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Catawba River above Rock Hill

Highest listed crest 24.15 ftFlood stage 15.0 ft14 crests since 1899

The Catawba River above Rock Hill crested above flood stage 9 times among the 14 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1899 to 2020. The highest, 24.15 ft on May 23, 1901, was minor flooding, 9.15 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
24.15 ft
May 23, 1901; 151,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
15.0 ft
Major flooding from 30.0 ft
Crests at major
0
9 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
February 7, 2020
16.54 ft, minor flooding
Location
York County
Near Fort Mill (2.4 mi), Rock Hill (4.1 mi), Tega Cay (4.3 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 Rock Hill
Action stage13.02May 8, 2013The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)15.09Feb 7, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage25.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage30.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

14 crests from 1899 to 2020. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Catawba River above Rock Hill, 1899 to 2020 1015202530ft Flood stage 15.0 ftMajor 30.0 ft Mar 20, 1899: 18.00 ft, minor flooding; 95,000 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1901: 24.15 ft, minor flooding; 151,000 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 1901: 19.70 ft, minor flooding; 108,000 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 1945: 20.84 ft, minor flooding; 76,800 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1948: 17.79 ft, minor flooding; 60,200 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 1990: 16.41 ft, minor flooding; 57,400 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1993: 13.58 ft, action stage; 41,800 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 1994: 12.03 ft, below flood stage; 34,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1996: 10.42 ft, below flood stage; 26,000 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 2003: 15.17 ft, minor flooding; 54,460 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 2004: 15.90 ft, minor flooding; 54,400 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 2010: 11.83 ft, below flood stage; 33,100 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2013: 14.84 ft, action stageFeb 7, 2020: 16.54 ft, minor flooding; 58,158 cubic feet per second Highest, 24.15 ft, May 23, 1901 1900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Catawba River above Rock Hill 1890s: 1 1900s: 2 2 1910s: 0 1920s: 0 1930s: 0 1940s: 2 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 2 2010s: 0 2020s: 1 1890s1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 Rock Hill
1May 23, 190124.15+9.15Minor151,000
2Sep 19, 194520.84+5.84Minor76,800
3Dec 30, 190119.70+4.70Minor108,000
4Mar 20, 189918.00+3.00Minor95,000
5Nov 28, 194817.79+2.79Minor60,200
6Feb 7, 202016.54+1.54Minor58,158
7Oct 1, 199016.41+1.41Minor57,400
8Sep 10, 200415.90+0.90Minor54,400
9Apr 10, 200315.17+0.17Minor54,460
10May 8, 201314.84−0.16Action—
11Mar 24, 199313.58−1.42Action41,800
12Aug 19, 199412.03−2.97Below flood stage34,100
13Jan 27, 201011.83−3.17Below flood stage33,100
14Feb 3, 199610.42−4.58Below flood stage26,000

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
CatawbaSC23.024.66 ft, Feb 8, 20200
Rock Hill this gaugeSC15.024.15 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
Catawba23.024.66 ft, Feb 8, 20200
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 RHIS1, 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.