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French Broad River near Newport

Highest listed crest 24.00 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft73 crests since 1867

The French Broad River near Newport crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 73 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1867 to 2024. The highest, 24.00 ft on March 7, 1867, was major flooding, 14.00 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the French Broad River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
24.00 ft
March 7, 1867; 110,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 20.0 ft
Crests at major
4
22nd of 100 gauges in Tennessee
Most recent flood crest
September 27, 2024
23.34 ft, major flooding
Location
Cocke County
Tennessee

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, French Broad River near Newport
Action stage8.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.057Jan 9, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage16.012Feb 6, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage20.04Sep 27, 2024Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

73 crests from 1867 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the French Broad River near Newport, 1867 to 2024 10152025ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 20.0 ft Mar 7, 1867: 24.00 ft, major flooding; 110,000 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1901: 13.30 ft, minor flooding; 65,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1902: 23.00 ft, major flooding; 101,000 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 1905: 10.20 ft, minor flooding; 44,600 cubic feet per secondJul 17, 1916: 22.50 ft, major flooding; 97,000 cubic feet per secondAug 16, 1928: 13.45 ft, minor flooding; 44,400 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1936: 13.38 ft, minor flooding; 41,200 cubic feet per secondJan 3, 1937: 11.43 ft, minor flooding; 32,100 cubic feet per secondAug 30, 1940: 19.25 ft, moderate flooding; 76,300 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 1942: 12.75 ft, minor flooding; 39,000 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 1946: 15.39 ft, minor flooding; 53,100 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1947: 12.10 ft, minor flooding; 35,500 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1949: 10.30 ft, minor flooding; 26,600 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1952: 10.23 ft, minor flooding; 26,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1953: 11.93 ft, minor flooding; 33,400 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1954: 14.53 ft, minor flooding; 47,600 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1957: 15.75 ft, minor flooding; 54,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1961: 11.04 ft, minor flooding; 29,200 cubic feet per secondDec 12, 1961: 13.06 ft, minor flooding; 39,200 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1963: 16.75 ft, moderate flooding; 60,600 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1964: 11.45 ft, minor flooding; 29,600 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1965: 17.93 ft, moderate flooding; 68,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1966: 14.52 ft, minor flooding; 46,400 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1968: 11.79 ft, minor flooding; 31,700 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1972: 11.12 ft, minor flooding; 28,700 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1973: 17.60 ft, moderate flooding; 65,900 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1974: 13.49 ft, minor flooding; 39,800 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1975: 15.70 ft, minor flooding; 49,200 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1976: 11.91 ft, minor flooding; 29,600 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1977: 17.57 ft, moderate flooding; 61,100 cubic feet per secondNov 6, 1977: 18.36 ft, moderate flooding; 66,700 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1978: 15.10 ft, minor flooding; 46,000 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1979: 10.93 ft, minor flooding; 25,700 cubic feet per secondNov 26, 1979: 13.85 ft, minor flooding; 39,000 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1980: 11.74 ft, minor flooding; 28,900 cubic feet per secondNov 26, 1980: 13.90 ft, minor floodingFeb 3, 1982: 13.69 ft, minor flooding; 38,100 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1983: 11.11 ft, minor flooding; 26,400 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1984: 14.55 ft, minor flooding; 42,800 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1987: 11.77 ft, minor flooding; 29,100 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1990: 16.73 ft, moderate floodingMar 29, 1991: 14.78 ft, minor flooding; 44,000 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1992: 10.96 ft, minor flooding; 25,900 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1993: 10.14 ft, minor flooding; 23,000 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1994: 17.56 ft, moderate flooding; 61,000 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 1995: 15.81 ft, minor flooding; 49,900 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1996: 16.66 ft, moderate flooding; 55,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1997: 10.98 ft, minor flooding; 25,900 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 1998: 