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Blackwater River near Rocky Mount

Highest listed crest 21.92 ftFlood stage 12.0 ft42 crests since 1978

The Blackwater River near Rocky Mount crested above flood stage 16 times among the 42 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1978 to 2024. The highest, 21.92 ft on November 5, 1985, was minor flooding, 9.92 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
21.92 ft
November 5, 1985; 20,800 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
12.0 ft
No major stage set
Crests at major
0
16 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
June 9, 2019
12.91 ft, minor flooding
Location
Franklin County
Virginia

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Blackwater River near Rocky Mount
Action stage9.012Jan 10, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.016Jun 9, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat

Every listed crest

42 crests from 1978 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Blackwater River near Rocky Mount, 1978 to 2024 0510152025ft Flood stage 12.0 ft Apr 27, 1978: 15.81 ft, minor flooding; 7,710 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 1979: 16.38 ft, minor flooding; 8,130 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1980: 12.15 ft, minor flooding; 5,280 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 1981: 2.95 ft, below flood stage; 242 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1982: 8.68 ft, below flood stage; 3,060 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1983: 13.53 ft, minor flooding; 6,140 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1984: 6.25 ft, below flood stage; 1,690 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 1985: 10.95 ft, action stage; 4,470 cubic feet per secondNov 5, 1985: 21.92 ft, minor flooding; 20,800 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 1987: 17.53 ft, minor flooding; 9,140 cubic feet per secondNov 29, 1987: 4.41 ft, below flood stage; 779 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 1989: 12.61 ft, minor flooding; 5,550 cubic feet per secondJul 15, 1990: 10.85 ft, action stage; 4,400 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1992: 19.93 ft, minor flooding; 13,200 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1994: 12.31 ft, minor flooding; 5,350 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1994: 10.73 ft, action stage; 4,310 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 1995: 11.06 ft, action stage; 4,520 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 1996: 15.55 ft, minor flooding; 7,560 cubic feet per secondNov 8, 1996: 7.76 ft, below flood stage; 2,490 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 1998: 11.63 ft, action stage; 4,850 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 1999: 5.74 ft, below flood stage; 1,420 cubic feet per secondAug 2, 2000: 8.66 ft, below flood stage; 3,010 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2001: 5.29 ft, below flood stage; 1,210 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 2002: 4.60 ft, below flood stage; 902 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 2003: 11.85 ft, action stage; 5,000 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 2004: 14.67 ft, minor flooding; 6,930 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 2005: 8.94 ft, below flood stage; 3,170 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2006: 12.35 ft, minor flooding; 5,330 cubic feet per secondNov 16, 2006: 7.71 ft, below flood stage; 2,460 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2008: 5.02 ft, below flood stage; 1,090 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2009: 10.73 ft, action stage; 4,270 cubic feet per secondNov 12, 2009: 14.85 ft, minor flooding; 7,060 cubic feet per secondDec 1, 2010: 8.31 ft, below flood stage; 2,800 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2012: 10.77 ft, action stage; 4,300 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 2013: 10.54 ft, action stage; 4,153 cubic feet per secondSep 29, 2015: 10.47 ft, action stage; 4,105 cubic feet per secondNov 10, 2015: 8.04 ft, below flood stage; 2,650 cubic feet per secondOct 8, 2016: 9.22 ft, action stage; 3,340 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 2018: 12.59 ft, minor flooding; 5,490 cubic feet per secondOct 12, 2018: 14.31 ft, minor flooding; 6,676 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2019: 12.91 ft, minor flooding; 5,710 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 10.09 ft, action stage; 3,870 cubic feet per second Highest, 21.92 ft, Nov 5, 1985 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Blackwater River near Rocky Mount 1970s: 2 1980s: 5 5 1990s: 3 2000s: 3 2010s: 3 2020s: 0 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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

Highest listed crests, Blackwater River near Rocky Mount
1Nov 5, 198521.92+9.92Minor20,800
2Apr 21, 199219.93+7.93Minor13,200
3Sep 8, 198717.53+5.53Minor9,140
4Sep 22, 197916.38+4.38Minor8,130
5Apr 27, 197815.81+3.81Minor7,710
6Sep 6, 199615.55+3.55Minor7,560
7Nov 12, 200914.85+2.85Minor7,060
8Sep 28, 200414.67+2.67Minor6,930
9Oct 12, 201814.31+2.31Minor6,676
10Apr 10, 198313.53+1.53Minor6,140
11Jun 9, 201912.91+0.91Minor5,710
12Jul 5, 198912.61+0.61Minor5,550
13Sep 17, 201812.59+0.59Minor5,490
14Jun 26, 200612.35+0.35Minor5,330
15Mar 4, 199412.31+0.31Minor5,350
16Apr 14, 198012.15+0.15Minor5,280
17Feb 22, 200311.85−0.15Action5,000
18Feb 4, 199811.63−0.37Action4,850
19Jan 15, 199511.06−0.94Action4,520
20Aug 18, 198510.95−1.05Action4,470
21Jul 15, 199010.85−1.15Action4,400
22May 14, 201210.77−1.23Action4,300
23Mar 28, 199410.73−1.27Action4,310
24Jun 5, 200910.73−1.27Action4,270
25Jan 31, 201310.54−1.46Action4,153
26Sep 29, 201510.47−1.53Action4,105
27Jan 10, 202410.09−1.91Action3,870
28Oct 8, 20169.22−2.78Action3,340
29Jan 14, 20058.94−3.06Below flood stage3,170
30Jun 13, 19828.68−3.32Below flood stage3,060
31Aug 2, 20008.66−3.34Below flood stage3,010
32Dec 1, 20108.31−3.69Below flood stage2,800
33Nov 10, 20158.04−3.96Below flood stage2,650
34Nov 8, 19967.76−4.24Below flood stage2,490
35Nov 16, 20067.71−4.29Below flood stage2,460
36Feb 14, 19846.25−5.75Below flood stage1,690
37Sep 30, 19995.74−6.26Below flood stage1,420
38Mar 30, 20015.29−6.71Below flood stage1,210
39Aug 28, 20085.02−6.98Below flood stage1,090
40Mar 18, 20024.60−7.40Below flood stage902
41Nov 29, 19874.41−7.59Below flood stage779
42Feb 11, 19812.95−9.05Below flood stage242

Other gauges in Franklin County

Flood gauges in Franklin County
Boones Mill6.06.20 ft, Sep 29, 20150

Franklin County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Virginia

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BLAV2, 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.