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Pigeon River at Newport

Highest listed crest 29.73 ftFlood stage 8.0 ft51 crests since 1997

The Pigeon River at Newport crested at major flood stage 15 times among the 51 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1997 to 2025. The highest, 29.73 ft on September 27, 2024, was major flooding, 21.73 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Pigeon River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
29.73 ft
September 27, 2024
Flood stage
8.0 ft
Major flooding from 12.0 ft
Crests at major
15
3rd of 100 gauges in Tennessee
Most recent flood crest
August 3, 2025
8.25 ft, minor 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, Pigeon River at Newport
Action stage6.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)8.020Aug 3, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.016Dec 29, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage12.015Feb 13, 2025Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

51 crests from 1997 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Pigeon River at Newport, 1997 to 2025 51015202530ft Flood stage 8.0 ftMajor 12.0 ft Mar 11, 1997: 11.76 ft, moderate flooding; 17,900 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2000: 8.97 ft, minor floodingMar 18, 2002: 10.89 ft, moderate floodingMay 7, 2003: 17.67 ft, major floodingNov 20, 2003: 12.06 ft, major flooding; 19,292 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 2004: 17.75 ft, major flooding; 40,025 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 2004: 18.90 ft, major flooding; 44,600 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 2004: 8.37 ft, minor flooding; 8,919 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2008: 9.18 ft, minor flooding; 13,600 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 2009: 8.92 ft, minor flooding; 10,300 cubic feet per secondNov 11, 2009: 10.73 ft, moderate flooding; 15,000 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 2009: 11.86 ft, moderate flooding; 18,500 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 2009: 10.77 ft, moderate flooding; 15,400 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2010: 11.05 ft, moderate flooding; 18,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 2010: 8.32 ft, minor flooding; 8,670 cubic feet per secondDec 1, 2010: 8.92 ft, minor flooding; 10,300 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 2011: 8.41 ft, minor flooding; 9,050 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2011: 8.39 ft, minor flooding; 9,000 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2011: 8.29 ft, minor flooding; 8,790 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 2011: 8.88 ft, minor flooding; 10,200 cubic feet per secondNov 29, 2011: 9.53 ft, minor flooding; 11,800 cubic feet per secondDec 7, 2011: 11.24 ft, moderate flooding; 16,900 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 2013: 14.22 ft, major flooding; 27,200 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2013: 10.90 ft, moderate flooding; 15,900 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 2013: 10.01 ft, moderate flooding; 13,100 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 2013: 10.50 ft, moderate flooding; 14,500 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2015: 8.75 ft, minor flooding; 8,250 cubic feet per secondOct 4, 2015: 9.21 ft, minor flooding; 9,030 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 2015: 12.68 ft, major flooding; 18,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 2016: 11.18 ft, moderate flooding; 13,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2016: 9.70 ft, minor flooding; 9,910 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 2017: 9.63 ft, minor flooding; 9,840 cubic feet per secondOct 24, 2017: 10.30 ft, moderate flooding; 11,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 2018: 10.52 ft, moderate flooding; 11,700 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 2018: 8.15 ft, minor flooding; 7,290 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 2019: 12.64 ft, major flooding; 18,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 2020: 18.18 ft, major flooding; 45,500 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2020: 16.43 ft, major flooding; 35,400 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 2021: 11.09 ft, moderate flooding; 14,900 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 2021: 16.42 ft, major flooding; 33,000 cubic feet per secondOct 7, 2021: 8.17 ft, minor flooding; 8,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 2022: 12.17 ft, major flooding; 18,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 2022: 11.28 ft, moderate flooding; 15,400 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2022: 13.61 ft, major floodingFeb 17, 2023: 8.00 ft, minor floodingJan 9, 2024: 14.19 ft, major flooding; 24,600 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 2024: 29.73 ft, major floodingDec 29, 2024: 11.47 ft, moderate flooding; 16,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 2025: 12.06 ft, major flooding; 17,700 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2025: 9.30 ft, minor flooding; 10,419 cubic feet per secondAug 3, 2025: 8.25 ft, minor flooding; 8,153 cubic feet per second Highest, 29.73 ft, Sep 27, 2024 200020052010201520202025

