; 8,420 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 1998: 10.68 ft, minor flooding; 7,340 cubic feet per secondNov 26, 1999: 8.06 ft, below flood stage; 5,050 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 2004: 14.90 ft, moderate flooding; 10,723 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 2004: 16.27 ft, major flooding; 19,000 cubic feet per secondNov 9, 2005: 7.46 ft, below flood stage; 4,510 cubic feet per secondDec 24, 2015: 9.72 ft, action stage; 6,547 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 2015: 10.28 ft, minor flooding; 7,073 cubic feet per second Highest, 16.27 ft, Sep 17, 2004 199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, West Fork Pigeon River near Bethel 1980s: 1 1990s: 3 3 2000s: 2 2010s: 1 1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, West Fork Pigeon River near Bethel
1Sep 17, 200416.27+6.27Major19,000
2Sep 8, 200414.90+4.90Moderate10,723
3Aug 17, 199412.63+2.63Minor11,700
4Oct 5, 199512.02+2.02Minor8,420
5Feb 2, 198310.96+0.96Minor9,300
6Jan 7, 199810.68+0.68Minor7,340
7Dec 29, 201510.28+0.28Minor7,073
8Dec 24, 20159.72−0.28Action6,547
9Feb 16, 19908.19−1.81Below flood stage5,620
10Nov 26, 19998.06−1.94Below flood stage5,050
11Mar 29, 19917.92−2.08Below flood stage5,300
12Nov 9, 20057.46−2.54Below flood stage4,510
13Nov 22, 19917.29−2.71Below flood stage4,580
14May 27, 19817.09−2.91Below flood stage4,390

Other gauges in Haywood County

Flood gauges in Haywood County
Canton8.516.03 ft, Aug 17, 20213
(W Fork) Abv Lake Logan9.010.83 ft, Sep 17, 20040
(W Fork) nr Retreat10.014.15 ft, Sep 17, 20040
Old River Rd (NC 215), 1 SW Canton10.026.96 ft, Sep 27, 20245
Jonathans Ck, 4 NW Crabtree13.018.00 ft, Jun 2, 18760

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CWPN7, 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.