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Clinch River above Tazewell

Highest listed crest 29.32 ftFlood stage 12.0 ft68 crests since 1924

The Clinch River above Tazewell crested at major flood stage 6 times among the 68 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1924 to 2025. The highest, 29.32 ft on April 5, 1977, was major flooding, 17.32 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Clinch River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
29.32 ft
April 5, 1977; 98,100 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
12.0 ft
Major flooding from 21.0 ft
Crests at major
6
15th of 100 gauges in Tennessee
Most recent flood crest
February 17, 2025
18.89 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Claiborne County
Tennessee

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Clinch River above Tazewell
Action stage10.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.037Feb 2, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage16.025Feb 17, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage21.06Mar 19, 2002Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

68 crests from 1924 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Clinch River above Tazewell, 1924 to 2025 1015202530ft Flood stage 12.0 ftMajor 21.0 ft Dec 9, 1924: 15.30 ft, minor flooding; 25,200 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 1926: 20.00 ft, moderate flooding; 38,800 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 1932: 14.90 ft, minor flooding; 37,800 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1936: 13.69 ft, minor flooding; 25,500 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1937: 13.99 ft, minor flooding; 26,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 1939: 14.90 ft, minor flooding; 29,200 cubic feet per secondAug 15, 1940: 13.29 ft, minor flooding; 24,300 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1942: 13.74 ft, minor flooding; 25,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1944: 16.78 ft, moderate flooding; 35,400 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 1946: 17.55 ft, moderate flooding; 37,900 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1947: 16.34 ft, moderate flooding; 33,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 1948: 16.65 ft, moderate flooding; 34,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1950: 17.45 ft, moderate flooding; 37,400 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1953: 13.69 ft, minor flooding; 25,500 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1955: 15.29 ft, minor flooding; 29,700 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1956: 16.34 ft, moderate flooding; 33,100 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 1957: 21.00 ft, major flooding; 51,100 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1958: 17.70 ft, moderate flooding; 35,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1961: 13.80 ft, minor flooding; 25,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 1962: 24.00 ft, major flooding; 66,000 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1962: 14.14 ft, minor flooding; 26,000 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1963: 22.27 ft, major flooding; 56,700 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1965: 15.70 ft, minor flooding; 31,000 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1967: 17.42 ft, moderate flooding; 37,000 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1969: 20.57 ft, moderate flooding; 49,300 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1971: 17.17 ft, moderate flooding; 36,100 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1972: 12.70 ft, minor flooding; 21,700 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1973: 21.02 ft, major flooding; 51,200 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 1974: 17.18 ft, moderate flooding; 36,200 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1975: 17.92 ft, moderate flooding; 38,900 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1976: 12.39 ft, minor flooding; 20,800 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1977: 29.32 ft, major flooding; 98,100 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1978: 16.45 ft, moderate flooding; 33,600 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1979: 15.60 ft, minor floodingMay 8, 1984: 18.30 ft, moderate floodingFeb 2, 1985: 12.66 ft, minor floodingMar 1, 1987: 13.41 ft, minor floodingMay 7, 1989: 13.77 ft, minor floodingFeb 11, 1990: 12.46 ft, minor floodingDec 3, 1991: 16.40 ft, moderate floodingMar 25, 1993: 12.07 ft, minor flooding; 20,800 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1994: 18.46 ft, moderate flooding; 42,500 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1995: 12.51 ft, minor flooding; 22,000 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1996: 13.05 ft, minor flooding; 23,600 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1997: 14.36 ft, minor flooding; 27,700 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1998: 16.31 ft, moderate floodingMar 19, 2002: 21.37 ft, major floodingFeb 17, 2003: 18.01 ft, moderate floodingNov 21, 2003: 12.59 ft, minor flooding; 22,292 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 2009: 12.39 ft, minor flooding; 21,700 cubic feet per secondDec 10, 2009: 12.42 ft, minor flooding; 21,800 cubic feet per secondAug 20, 2010: 12.60 ft, minor flooding; 22,300 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 2011: 12.32 ft, minor flooding; 21,500 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 2013: 15.84 ft, minor floodingFeb 1, 2013: 14.00 ft, minor floodingMar 6, 2015: 18.60 ft, moderate floodingApr 25, 2017: 17.27 ft, moderate flooding; 39,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 2018: 18.60 ft, moderate flooding; 44,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 2019: 13.02 ft, minor flooding; 24,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2019: 17.98 ft, moderate flooding; 41,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2020: 19.32 ft, moderate flooding; 46,600 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2020: 15.35 ft, minor flooding; 32,100 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 2021: 13.75 ft, minor flooding; 26,800 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2021: 15.90 ft, minor flooding; 34,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2022: 12.68 ft, minor flooding; 23,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 2023: 15.41 ft, minor flooding; 32,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 2025: 12.85 ft, minor flooding; 24,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 2025: 18.89 ft, moderate flooding; 44,200 cubic feet per second Highest, 29.32 ft, Apr 5, 1977 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Clinch River above Tazewell 1920s: 2 1930s: 4 1940s: 6 1950s: 6 1960s: 7 1970s: 9 9 1980s: 4 1990s: 8 2000s: 5 2010s: 9 2020s: 8 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 68 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Clinch River above Tazewell
1Apr 5, 197729.32+17.32Major98,100
2Feb 1, 196224.00+12.00Major66,000
3Mar 13, 196322.27+10.27Major56,700
4Mar 19, 200221.37+9.37Major—
5Mar 17, 197321.02+9.02Major51,200
6Jan 31, 195721.00+9.00Major51,100
7Dec 31, 196920.57+8.57Moderate49,300
8Dec 23, 192620.00+8.00Moderate38,800
9Feb 7, 202019.32+7.32Moderate46,600
10Feb 17, 202518.89+6.89Moderate44,200
11Mar 6, 201518.60+6.60Moderate—
12Feb 12, 201818.60+6.60Moderate44,500
13Mar 29, 199418.46+6.46Moderate42,500
14May 8, 198418.30+6.30Moderate—
15Feb 17, 200318.01+6.01Moderate—
16Feb 25, 201917.98+5.98Moderate41,700
17Mar 31, 197517.92+5.92Moderate38,900
18May 7, 195817.70+5.70Moderate35,900
19Jan 8, 194617.55+5.55Moderate37,900
20Feb 2, 195017.45+5.45Moderate37,400
21Mar 8, 196717.42+5.42Moderate37,000
22Apr 25, 201717.27+5.27Moderate39,100
23Jan 12, 197417.18+5.18Moderate36,200
24May 8, 197117.17+5.17Moderate36,100
25Feb 19, 194416.78+4.78Moderate35,400
26Feb 15, 194816.65+4.65Moderate34,900
27Jan 27, 197816.45+4.45Moderate33,600
28Dec 3, 199116.40+4.40Moderate—
29Jan 16, 194716.34+4.34Moderate33,900
30Apr 16, 195616.34+4.34Moderate33,100
31Apr 18, 199816.31+4.31Moderate—
32Mar 29, 202115.90+3.90Minor34,100
33Jan 17, 201315.84+3.84Minor—
34Mar 27, 196515.70+3.70Minor31,000
35Jan 22, 197915.60+3.60Minor—
36Feb 18, 202315.41+3.41Minor32,300
37Apr 14, 202015.35+3.35Minor32,100
38Dec 9, 192415.30+3.30Minor25,200
39Mar 18, 195515.29+3.29Minor29,700
40Jan 31, 193214.90+2.90Minor37,800
41Feb 4, 193914.90+2.90Minor29,200
42Mar 4, 199714.36+2.36Minor27,700
43Mar 1, 196214.14+2.14Minor26,000
44Feb 1, 201314.00+2.00Minor—
45Jan 19, 193713.99+1.99Minor26,500
46Feb 26, 196113.80+1.80Minor25,000
47May 7, 198913.77+1.77Minor—
48Mar 2, 202113.75+1.75Minor26,800
49Dec 31, 194213.74+1.74Minor25,500
50Apr 7, 193613.69+1.69Minor25,500