14.29 ft, minor flooding; 41,300 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2002: 12.86 ft, minor flooding; 33,900 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2003: 14.68 ft, minor flooding; 43,500 cubic feet per secondNov 20, 2003: 11.08 ft, minor flooding; 26,320 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 2004: 14.96 ft, minor flooding; 45,022 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 2004: 18.10 ft, moderate flooding; 64,800 cubic feet per secondNov 11, 2009: 11.84 ft, minor flooding; 30,300 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 2009: 11.10 ft, minor flooding; 27,500 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 2013: 13.35 ft, minor flooding; 37,400 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 2013: 10.53 ft, minor flooding; 26,300 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2013: 12.63 ft, minor flooding; 34,600 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 2013: 12.84 ft, minor flooding; 35,400 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 2013: 10.43 ft, minor flooding; 26,300 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 2015: 12.45 ft, minor flooding; 34,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 2016: 10.39 ft, minor flooding; 26,300 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2018: 15.78 ft, minor flooding; 48,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 2019: 12.48 ft, minor flooding; 34,500 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2019: 16.69 ft, moderate flooding; 53,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 2020: 16.68 ft, moderate flooding; 53,200 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2020: 15.18 ft, minor flooding; 45,600 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 2021: 11.77 ft, minor flooding; 34,700 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 2021: 14.75 ft, minor flooding; 49,800 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2022: 11.81 ft, minor flooding; 34,900 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 2024: 12.34 ft, minor flooding; 37,800 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 2024: 23.34 ft, major flooding Highest, 24.00 ft, Mar 7, 1867 18801900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, French Broad River near Newport 1860s: 1 1870s: 0 1880s: 0 1890s: 0 1900s: 3 1910s: 1 1920s: 1 1930s: 2 1940s: 5 1950s: 4 1960s: 7 1970s: 10 10 1980s: 6 1990s: 9 2000s: 7 2010s: 10 2020s: 7 1860s1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
  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 73 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, French Broad River near Newport
1Mar 7, 186724.00+14.00Major110,000
2Sep 27, 202423.34+13.34Major—
3Feb 28, 190223.00+13.00Major101,000
4Jul 17, 191622.50+12.50Major97,000
5Aug 30, 194019.25+9.25Moderate76,300
6Nov 6, 197718.36+8.36Moderate66,700
7Sep 17, 200418.10+8.10Moderate64,800
8Mar 26, 196517.93+7.93Moderate68,200
9Mar 17, 197317.60+7.60Moderate65,900
10Apr 5, 197717.57+7.57Moderate61,100
11Mar 28, 199417.56+7.56Moderate61,000
12Mar 13, 196316.75+6.75Moderate60,600
13Mar 17, 199016.73+6.73Moderate—
14Apr 20, 201916.69+6.69Moderate53,300
15Feb 6, 202016.68+6.68Moderate53,200
16Jan 27, 199616.66+6.66Moderate55,100
17Jan 15, 199515.81+5.81Minor49,900
18Dec 28, 201815.78+5.78Minor48,600
19Apr 5, 195715.75+5.75Minor54,900
20Mar 14, 197515.70+5.70Minor49,200
21Jan 8, 194615.39+5.39Minor53,100
22Apr 13, 202015.18+5.18Minor45,600
23Jan 26, 197815.10+5.10Minor46,000
24Sep 9, 200414.96+4.96Minor45,022
25Mar 29, 199114.78+4.78Minor44,000
26Aug 18, 202114.75+4.75Minor49,800
27May 6, 200314.68+4.68Minor43,500
28May 7, 198414.55+4.55Minor42,800
29Jan 22, 195414.53+4.53Minor47,600
30Feb 13, 196614.52+4.52Minor46,400
31Jan 8, 199814.29+4.29Minor41,300
32Nov 26, 198013.90+3.90Minor—
33Nov 26, 197913.85+3.85Minor39,000
34Feb 3, 198213.69+3.69Minor38,100
35Apr 4, 197413.49+3.49Minor39,800
36Aug 16, 192813.45+3.45Minor44,400
37Jan 19, 193613.38+3.38Minor41,200
38Jan 18, 201313.35+3.35Minor37,400
39May 21, 190113.30+3.30Minor65,000
40Dec 12, 196113.06+3.06Minor39,200
41Mar 17, 200212.86+2.86Minor33,900
42Jul 4, 201312.84+2.84Minor35,400
43Dec 30, 194212.75+2.75Minor39,000
44May 6, 201312.63+2.63Minor34,600
45Feb 23, 201912.48+2.48Minor34,500
46Dec 2, 201512.45+2.45Minor34,100
47Jan 9, 202412.34+2.34Minor37,800
48Jan 20, 194712.10+2.10Minor35,500
49Feb 21, 195311.93+1.93Minor33,400
50May 29, 197611.91+1.91Minor29,600

The worst floods along the French Broad River

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

March 7, 1867: 24.00 ft here, major flooding

September 27, 2024: 23.34 ft here, major flooding

February 28, 1902: 23.00 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the French Broad River

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

Flood gauges on the French Broad River
RosmanNC9.014.95 ft, Oct 4, 19644
Grove Bridge Rd, in BlantyreNC16.028.43 ft, Sep 28, 20246
Old Fanning Bridge Rd, 3 W FletcherNC13.030.61 ft, Sep 27, 20242
Pearson Bridge Rd, 2 NW AshevilleNC9.524.82 ft, Sep 27, 20243
Rollins Rd, 1 SE MarshallNC8.021.36 ft, Sep 28, 20244
Silver Mine Ck, in Hot SpringsNC9.522.30 ft, Sep 27, 20242
Newport this gaugeTN10.024.00 ft, Mar 7, 18674

Other gauges in Cocke County

Flood gauges in Cocke County
Newport8.029.73 ft, Sep 27, 202415

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge NWPT1, 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.