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Clinch River at Cleveland

Highest listed crest 26.40 ftFlood stage 14.0 ft40 crests since 1923

The Clinch River at Cleveland crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 40 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1923 to 2025. The highest, 26.40 ft on April 5, 1977, was major flooding, 12.40 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Clinch River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
26.40 ft
April 5, 1977; 34,500 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
14.0 ft
Major flooding from 24.0 ft
Crests at major
2
75th of 242 gauges in Virginia
Most recent flood crest
February 16, 2025
20.48 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Russell County
Virginia

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Clinch River at Cleveland
Action stage12.01Jan 16, 2013The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)14.028Feb 1, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage19.09Feb 16, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage24.02Apr 5, 1977Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

40 crests from 1923 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Clinch River at Cleveland, 1923 to 2025 1015202530ft Flood stage 14.0 ftMajor 24.0 ft Jun 13, 1923: 17.20 ft, minor flooding; 16,400 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 1926: 20.10 ft, moderate flooding; 20,400 cubic feet per secondAug 14, 1940: 20.60 ft, moderate flooding; 22,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1944: 17.95 ft, minor flooding; 18,200 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 1946: 16.30 ft, minor flooding; 15,400 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1947: 16.10 ft, minor flooding; 15,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1950: 16.53 ft, minor flooding; 15,600 cubic feet per secondJan 30, 1957: 24.40 ft, major flooding; 31,000 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1963: 22.70 ft, moderate flooding; 27,200 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1969: 18.63 ft, minor flooding; 16,100 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1971: 18.82 ft, minor flooding; 16,400 cubic feet per secondDec 11, 1972: 17.00 ft, minor floodingMar 17, 1973: 19.94 ft, moderate flooding; 20,500 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1975: 17.60 ft, minor floodingMar 30, 1975: 18.88 ft, minor flooding; 18,400 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1977: 26.40 ft, major flooding; 34,500 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1978: 20.87 ft, moderate flooding; 21,200 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1979: 17.85 ft, minor flooding; 16,200 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1984: 19.46 ft, moderate flooding; 18,700 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1987: 16.10 ft, minor flooding; 13,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 1994: 18.54 ft, minor flooding; 17,100 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1996: 15.21 ft, minor flooding; 12,100 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1998: 14.76 ft, minor floodingApr 17, 1998: 16.10 ft, minor flooding; 13,380 cubic feet per secondJul 30, 2001: 17.28 ft, minor flooding; 15,500 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 2002: 21.81 ft, moderate flooding; 24,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 2003: 16.07 ft, minor flooding; 13,600 cubic feet per secondNov 20, 2003: 17.85 ft, minor flooding; 16,500 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 2013: 13.97 ft, action stage; 11,400 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 2013: 16.00 ft, minor flooding; 13,800 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2015: 18.66 ft, minor flooding; 18,000 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 2017: 17.48 ft, minor flooding; 15,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 2018: 16.96 ft, minor flooding; 15,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 2019: 16.43 ft, minor flooding; 14,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 2020: 20.43 ft, moderate flooding; 21,500 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2020: 16.76 ft, minor flooding; 14,700 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 2021: 14.85 ft, minor flooding; 12,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 2023: 16.08 ft, minor flooding; 13,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 2025: 14.90 ft, minor flooding; 12,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 2025: 20.48 ft, moderate flooding; 21,600 cubic feet per second Highest, 26.40 ft, Apr 5, 1977 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Clinch River at Cleveland 1920s: 2 1930s: 0 1940s: 4 1950s: 2 1960s: 2 1970s: 8 8 1980s: 2 1990s: 4 2000s: 4 2010s: 5 2020s: 6 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Clinch River at Cleveland
1Apr 5, 197726.40+12.40Major34,500
2Jan 30, 195724.40+10.40Major31,000
3Mar 12, 196322.70+8.70Moderate27,200
4Mar 18, 200221.81+7.81Moderate24,300
5Jan 26, 197820.87+6.87Moderate21,200
6Aug 14, 194020.60+6.60Moderate22,500
7Feb 16, 202520.48+6.48Moderate21,600
8Feb 6, 202020.43+6.43Moderate21,500
9Dec 22, 192620.10+6.10Moderate20,400
10Mar 17, 197319.94+5.94Moderate20,500
11May 7, 198419.46+5.46Moderate18,700
12Mar 30, 197518.88+4.88Minor18,400
13May 7, 197118.82+4.82Minor16,400
14Mar 5, 201518.66+4.66Minor18,000
15Dec 31, 196918.63+4.63Minor16,100
16Feb 11, 199418.54+4.54Minor17,100
17Feb 18, 194417.95+3.95Minor18,200
18Jan 21, 197917.85+3.85Minor16,200
19Nov 20, 200317.85+3.85Minor16,500
20Mar 14, 197517.60+3.60Minor—
21Apr 24, 201717.48+3.48Minor15,800
22Jul 30, 200117.28+3.28Minor15,500
23Jun 13, 192317.20+3.20Minor16,400
24Dec 11, 197217.00+3.00Minor—
25Feb 11, 201816.96+2.96Minor15,000
26Apr 13, 202016.76+2.76Minor14,700
27Feb 2, 195016.53+2.53Minor15,600
28Feb 24, 201916.43+2.43Minor14,300
29Jan 8, 194616.30+2.30Minor15,400
30Jan 16, 194716.10+2.10Minor15,200
31Apr 17, 198716.10+2.10Minor13,300
32Apr 17, 199816.10+2.10Minor13,380
33Feb 17, 202316.08+2.08Minor13,900
34Feb 16, 200316.07+2.07Minor13,600
35Jan 31, 201316.00+2.00Minor13,800
36Jan 27, 199615.21+1.21Minor12,100
37Feb 1, 202514.90+0.90Minor12,500
38Mar 1, 202114.85+0.85Minor12,400
39Mar 21, 199814.76+0.76Minor—
40Jan 16, 201313.97−0.03Action11,400

The worst floods along the Clinch River

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

April 5, 1977: 26.40 ft here, major flooding

  • Speers FerryVA · Apr 5, 1977 · 36.69 ft · Major · its highest
  • TazewellTN · Apr 5, 1977 · 29.32 ft · Major · its highest
  • RichlandsVA · Apr 5, 1977 · 16.06 ft · Major

January 30, 1957: 24.40 ft here, major flooding

  • TazewellTN · Jan 31, 1957 · 21.00 ft · Major
  • RichlandsVA · Jan 29, 1957 · 19.30 ft · Major
  • Speers FerryVA · Jan 30, 1957 · 28.92 ft · Moderate

March 12, 1963: 22.70 ft here, moderate flooding

  • TazewellTN · Mar 13, 1963 · 22.27 ft · Major
  • RichlandsVA · Mar 12, 1963 · 16.09 ft · Major
  • Speers FerryVA · Mar 12, 1963 · 29.93 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Clinch River

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

Flood gauges on the Clinch River
TazewellTN12.029.32 ft, Apr 5, 19776
BlackfordVA10.516.82 ft, Feb 16, 20250
Cleveland this gaugeVA14.026.40 ft, Apr 5, 19772
DungannonVA12.014.85 ft, Feb 16, 20250
RichlandsVA10.021.30 ft, Jun 22, 19016
Speers FerryVA18.036.69 ft, Apr 5, 19773

Other gauges in Russell County

Flood gauges in Russell County
Blackford10.516.82 ft, Feb 16, 20250

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CLVV2, 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.