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Waccamaw River near Conway

Highest listed crest 21.16 ftFlood stage 11.0 ft284 crests since 1894

The Waccamaw River near Conway crested at major flood stage 20 times among the 284 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1894 to 2024. The highest, 21.16 ft on September 26, 2018, was major flooding, 10.16 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Waccamaw River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
21.16 ft
September 26, 2018
Flood stage
11.0 ft
Major flooding from 14.0 ft
Crests at major
20
2nd of 79 gauges in South Carolina
Most recent flood crest
October 3, 2024
11.54 ft, minor flooding
Location
Horry County
Near Conway (0.3 mi), Myrtle Beach (12.4 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Waccamaw River near Conway
Action stage10.062Feb 3, 2021The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)11.0104Oct 3, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage12.064Dec 19, 2023Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage14.020Aug 19, 2024Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

284 crests from 1894 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Waccamaw River near Conway, 1894 to 2024 510152025ft Flood stage 11.0 ftMajor 14.0 ft Mar 2, 1894: 10.50 ft, action stageAug 17, 1894: 11.20 ft, minor floodingSep 29, 1894: 11.00 ft, minor floodingOct 11, 1894: 13.10 ft, moderate floodingOct 20, 1894: 13.60 ft, moderate floodingJan 12, 1895: 10.80 ft, action stageFeb 8, 1895: 13.40 ft, moderate floodingMar 19, 1895: 10.60 ft, action stageApr 11, 1895: 10.80 ft, action stageMay 1, 1895: 11.10 ft, minor floodingFeb 11, 1896: 11.30 ft, minor floodingFeb 20, 1896: 11.40 ft, minor floodingDec 20, 1896: 10.50 ft, action stageMar 7, 1897: 11.70 ft, minor floodingDec 13, 1898: 10.00 ft, action stageFeb 20, 1899: 12.20 ft, moderate floodingMar 2, 1899: 13.00 ft, moderate floodingMay 9, 1899: 10.70 ft, action stageAug 15, 1899: 11.30 ft, minor floodingFeb 4, 1900: 10.60 ft, action stageFeb 16, 1900: 10.70 ft, action stageMar 3, 1900: 11.10 ft, minor floodingMay 4, 1900: 11.30 ft, minor floodingApr 15, 1901: 10.90 ft, action stageJun 5, 1901: 11.20 ft, minor floodingJul 29, 1901: 13.10 ft, moderate floodingOct 13, 1901: 11.40 ft, minor floodingMar 13, 1902: 11.60 ft, minor floodingFeb 25, 1903: 11.10 ft, minor floodingApr 4, 1903: 11.30 ft, minor floodingSep 17, 1904: 12.00 ft, moderate floodingMar 2, 1905: 11.20 ft, minor floodingMar 6, 1905: 11.20 ft, minor floodingFeb 22, 1906: 13.20 ft, moderate floodingAug 5, 1906: 10.80 ft, action stageSep 10, 1906: 10.70 ft, action stageAug 25, 1907: 11.30 ft, minor floodingSep 7, 1907: 10.70 ft, action stageOct 4, 1907: 10.80 ft, action stageFeb 26, 1908: 12.30 ft, moderate floodingApr 5, 1908: 11.50 ft, minor floodingJul 12, 1908: 11.50 ft, minor floodingJul 22, 1908: 11.50 ft, minor floodingAug 10, 1908: 14.10 ft, major floodingAug 28, 1908: 11.60 ft, minor floodingSep 7, 1908: 14.60 ft, major floodingNov 3, 1908: 11.30 ft, minor floodingJun 5, 1909: 10.40 ft, action stageMar 10, 1910: 11.30 ft, minor floodingJan 12, 1911: 7.70 ft, below flood stageMar 7, 1912: 11.50 ft, minor floodingMar 27, 1912: 11.80 ft, minor floodingMar 29, 1913: 11.80 ft, minor floodingOct 26, 1913: 11.40 ft, minor floodingMar 8, 1914: 12.30 ft, moderate floodingJan 31, 1915: 13.00 ft, moderate floodingJul 16, 1916: 11.40 ft, minor floodingJul 29, 1916: 13.60 ft, moderate floodingOct 4, 1917: 11.10 ft, minor floodingApr 22, 1918: 11.40 ft, minor floodingMay 1, 1918: 13.70 ft, moderate floodingAug 4, 1919: 11.30 ft, minor floodingOct 3, 1920: 10.30 ft, action stageFeb 13, 1921: 11.30 ft, minor floodingFeb 22, 1921: 11.50 ft, minor floodingMar 20, 1922: 11.30 ft, minor floodingMar 31, 1923: 9.90 ft, below flood stageJul 15, 1924: 13.40 ft, moderate floodingOct 2, 1924: 15.40 ft, major floodingOct 9, 1924: 15.50 ft, major floodingJan 31, 1925: 13.70 ft, moderate floodingFeb 20, 1926: 9.70 ft, below flood stageMar 24, 1927: 7.40 ft, below flood stageMay 11, 1928: 10.90 ft, action stageSep 20, 1928: 15.30 ft, major floodingSep 30, 1928: 17.80 ft, major floodingJan 29, 1929: 10.50 ft, action stageMar 3, 1929: 11.20 