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Powell River near Arthur

Highest listed crest 38.96 ftFlood stage 17.0 ft76 crests since 1826

The Powell River near Arthur crested at major flood stage 11 times among the 76 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1826 to 2025. The highest, 38.96 ft on April 6, 1977, was major flooding, 21.96 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Powell River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
38.96 ft
April 6, 1977; 59,500 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
17.0 ft
Major flooding from 26.0 ft
Crests at major
11
7th of 100 gauges in Tennessee
Most recent flood crest
February 17, 2025
25.57 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, Powell River near Arthur
Action stage15.02May 4, 2010The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)17.042Feb 18, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage22.021Feb 17, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage26.011Feb 12, 2018Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

76 crests from 1826 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Powell River near Arthur, 1826 to 2025 152025303540ft Flood stage 17.0 ftMajor 26.0 ft Mar 1, 1826: 29.50 ft, major flooding; 34,000 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1867: 24.50 ft, moderate flooding; 24,500 cubic feet per secondNov 20, 1906: 22.50 ft, moderate flooding; 23,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 1911: 18.50 ft, minor flooding; 17,200 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1912: 21.20 ft, minor flooding; 21,000 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1913: 22.40 ft, moderate flooding; 23,000 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1914: 17.20 ft, minor flooding; 14,200 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 1915: 19.50 ft, minor flooding; 18,000 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1917: 24.50 ft, moderate flooding; 24,500 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 1918: 29.20 ft, major flooding; 33,000 cubic feet per secondJan 3, 1919: 23.00 ft, moderate flooding; 23,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 1923: 20.70 ft, minor flooding; 20,300 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 1924: 17.60 ft, minor flooding; 14,900 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 1926: 22.37 ft, moderate flooding; 22,700 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1928: 18.10 ft, minor flooding; 16,600 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1929: 25.80 ft, moderate flooding; 27,800 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1930: 18.50 ft, minor floodingJan 31, 1932: 23.45 ft, moderate flooding; 23,200 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1934: 17.48 ft, minor flooding; 14,700 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1935: 17.33 ft, minor flooding; 14,400 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1936: 20.80 ft, minor flooding; 18,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 1937: 21.10 ft, minor flooding; 19,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 1939: 21.80 ft, minor flooding; 20,300 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1942: 17.91 ft, minor flooding; 14,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1944: 22.23 ft, moderate flooding; 20,900 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1946: 29.15 ft, major flooding; 33,000 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 1947: 19.15 ft, minor flooding; 16,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 1948: 23.45 ft, moderate flooding; 22,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 1950: 24.18 ft, moderate flooding; 23,300 cubic feet per secondDec 16, 1951: 18.31 ft, minor flooding; 15,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1953: 17.44 ft, minor flooding; 13,300 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1955: 18.32 ft, minor flooding; 14,800 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1956: 20.96 ft, minor flooding; 18,500 cubic feet per secondJan 30, 1957: 24.07 ft, moderate flooding; 23,500 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1958: 18.40 ft, minor floodingJan 23, 1959: 17.16 ft, minor flooding; 13,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 1961: 17.85 ft, minor flooding; 14,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1962: 19.32 ft, minor flooding; 16,100 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1963: 28.08 ft, major flooding; 30,500 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1965: 20.19 ft, minor flooding; 17,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 1966: 17.21 ft, minor flooding; 13,300 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1967: 25.62 ft, moderate flooding; 26,300 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1970: 28.39 ft, major flooding; 31,400 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1971: 19.11 ft, minor flooding; 15,900 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1973: 26.38 ft, major flooding; 27,600 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1973: 27.01 ft, major flooding; 28,800 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1975: 24.91 ft, moderate flooding; 24,900 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1976: 17.64 ft, minor flooding; 13,800 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1977: 38.96 ft, major