Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Catawba River above Catawba

Highest listed crest 24.66 ftFlood stage 23.0 ft28 crests since 1975

The Catawba River above Catawba crested above flood stage 3 times among the 28 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1975 to 2020. The highest, 24.66 ft on February 8, 2020, was minor flooding, 1.66 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Catawba River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
24.66 ft
February 8, 2020; 71,700 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
23.0 ft
Major flooding from 30.0 ft
Crests at major
0
3 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
February 8, 2020
24.66 ft, minor flooding
Location
York County
Near Waxhaw (10.6 mi), Rock Hill (10.6 mi), Fort Mill (12.2 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Catawba River above Catawba
Action stage20.08Jun 10, 2019The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)23.03Feb 8, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage27.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage30.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

28 crests from 1975 to 2020. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Catawba River above Catawba, 1975 to 2020 1015202530ft Flood stage 23.0 ftMajor 30.0 ft Mar 15, 1975: 21.76 ft, action stage; 63,400 cubic feet per secondOct 9, 1977: 23.81 ft, minor flooding; 73,600 cubic feet per secondOct 2, 1990: 24.33 ft, minor flooding; 72,700 cubic feet per secondOct 23, 1991: 20.13 ft, action stage; 55,300 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1993: 20.86 ft, action stage; 49,300 cubic feet per secondAug 20, 1994: 18.45 ft, below flood stage; 37,800 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 1995: 17.20 ft, below flood stage; 33,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1996: 17.10 ft, below flood stage; 32,800 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1997: 15.43 ft, below flood stage; 27,000 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1998: 12.76 ft, below flood stage; 18,300 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2000: 10.51 ft, below flood stage; 12,300 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2001: 10.94 ft, below flood stage; 13,300 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2003: 22.43 ft, action stageApr 11, 2003: 22.69 ft, action stage; 54,700 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 2004: 20.29 ft, action stage; 46,400 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 2007: 18.27 ft, below flood stage; 37,100 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2008: 17.16 ft, below flood stage; 33,100 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 2009: 14.66 ft, below flood stage; 24,300 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2010: 19.34 ft, below flood stage; 41,200 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2013: 19.55 ft, below flood stage; 42,000 cubic feet per secondDec 24, 2013: 15.47 ft, below flood stage; 27,300 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2015: 14.82 ft, below flood stage; 25,200 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 2015: 21.69 ft, action stage; 50,500 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 2017: 13.31 ft, below flood stage; 20,500 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 2018: 16.31 ft, below flood stage; 30,200 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2019: 22.70 ft, action stage; 60,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 2020: 24.66 ft, minor flooding; 71,700 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2020: 18.63 ft, below flood stage; 38,700 cubic feet per second Highest, 24.66 ft, Feb 8, 2020 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Catawba River above Catawba 1970s: 1 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 2020s: 1 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Catawba River above Catawba
1Feb 8, 202024.66+1.66Minor71,700
2Oct 2, 199024.33+1.33Minor72,700
3Oct 9, 197723.81+0.81Minor73,600
4Jun 10, 201922.70−0.30Action60,300
5Apr 11, 200322.69−0.31Action54,700
6Mar 21, 200322.43−0.57Action—
7Mar 15, 197521.76−1.24Action63,400
8Dec 31, 201521.69−1.31Action50,500
9Mar 25, 199320.86−2.14Action49,300
10Sep 11, 200420.29−2.71Action46,400
11Oct 23, 199120.13−2.87Action55,300
12May 8, 201319.55−3.45Below flood stage42,000
13Jan 26, 201019.34−3.66Below flood stage41,200
14May 28, 202018.63−4.37Below flood stage38,700
15Aug 20, 199418.45−4.55Below flood stage37,800
16Mar 3, 200718.27−4.73Below flood stage37,100
17Aug 28, 199517.20−5.80Below flood stage33,200
18Aug 28, 200817.16−5.84Below flood stage33,100
19Feb 3, 199617.10−5.90Below flood stage32,800
20Sep 17, 201816.31−6.69Below flood stage30,200
21Dec 24, 201315.47−7.53Below flood stage27,300
22Apr 29, 199715.43−7.57Below flood stage27,000
23Apr 20, 201514.82−8.18Below flood stage25,200
24Mar 2, 200914.66−8.34Below flood stage24,300
25Apr 24, 201713.31−9.69Below flood stage20,500
26Apr 10, 199812.76−10.24Below flood stage18,300
27Mar 29, 200110.94−12.06Below flood stage13,300
28Mar 22, 200010.51−12.49Below flood stage12,300

The worst floods along the Catawba River

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

February 8, 2020: 24.66 ft here, minor flooding

October 2, 1990: 24.33 ft here, minor flooding

  • Rock HillSC · Oct 1, 1990 · 16.41 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Catawba River

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

Flood gauges on the Catawba River
Catawba this gaugeSC23.024.66 ft, Feb 8, 20200
Rock HillSC15.024.15 ft, May 23, 19010
Cedar Creek Reservoir/Rocky Ck-Cedar Ck DamSC102.0106.62 ft, Sep 29, 20242
Great Falls Reservoir/Great Falls-Dearborn DamsSC102.0105.90 ft, Sep 29, 20240
Lake Hickory/Oxford DamNC101.0104.70 ft, Aug 30, 19400
Lake James/Linville DamNC102.0110.70 ft, Sep 26, 20241
Lake Rhodhiss DamNC104.0110.10 ft, Aug 30, 19401
Lookout Shoals Lake and DamNC103.0114.40 ft, Aug 30, 19407
Mountain Island Lake and DamNC103.0109.60 ft, Aug 30, 19403
Pleasant GardensNC11.017.55 ft, Sep 8, 20040

Other gauges in York County

Flood gauges in York County
Mt Gallant Rd, 5 NNE Rock Hill11.012.72 ft, Jul 13, 20110
Rock Hill15.024.15 ft, May 23, 19010
Fort Mill27.027.30 ft, Aug 27, 20080
Rock Hill11.011.10 ft, Feb 6, 20200
Rock Hill12.018.61 ft, Mar 21, 20030

York County: every hazard · River floods across the country · South Carolina

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CTBS1, 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.