ft, minor floodingMar 15, 1929: 12.40 ft, moderate floodingOct 15, 1929: 10.90 ft, action stageFeb 4, 1930: 9.90 ft, below flood stageJan 6, 1931: 8.90 ft, below flood stageDec 30, 1932: 9.30 ft, below flood stageSep 8, 1933: 12.80 ft, moderate floodingSep 15, 1933: 11.60 ft, minor floodingDec 10, 1934: 7.30 ft, below flood stageSep 23, 1935: 11.50 ft, minor floodingJan 21, 1936: 10.80 ft, action stageFeb 26, 1936: 10.80 ft, action stageMar 28, 1936: 11.00 ft, minor floodingApr 3, 1936: 11.00 ft, minor floodingApr 18, 1936: 13.70 ft, moderate floodingFeb 10, 1937: 9.70 ft, below flood stageApr 23, 1938: 9.10 ft, below flood stageMar 12, 1939: 13.50 ft, moderate floodingFeb 24, 1940: 9.30 ft, below flood stageApr 9, 1941: 8.40 ft, below flood stageMar 23, 1942: 11.00 ft, minor floodingAug 24, 1943: 11.70 ft, minor floodingAug 30, 1943: 11.60 ft, minor floodingSep 24, 1943: 11.10 ft, minor floodingMar 9, 1944: 11.70 ft, minor floodingMar 15, 1944: 11.80 ft, minor floodingMar 24, 1944: 11.90 ft, minor floodingMar 30, 1944: 11.90 ft, minor floodingAug 12, 1944: 9.40 ft, below flood stageAug 4, 1945: 10.50 ft, action stageAug 23, 1945: 10.50 ft, action stageSep 8, 1945: 10.90 ft, action stageSep 19, 1945: 13.20 ft, moderate floodingSep 29, 1945: 15.60 ft, major floodingJan 19, 1946: 10.50 ft, action stageAug 23, 1946: 10.60 ft, action stageSep 3, 1946: 12.00 ft, moderate floodingSep 29, 1947: 10.40 ft, action stageNov 26, 1947: 11.20 ft, minor floodingJan 1, 1948: 11.00 ft, minor floodingFeb 24, 1948: 12.90 ft, moderate floodingMar 18, 1948: 10.80 ft, action stageDec 10, 1948: 12.70 ft, moderate floodingSep 15, 1949: 11.00 ft, minor floodingJul 31, 1950: 10.40 ft, action stageApr 22, 1951: 8.70 ft, below flood stageMar 20, 1952: 9.50 ft, below flood stageMar 28, 1952: 9.50 ft, below flood stageMar 15, 1953: 11.30 ft, minor floodingFeb 6, 1954: 9.20 ft, below flood stageOct 15, 1954: 7.80 ft, below flood stageSep 22, 1955: 13.40 ft, moderate floodingOct 2, 1955: 13.10 ft, moderate floodingMay 10, 1956: 9.40 ft, below flood stageDec 11, 1957: 9.40 ft, below flood stageApr 8, 1958: 10.80 ft, action stageApr 19, 1958: 12.70 ft, moderate floodingMar 8, 1959: 12.10 ft, moderate floodingMar 19, 1959: 12.80 ft, moderate floodingSep 30, 1959: 10.00 ft, action stageOct 31, 1959: 11.00 ft, minor floodingFeb 19, 1960: 11.10 ft, minor floodingFeb 27, 1960: 11.40 ft, minor floodingMar 4, 1960: 11.50 ft, minor floodingApr 6, 1960: 11.50 ft, minor floodingApr 16, 1960: 11.60 ft, minor floodingJul 31, 1960: 11.90 ft, minor floodingAug 10, 1960: 12.10 ft, moderate floodingSep 23, 1960: 10.40 ft, action stageApr 19, 1961: 11.90 ft, minor floodingJul 1, 1961: 12.40 ft, moderate floodingJul 9, 1961: 13.10 ft, moderate floodingMar 13, 1962: 10.80 ft, action stageFeb 6, 1963: 11.20 ft, minor floodingMar 5, 1964: 12.00 ft, moderate floodingJun 8, 1964: 11.50 ft, minor floodingJul 26, 1964: 10.20 ft, action stageAug 31, 1964: 8.80 ft, below flood stageSep 15, 1964: 11.90 ft, minor floodingOct 9, 1964: 10.90 ft, action stageOct 18, 1964: 11.90 ft, minor floodingFeb 26, 1965: 10.50 ft, action stageMar 6, 1965: 11.30 ft, minor floodingApr 3, 1965: 11.40 ft, minor floodingMar 17, 1966: 12.40 ft, moderate floodingAug 27, 1967: 9.70 ft, below flood stageJan 27, 1968: 9.50 ft, below flood stageAug 19, 1969: 12.20 ft, moderate floodingApr 7, 1970: 11.40 ft, minor floodingMar 16, 1971: 12.20 ft, moderate floodingAug 19, 1971: 12.40 ft, moderate floodingFeb 5, 1972: 10.60 ft, action stageFeb 19, 1972: 11.50 ft, minor floodingFeb 17, 1973: 13.40 ft, moderate floodingApr 16, 1973: 12.70 ft, moderate floodingAug 28, 1974: 11.40 ft, minor floodingSep 2, 1974: 11.00 ft, minor floodingFeb 7, 1975: 10.80 ft, action stageFeb 20, 1975: 10.90 ft, action stageMar 30, 1975: 11.10 ft, minor floodingOct 4, 1975: 10.00 ft, action stageJul 9, 1976: 10.90 ft, action stageMar 23, 1977: 10.20 ft, action stageNov 22, 1977: 9.80 ft, below flood stageFeb 8, 1978: 11.50 ft, minor floodingMar 11, 1979: 12.20 ft, moderate floodingSep 7, 1979: 12.30 ft, moderate floodingSep 21, 1979: 11.90 ft, minor floodingApr 4, 1980: 11.80 ft, minor floodingAug 27, 1981: 13.80 ft, moderate floodingJan 17, 1982: 10.50 ft, action stageFeb 