The worst floods along the Clinch River

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

April 5, 1977: 29.32 ft here, major flooding

  • Speers FerryVA · Apr 5, 1977 · 36.69 ft · Major · its highest
  • ClevelandVA · Apr 5, 1977 · 26.40 ft · Major · its highest
  • RichlandsVA · Apr 5, 1977 · 16.06 ft · Major

March 13, 1963: 22.27 ft here, major flooding

  • RichlandsVA · Mar 12, 1963 · 16.09 ft · Major
  • Speers FerryVA · Mar 12, 1963 · 29.93 ft · Moderate
  • ClevelandVA · Mar 12, 1963 · 22.70 ft · Moderate

March 19, 2002: 21.37 ft here, major flooding

  • Speers FerryVA · Mar 19, 2002 · 32.45 ft · Major
  • ClevelandVA · Mar 18, 2002 · 21.81 ft · Moderate
  • RichlandsVA · Mar 18, 2002 · 11.74 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Clinch River

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

Flood gauges on the Clinch River
Tazewell this gaugeTN12.029.32 ft, Apr 5, 19776
BlackfordVA10.516.82 ft, Feb 16, 20250
ClevelandVA14.026.40 ft, Apr 5, 19772
DungannonVA12.014.85 ft, Feb 16, 20250
RichlandsVA10.021.30 ft, Jun 22, 19016
Speers FerryVA18.036.69 ft, Apr 5, 19773

Other gauges in Claiborne County

Flood gauges in Claiborne County
Arthur17.038.96 ft, Apr 6, 197711

Claiborne County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Tennessee

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge TAZT1, 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.