flooding; 59,500 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1978: 17.52 ft, minor flooding; 13,600 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1979: 18.79 ft, minor flooding; 15,300 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1980: 16.99 ft, action stage; 13,000 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 1982: 17.23 ft, minor flooding; 13,300 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1984: 24.20 ft, moderate floodingJan 17, 1989: 18.90 ft, minor floodingDec 3, 1991: 23.00 ft, moderate floodingDec 2, 1996: 20.03 ft, minor flooding; 17,000 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1997: 18.49 ft, minor floodingDec 2, 1997: 20.03 ft, minor flooding; 17,000 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1998: 21.43 ft, minor flooding; 19,100 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2002: 17.26 ft, minor floodingMar 19, 2002: 27.01 ft, major flooding; 28,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 2003: 27.60 ft, major flooding; 29,800 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2003: 18.20 ft, minor floodingApr 16, 2007: 17.57 ft, minor flooding; 13,700 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 2010: 16.83 ft, action stage; 12,800 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 2013: 18.83 ft, minor flooding; 17,900 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 2015: 25.67 ft, moderate flooding; 30,300 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 2017: 22.03 ft, moderate flooding; 20,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 2018: 27.06 ft, major flooding; 25,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2019: 20.51 ft, minor flooding; 18,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 2020: 25.34 ft, moderate flooding; 23,400 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2020: 17.67 ft, minor flooding; 15,200 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 2021: 23.47 ft, moderate flooding; 21,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 2023: 20.17 ft, minor flooding; 17,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 2025: 25.57 ft, moderate flooding; 23,700 cubic feet per second Highest, 38.96 ft, Apr 6, 1977 18401880192019602000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Powell River near Arthur 1820s: 1 1830s: 0 1840s: 0 1850s: 0 1860s: 1 1870s: 0 1880s: 0 1890s: 0 1900s: 1 1910s: 8 1920s: 5 1930s: 7 1940s: 5 1950s: 8 1960s: 6 1970s: 9 9 1980s: 3 1990s: 5 2000s: 5 2010s: 5 2020s: 5 1820s1840s1860s1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
  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 76 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Powell River near Arthur
1Apr 6, 197738.96+21.96Major59,500
2Mar 1, 182629.50+12.50Major34,000
3Jan 29, 191829.20+12.20Major33,000
4Jan 9, 194629.15+12.15Major33,000
5Jan 1, 197028.39+11.39Major31,400
6Mar 13, 196328.08+11.08Major30,500
7Feb 17, 200327.60+10.60Major29,800
8Feb 12, 201827.06+10.06Major25,700
9Nov 28, 197327.01+10.01Major28,800
10Mar 19, 200227.01+10.01Major28,700
11Mar 18, 197326.38+9.38Major27,600
12Mar 24, 192925.80+8.80Moderate27,800
13Mar 6, 201525.67+8.67Moderate30,300
14Mar 8, 196725.62+8.62Moderate26,300
15Feb 17, 202525.57+8.57Moderate23,700
16Feb 8, 202025.34+8.34Moderate23,400
17Mar 14, 197524.91+7.91Moderate24,900
18Mar 1, 186724.50+7.50Moderate24,500
19Mar 4, 191724.50+7.50Moderate24,500
20May 9, 198424.20+7.20Moderate—
21Feb 1, 195024.18+7.18Moderate23,300
22Jan 30, 195724.07+7.07Moderate23,500
23Mar 28, 202123.47+6.47Moderate21,300
24Jan 31, 193223.45+6.45Moderate23,200
25Feb 15, 194823.45+6.45Moderate22,900
26Jan 3, 191923.00+6.00Moderate23,500
27Dec 3, 199123.00+6.00Moderate—
28Nov 20, 190622.50+5.50Moderate23,500
29Mar 28, 191322.40+5.40Moderate23,000
30Dec 23, 192622.37+5.37Moderate22,700
31Feb 19, 194422.23+5.23Moderate20,900
32Apr 24, 201722.03+5.03Moderate20,400
33Feb 4, 193921.80+4.80Minor20,300
34Apr 18, 199821.43+4.43Minor19,100
35Apr 3, 191221.20+4.20Minor21,000
36Feb 10, 193721.10+4.10Minor19,300
37Apr 17, 195620.96+3.96Minor18,500
38Apr 7, 193620.80+3.80Minor18,500
39Feb 4, 192320.70+3.70Minor20,300
40Feb 25, 201920.51+3.51Minor18,200
41Mar 27, 196520.19+3.19Minor17,400
42Feb 18, 202320.17+3.17Minor17,800
43Dec 2, 199620.03+3.03Minor17,000
44Dec 2, 199720.03+3.03Minor17,000
45Dec 30, 191519.50+2.50Minor18,000
46Feb 28, 196219.32+2.32Minor16,100
47Jan 17, 194719.15+2.15Minor16,500
48May 8, 197119.11+2.11Minor15,900
49Jan 17, 198918.90+1.90Minor—
50Jan 17, 201318.83+1.83Minor17,900

The worst floods along the Powell River

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

April 6, 1977: 38.96 ft here, major flooding

  • JonesvilleVA · Apr 5, 1977 · 44.32 ft · Major · its highest

January 9, 1946: 29.15 ft here, major flooding

  • JonesvilleVA · Jan 8, 1946 · 30.80 ft · Moderate

January 1, 1970: 28.39 ft here, major flooding

  • JonesvilleVA · Dec 31, 1969 · 32.16 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Powell River

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

Flood gauges on the Powell River
Big Stone GapVA10.011.30 ft, Feb 15, 20250
DorchesterVA7.08.46 ft, Feb 15, 20250
Arthur this gaugeTN17.038.96 ft, Apr 6, 197711
JonesvilleVA18.044.32 ft, Apr 5, 19771

Other gauges in Claiborne County

Flood gauges in Claiborne County
Tazewell12.029.32 ft, Apr 5, 19776

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge ARTT1, 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.