28, 1982: 11.00 ft, minor floodingMar 2, 1983: 12.70 ft, moderate floodingMar 8, 1983: 12.50 ft, moderate floodingMar 19, 1983: 13.80 ft, moderate floodingMar 30, 1983: 14.50 ft, major floodingMar 21, 1984: 10.60 ft, action stageApr 14, 1984: 11.00 ft, minor floodingFeb 24, 1985: 9.50 ft, below flood stageDec 25, 1986: 8.90 ft, below flood stageFeb 4, 1987: 11.50 ft, minor floodingMar 3, 1987: 11.10 ft, minor floodingMar 16, 1987: 12.70 ft, moderate floodingSep 20, 1988: 9.20 ft, below flood stageOct 14, 1989: 10.50 ft, action stageNov 10, 1990: 9.80 ft, below flood stageFeb 2, 1991: 11.30 ft, minor floodingAug 31, 1992: 11.40 ft, minor floodingJan 20, 1993: 13.60 ft, moderate floodingApr 10, 1993: 10.90 ft, action stageApr 20, 1993: 10.60 ft, action stageDec 25, 1994: 13.00 ft, moderate floodingJan 1, 1995: 12.20 ft, moderate floodingJan 17, 1995: 12.40 ft, moderate floodingFeb 21, 1995: 10.80 ft, action stageMar 4, 1995: 11.90 ft, minor floodingAug 29, 1995: 10.00 ft, action stageNov 3, 1995: 10.50 ft, action stageSep 19, 1996: 14.40 ft, major floodingOct 10, 1996: 12.10 ft, moderate floodingOct 23, 1996: 11.60 ft, minor floodingFeb 26, 1997: 9.80 ft, below flood stageFeb 12, 1998: 14.70 ft, major floodingFeb 19, 1998: 14.80 ft, major floodingMar 21, 1998: 11.60 ft, minor floodingJan 27, 1999: 10.70 ft, action stageFeb 7, 1999: 11.80 ft, minor floodingMay 16, 1999: 12.50 ft, moderate floodingSep 27, 1999: 17.60 ft, major floodingOct 28, 1999: 13.90 ft, moderate floodingFeb 11, 2000: 10.50 ft, action stageOct 3, 2000: 11.40 ft, minor floodingMar 22, 2001: 10.80 ft, action stageOct 20, 2002: 8.70 ft, below flood stageMar 23, 2003: 11.50 ft, minor floodingApr 2, 2003: 11.80 ft, minor floodingApr 23, 2003: 12.50 ft, moderate floodingAug 16, 2004: 11.57 ft, minor floodingSep 2, 2004: 11.07 ft, minor floodingSep 24, 2004: 11.30 ft, minor floodingOct 19, 2005: 11.10 ft, minor floodingSep 15, 2006: 11.00 ft, minor floodingDec 8, 2006: 10.90 ft, action stageJan 8, 2007: 11.70 ft, minor floodingSep 6, 2008: 9.69 ft, below flood stageDec 20, 2009: 10.35 ft, action stageFeb 16, 2010: 11.07 ft, minor floodingFeb 22, 2011: 9.07 ft, below flood stageJun 7, 2012: 8.70 ft, below flood stageJul 14, 2013: 13.11 ft, moderate floodingMar 30, 2014: 10.18 ft, action stageAug 13, 2014: 10.41 ft, action stageOct 10, 2015: 16.23 ft, major floodingNov 5, 2015: 11.44 ft, minor floodingNov 15, 2015: 11.50 ft, minor floodingJan 11, 2016: 12.45 ft, moderate floodingFeb 17, 2016: 13.56 ft, moderate floodingSep 21, 2016: 10.52 ft, action stageOct 10, 2016: 15.11 ft, major floodingOct 18, 2016: 17.89 ft, major floodingSep 3, 2017: 11.40 ft, minor floodingSep 14, 2017: 11.58 ft, minor floodingSep 18, 2018: 15.57 ft, major floodingSep 26, 2018: 21.16 ft, major floodingNov 27, 2018: 11.41 ft, minor floodingDec 17, 2018: 11.11 ft, minor floodingDec 29, 2018: 12.44 ft, moderate floodingSep 7, 2019: 12.42 ft, moderate floodingFeb 22, 2020: 12.80 ft, moderate floodingMar 8, 2020: 11.42 ft, minor floodingJun 7, 2020: 14.08 ft, major floodingJul 3, 2020: 10.74 ft, action stageAug 9, 2020: 10.52 ft, action stageAug 19, 2020: 10.75 ft, action stageSep 20, 2020: 11.25 ft, minor floodingNov 14, 2020: 11.59 ft, minor floodingNov 26, 2020: 12.42 ft, moderate floodingJan 16, 2021: 12.31 ft, moderate floodingFeb 3, 2021: 10.62 ft, action stageFeb 17, 2021: 12.17 ft, moderate floodingFeb 27, 2021: 15.60 ft, major floodingOct 1, 2022: 9.55 ft, below flood stage; 1,960 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 2023: 12.12 ft, moderate flooding; 6,270 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 2023: 12.20 ft, moderate flooding; 6,210 cubic feet per secondJan 2, 2024: 11.15 ft, minor flooding; 5,330 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 2024: 14.90 ft, major flooding; 13,000 cubic feet per secondOct 3, 2024: 11.54 ft, minor flooding; 5,100 cubic feet per second Highest, 21.16 ft, Sep 26, 2018 1900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Waccamaw River near Conway 1890s: 12 1900s: 21 21 1910s: 13 1920s: 11 1930s: 7 1940s: 16 1950s: 7 1960s: 19 1970s: 13 1980s: 11 1990s: 17 2000s: 10 2010s: 17 2020s: 14 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

