Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Yadkin River at Patterson

Highest listed crest 12.80 ftFlood stage 5.0 ft51 crests since 1940

The Yadkin River at Patterson crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 51 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1940 to 2015. The highest, 12.80 ft on August 7, 1973, was major flooding, 7.80 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
12.80 ft
August 7, 1973; 12,100 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
5.0 ft
Major flooding from 10.0 ft
Crests at major
2
55th of 314 gauges in North Carolina
Most recent flood crest
July 5, 2013
5.04 ft, minor flooding
Location
Caldwell County
Near Lenoir (6.0 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Yadkin River at Patterson
Action stage4.014Dec 24, 2015The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)5.022Jul 5, 2013Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage7.08Oct 20, 2003Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage10.02Aug 7, 1973Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

51 crests from 1940 to 2015. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Yadkin River at Patterson, 1940 to 2015 2468101214ft Flood stage 5.0 ftMajor 10.0 ft Aug 13, 1940: 12.70 ft, major flooding; 16,200 cubic feet per secondAug 30, 1940: 4.28 ft, action stage; 1,770 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 1942: 5.93 ft, minor flooding; 2,960 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 1945: 3.73 ft, below flood stage; 1,510 cubic feet per secondOct 17, 1947: 3.73 ft, below flood stage; 1,040 cubic feet per secondAug 3, 1949: 4.09 ft, action stage; 1,220 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 1949: 4.58 ft, action stage; 1,500 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1952: 7.70 ft, moderate flooding; 4,930 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1953: 4.28 ft, action stage; 1,380 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1957: 6.30 ft, minor flooding; 3,130 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 1959: 4.85 ft, action stage; 1,910 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1963: 5.44 ft, minor flooding; 2,220 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 1964: 4.41 ft, action stage; 1,450 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1966: 6.54 ft, minor flooding; 3,300 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1969: 6.60 ft, minor flooding; 3,370 cubic feet per secondAug 9, 1970: 6.00 ft, minor flooding; 2,750 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1972: 5.04 ft, minor flooding; 1,220 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1973: 5.68 ft, minor flooding; 1,630 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1973: 5.10 ft, minor flooding; 1,260 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1973: 6.49 ft, minor flooding; 2,260 cubic feet per secondAug 7, 1973: 12.80 ft, major flooding; 12,100 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1975: 5.31 ft, minor flooding; 1,390 cubic feet per secondOct 17, 1975: 5.17 ft, minor flooding; 1,300 cubic feet per secondOct 8, 1976: 5.10 ft, minor flooding; 1,260 cubic feet per secondNov 6, 1977: 7.83 ft, moderate flooding; 3,710 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 1979: 6.57 ft, minor flooding; 2,340 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1983: 5.41 ft, minor flooding; 1,450 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1987: 4.97 ft, action stage; 1,190 cubic feet per secondNov 16, 1989: 8.44 ft, moderate flooding; 4,450 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 1990: 7.32 ft, moderate flooding; 3,100 cubic feet per secondOct 12, 1990: 8.25 ft, moderate flooding; 4,210 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 1992: 4.15 ft, action stage; 811 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1993: 5.50 ft, minor floodingAug 17, 1994: 9.38 ft, moderate flooding; 5,750 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 1995: 5.98 ft, minor flooding; 1,840 cubic feet per secondAug 12, 1996: 7.13 ft, moderate flooding; 2,900 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1998: 5.88 ft, minor floodingMar 20, 2000: 2.81 ft, below flood stage; 378 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 2002: 2.49 ft, below flood stage; 292 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 2003: 4.06 ft, action stageOct 20, 2003: 7.56 ft, moderate flooding; 3,405 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 2004: 6.90 ft, minor flooding; 2,673 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 2005: 5.40 ft, minor flooding; 1,440 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 2007: 3.45 ft, below flood stage; 567 cubic feet per secondAug 27, 2008: 5.23 ft, minor flooding; 1,340 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2009: 4.12 ft, action stage; 798 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2010: 4.16 ft, action stage; 815 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 2011: 4.55 ft, action stage; 989 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2011: 4.74 ft, action stage; 1,080 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 2013: 5.04 ft, minor flooding; 1,232 cubic feet per secondDec 24, 2015: 4.00 ft, action stage; 750 cubic feet per second Highest, 12.80 ft, Aug 7, 1973 19401950196019701980199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Yadkin River at Patterson 1940s: 2 1950s: 2 1960s: 3 1970s: 11 11 1980s: 2 1990s: 7 2000s: 4 2010s: 1 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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