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Pigeon River at Newport 1990s: 1 2000s: 12 2010s: 23 23 2020s: 15 1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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.
  3. 1 crest measured on an earlier gauge datum is left out: 23.40 ft on Feb 28, 1902.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 51 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Pigeon River at Newport
1Sep 27, 202429.73+21.73Major—
2Sep 17, 200418.90+10.90Major44,600
3Feb 6, 202018.18+10.18Major45,500
4Sep 8, 200417.75+9.75Major40,025
5May 7, 200317.67+9.67Major—
6Apr 13, 202016.43+8.43Major35,400
7Aug 18, 202116.42+8.42Major33,000
8Jan 16, 201314.22+6.22Major27,200
9Jan 9, 202414.19+6.19Major24,600
10May 27, 202213.61+5.61Major—
11Dec 2, 201512.68+4.68Major18,500
12Feb 23, 201912.64+4.64Major18,400
13Feb 4, 202212.17+4.17Major18,000
14Nov 20, 200312.06+4.06Major19,292
15Feb 13, 202512.06+4.06Major17,700
16Dec 9, 200911.86+3.86Moderate18,500
17Mar 11, 199711.76+3.76Moderate17,900
18Dec 29, 202411.47+3.47Moderate16,000
19Feb 23, 202211.28+3.28Moderate15,400
20Dec 7, 201111.24+3.24Moderate16,900
21Feb 4, 201611.18+3.18Moderate13,800
22Mar 26, 202111.09+3.09Moderate14,900
23Jan 25, 201011.05+3.05Moderate18,600
24May 6, 201310.90+2.90Moderate15,900
25Mar 18, 200210.89+2.89Moderate—
26Dec 25, 200910.77+2.77Moderate15,400
27Nov 11, 200910.73+2.73Moderate15,000
28Feb 11, 201810.52+2.52Moderate11,700
29Dec 23, 201310.50+2.50Moderate14,500
30Oct 24, 201710.30+2.30Moderate11,100
31Jul 4, 201310.01+2.01Moderate13,100
32Feb 25, 20169.70+1.70Minor9,910
33Apr 24, 20179.63+1.63Minor9,840
34Nov 29, 20119.53+1.53Minor11,800
35Apr 8, 20259.30+1.30Minor10,419
36Oct 4, 20159.21+1.21Minor9,030
37Mar 5, 20089.18+1.18Minor13,600
38Apr 4, 20008.97+0.97Minor—
39Jan 7, 20098.92+0.92Minor10,300
40Dec 1, 20108.92+0.92Minor10,300
41Jun 19, 20118.88+0.88Minor10,200
42Apr 20, 20158.75+0.75Minor8,250
43Mar 7, 20118.41+0.41Minor9,050
44Apr 5, 20118.39+0.39Minor9,000
45Sep 28, 20048.37+0.37Minor8,919
46Feb 6, 20108.32+0.32Minor8,670
47Apr 16, 20118.29+0.29Minor8,790
48Aug 3, 20258.25+0.25Minor8,153
49Oct 7, 20218.17+0.17Minor8,000
50May 29, 20188.15+0.15Minor7,290

The worst floods along the Pigeon River

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

September 27, 2024: 29.73 ft here, major flooding

September 17, 2004: 18.90 ft here, major flooding

September 8, 2004: 17.75 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Pigeon River

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

Flood gauges on the Pigeon River
Old River Rd (NC 215), 1 SW CantonNC10.026.96 ft, Sep 27, 20245
Jonathans Ck, 4 NW CrabtreeNC13.018.00 ft, Jun 2, 18760
Newport this gaugeTN8.029.73 ft, Sep 27, 202415

Other gauges in Cocke County

Flood gauges in Cocke County
Newport10.024.00 ft, Mar 7, 18674

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge NEPT1, 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.