The 50 highest of 284 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Waccamaw River near Conway
1Sep 26, 201821.16+10.16Major—
2Oct 18, 201617.89+6.89Major—
3Sep 30, 192817.80+6.80Major—
4Sep 27, 199917.60+6.60Major—
5Oct 10, 201516.23+5.23Major—
6Sep 29, 194515.60+4.60Major—
7Feb 27, 202115.60+4.60Major—
8Sep 18, 201815.57+4.57Major—
9Oct 9, 192415.50+4.50Major—
10Oct 2, 192415.40+4.40Major—
11Sep 20, 192815.30+4.30Major—
12Oct 10, 201615.11+4.11Major—
13Aug 19, 202414.90+3.90Major13,000
14Feb 19, 199814.80+3.80Major—
15Feb 12, 199814.70+3.70Major—
16Sep 7, 190814.60+3.60Major—
17Mar 30, 198314.50+3.50Major—
18Sep 19, 199614.40+3.40Major—
19Aug 10, 190814.10+3.10Major—
20Jun 7, 202014.08+3.08Major—
21Oct 28, 199913.90+2.90Moderate—
22Aug 27, 198113.80+2.80Moderate—
23Mar 19, 198313.80+2.80Moderate—
24May 1, 191813.70+2.70Moderate—
25Jan 31, 192513.70+2.70Moderate—
26Apr 18, 193613.70+2.70Moderate—
27Oct 20, 189413.60+2.60Moderate—
28Jul 29, 191613.60+2.60Moderate—
29Jan 20, 199313.60+2.60Moderate—
30Feb 17, 201613.56+2.56Moderate—
31Mar 12, 193913.50+2.50Moderate—
32Feb 8, 189513.40+2.40Moderate—
33Jul 15, 192413.40+2.40Moderate—
34Sep 22, 195513.40+2.40Moderate—
35Feb 17, 197313.40+2.40Moderate—
36Feb 22, 190613.20+2.20Moderate—
37Sep 19, 194513.20+2.20Moderate—
38Jul 14, 201313.11+2.11Moderate—
39Oct 11, 189413.10+2.10Moderate—
40Jul 29, 190113.10+2.10Moderate—
41Oct 2, 195513.10+2.10Moderate—
42Jul 9, 196113.10+2.10Moderate—
43Mar 2, 189913.00+2.00Moderate—
44Jan 31, 191513.00+2.00Moderate—
45Dec 25, 199413.00+2.00Moderate—
46Feb 24, 194812.90+1.90Moderate—
47Sep 8, 193312.80+1.80Moderate—
48Mar 19, 195912.80+1.80Moderate—
49Feb 22, 202012.80+1.80Moderate—
50Dec 10, 194812.70+1.70Moderate—