The 50 highest of 51 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Yadkin River at Patterson
1Aug 7, 197312.80+7.80Major12,100
2Aug 13, 194012.70+7.70Major16,200
3Aug 17, 19949.38+4.38Moderate5,750
4Nov 16, 19898.44+3.44Moderate4,450
5Oct 12, 19908.25+3.25Moderate4,210
6Nov 6, 19777.83+2.83Moderate3,710
7Mar 11, 19527.70+2.70Moderate4,930
8Oct 20, 20037.56+2.56Moderate3,405
9Sep 22, 19907.32+2.32Moderate3,100
10Aug 12, 19967.13+2.13Moderate2,900
11Sep 8, 20046.90+1.90Minor2,673
12Jun 15, 19696.60+1.60Minor3,370
13Sep 21, 19796.57+1.57Minor2,340
14Feb 13, 19666.54+1.54Minor3,300
15May 28, 19736.49+1.49Minor2,260
16Apr 5, 19576.30+1.30Minor3,130
17Aug 9, 19706.00+1.00Minor2,750
18Jan 14, 19955.98+0.98Minor1,840
19Sep 6, 19425.93+0.93Minor2,960
20Apr 17, 19985.88+0.88Minor—
21Mar 17, 19735.68+0.68Minor1,630
22Mar 23, 19935.50+0.50Minor—
23Mar 12, 19635.44+0.44Minor2,220
24Apr 9, 19835.41+0.41Minor1,450
25Jun 13, 20055.40+0.40Minor1,440
26Mar 14, 19755.31+0.31Minor1,390
27Aug 27, 20085.23+0.23Minor1,340
28Oct 17, 19755.17+0.17Minor1,300
29Apr 27, 19735.10+0.10Minor1,260
30Oct 8, 19765.10+0.10Minor1,260
31Jun 21, 19725.04+0.04Minor1,220
32Jul 5, 20135.04+0.04Minor1,232
33Mar 1, 19874.97−0.03Action1,190
34Sep 30, 19594.85−0.15Action1,910
35Apr 16, 20114.74−0.26Action1,080
36Aug 28, 19494.58−0.42Action1,500
37Mar 6, 20114.55−0.45Action989
38Oct 16, 19644.41−0.59Action1,450
39Aug 30, 19404.28−0.72Action1,770
40Feb 21, 19534.28−0.72Action1,380
41Jan 25, 20104.16−0.84Action815
42May 15, 19924.15−0.85Action811
43May 16, 20094.12−0.88Action798
44Aug 3, 19494.09−0.91Action1,220
45Apr 10, 20034.06−0.94Action—
46Dec 24, 20154.00−1.00Action750
47Sep 17, 19453.73−1.27Below flood stage1,510
48Oct 17, 19473.73−1.27Below flood stage1,040
49Jan 1, 20073.45−1.55Below flood stage567
50Mar 20, 20002.81−2.19Below flood stage378

The worst floods along the Yadkin River

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

August 13, 1940: 12.70 ft here, major flooding

  • WilkesboroNC · Aug 14, 1940 · 37.60 ft · Major · its highest
  • ElkinNC · Aug 16, 1940 · 37.50 ft · Major · its highest
  • Yadkin CollegeNC · Aug 15, 1940 · 33.75 ft · Major
  • EnonNC · Aug 15, 1940 · 35.80 ft · Moderate · its highest

August 17, 1994: 9.38 ft here, moderate flooding

  • ElkinNC · Aug 17, 1994 · 22.80 ft · Moderate
  • Yadkin CollegeNC · Aug 18, 1994 · 19.24 ft · Minor
  • WilkesboroNC · Aug 17, 1994 · 15.52 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Yadkin River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Yadkin River
Patterson this gaugeNC5.012.80 ft, Aug 7, 19732
WilkesboroNC14.037.60 ft, Aug 14, 19402
ElkinNC18.037.50 ft, Aug 16, 19402
EnonNC24.035.80 ft, Aug 15, 19400
Yadkin CollegeNC18.036.30 ft, Jul 1, 19165

Other gauges in Caldwell County

Flood gauges in Caldwell County
Lake Rhodhiss Dam104.0110.10 ft, Aug 30, 19401
Lenoir11.011.43 ft, Dec 28, 20180
Edgemont5.013.00 ft, May 18, 20182

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PATN7, 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.