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Catawba Creek near Catawba

Highest listed crest 19.19 ftFlood stage 7.0 ft42 crests since 1958

The Catawba Creek near Catawba crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 42 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1958 to 2025. The highest, 19.19 ft on November 4, 1985, was major flooding, 12.19 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
19.19 ft
November 4, 1985; 21,200 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
7.0 ft
Major flooding from 14.0 ft
Crests at major
1
90th of 242 gauges in Virginia
Most recent flood crest
February 16, 2025
8.27 ft, minor flooding
Location
Botetourt County
Near Salem (12.9 mi), Roanoke (13.4 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Catawba Creek near Catawba
Action stage5.020Jul 19, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)7.012Feb 16, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage11.01Jun 28, 1995Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage14.01Nov 4, 1985Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

42 crests from 1958 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Catawba Creek near Catawba, 1958 to 2025 05101520ft Flood stage 7.0 ftMajor 14.0 ft Mar 1, 1958: 6.58 ft, action stage; 2,780 cubic feet per secondSep 20, 1959: 6.09 ft, action stage; 2,290 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1972: 10.35 ft, minor flooding; 7,740 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1973: 8.04 ft, minor flooding; 4,460 cubic feet per secondJul 26, 1974: 5.58 ft, action stage; 1,820 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1978: 7.43 ft, minor flooding; 3,720 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1983: 6.46 ft, action stage; 2,640 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 1985: 6.69 ft, action stage; 2,870 cubic feet per secondNov 4, 1985: 19.19 ft, major flooding; 21,200 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1995: 11.34 ft, moderate flooding; 8,640 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 1996: 6.96 ft, action stage; 3,160 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1997: 9.92 ft, minor flooding; 6,680 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1998: 6.98 ft, action stage; 2,590 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 1999: 3.83 ft, below flood stage; 355 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2000: 6.03 ft, action stage; 1,670 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2001: 4.09 ft, below flood stage; 455 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 2002: 2.32 ft, below flood stage; 28 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 2003: 7.68 ft, minor flooding; 3,420 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 2004: 10.30 ft, minor flooding; 7,640 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 2005: 5.63 ft, action stage; 1,300 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2006: 7.33 ft, minor flooding; 2,990 cubic feet per secondNov 16, 2006: 5.19 ft, action stage; 1,040 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2008: 4.26 ft, below flood stage; 519 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2009: 3.85 ft, below flood stage; 362 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2010: 5.45 ft, action stage; 1,220 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 2011: 4.99 ft, below flood stage; 914 cubic feet per secondNov 29, 2011: 5.56 ft, action stage; 1,300 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 2013: 7.72 ft, minor flooding; 3,470 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2014: 4.83 ft, below flood stage; 794 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2015: 5.50 ft, action stage; 1,230 cubic feet per secondSep 29, 2015: 5.34 ft, action stage; 1,118 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 2016: 5.73 ft, action stage; 1,400 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 2017: 5.73 ft, action stage; 1,400 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 2018: 7.92 ft, minor flooding; 3,720 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2020: 7.87 ft, minor flooding; 3,660 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 2020: 7.45 ft, minor flooding; 3,180 cubic feet per secondOct 29, 2020: 5.02 ft, action stage; 1,050 cubic feet per secondNov 12, 2020: 5.94 ft, action stage; 1,730 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 4.33 ft, below flood stage; 639 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 2024: 6.23 ft, action stage; 1,970 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 2025: 8.27 ft, minor flooding; 4,182 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 2025: 5.77 ft, action stage; 1,590 cubic feet per second Highest, 19.19 ft, Nov 4, 1985 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Catawba Creek near Catawba 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 3 3 1980s: 1 1990s: 2 2000s: 3 2010s: 2 2020s: 3 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Catawba Creek near Catawba
1Nov 4, 198519.19+12.19Major21,200
2Jun 28, 199511.34+4.34Moderate8,640
3Jun 21, 197210.35+3.35Minor7,740
4Sep 28, 200410.30+3.30Minor7,640
5Jun 1, 19979.92+2.92Minor6,680
6Feb 16, 20258.27+1.27Minor4,182
7May 28, 19738.04+1.04Minor4,460
8Oct 11, 20187.92+0.92Minor3,720
9May 21, 20207.87+0.87Minor3,660
10Jul 4, 20137.72+0.72Minor3,470
11Feb 22, 20037.68+0.68Minor3,420
12Jun 17, 20207.45+0.45Minor3,180
13Apr 26, 19787.43+0.43Minor3,720
14Jun 28, 20067.33+0.33Minor2,990
15Mar 20, 19986.98−0.02Action2,590
16Sep 6, 19966.96−0.04Action3,160
17Aug 18, 19856.69−0.31Action2,870
18Mar 1, 19586.58−0.42Action2,780
19Mar 18, 19836.46−0.54Action2,640
20Sep 27, 20246.23−0.77Action1,970
21Sep 20, 19596.09−0.91Action2,290
22Apr 17, 20006.03−0.97Action1,670
23Nov 12, 20205.94−1.06Action1,730
24Jul 19, 20255.77−1.23Action1,590
25Sep 30, 20165.73−1.27Action1,400
26Jan 23, 20175.73−1.27Action1,400
27Mar 28, 20055.63−1.37Action1,300
28Jul 26, 19745.58−1.42Action1,820
29Nov 29, 20115.56−1.44Action1,300
30Apr 20, 20155.50−1.50Action1,230
31Mar 13, 20105.45−1.55Action1,220
32Sep 29, 20155.34−1.66Action1,118
33Nov 16, 20065.19−1.81Action1,040
34Oct 29, 20205.02−1.98Action1,050
35Mar 6, 20114.99−2.01Below flood stage914
36May 16, 20144.83−2.17Below flood stage794
37Jan 10, 20244.33−2.67Below flood stage639
38Apr 28, 20084.26−2.74Below flood stage519
39Mar 30, 20014.09−2.91Below flood stage455
40Jun 5, 20093.85−3.15Below flood stage362
41Sep 21, 19993.83−3.17Below flood stage355
42May 3, 20022.32−4.68Below flood stage28

Gauges on the Catawba Creek

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

Flood gauges on the Catawba Creek
Catawba this gaugeVA7.019.19 ft, Nov 4, 19851
Howell MillsVA8.010.11 ft, Jun 16, 20250

Other gauges in Botetourt County

Flood gauges in Botetourt County
Howell Mills8.010.11 ft, Jun 16, 20250
Parr12.024.76 ft, Nov 4, 19853
Buchanan17.038.84 ft, Nov 5, 19855
Lick Run16.033.00 ft, Nov 24, 18777
Daleville11.013.36 ft, Nov 4, 19850

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CTWV2, 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.