The worst floods along the Waccamaw River

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

September 26, 2018: 21.16 ft here, major flooding

  • FreelandNC · Sep 20, 2018 · 22.67 ft · Major · its highest
  • LongsSC · Sep 22, 2018 · 20.19 ft · Major · its highest

October 18, 2016: 17.89 ft here, major flooding

  • FreelandNC · Oct 12, 2016 · 19.00 ft · Major
  • LongsSC · Oct 14, 2016 · 16.95 ft · Moderate

September 27, 1999: 17.60 ft here, major flooding

  • FreelandNC · Sep 21, 1999 · 19.30 ft · Major
  • LongsSC · Sep 23, 1999 · 17.94 ft · Major

Gauges on the Waccamaw River

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

Flood gauges on the Waccamaw River
FreelandNC15.022.67 ft, Sep 20, 20183
LongsSC12.020.19 ft, Sep 22, 20182
Conway this gaugeSC11.021.16 ft, Sep 26, 201820

Other gauges in Horry County

Flood gauges in Horry County
Atlantic Coast at Myrtle Beach Springmaid Pier (IN MLLW)7.016.00 ft, Sep 22, 19892
Aiw At Hwy 544 At Socastee15.021.83 ft, Sep 27, 20183
Galivants Ferry9.017.21 ft, Sep 21, 201814
Nichols20.027.36 ft, Sep 20, 20182
Longs12.020.19 ft, Sep 22, 20182

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CNWS1, 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.