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Dan River at Paces

Highest listed crest 33.15 ftFlood stage 22.0 ft89 crests since 1940

The Dan River at Paces crested above flood stage 54 times among the 89 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1940 to 2025. The highest, 33.15 ft on June 23, 1972, was moderate flooding, 11.15 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Dan River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
33.15 ft
June 23, 1972; 64,800 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
22.0 ft
Major flooding from 35.0 ft
Crests at major
0
54 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
January 12, 2024
24.78 ft, minor flooding
Location
Halifax County
Virginia

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Dan River at Paces
Action stage20.024Jan 30, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)22.044Jan 12, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage29.010May 23, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage35.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

89 crests from 1940 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Dan River at Paces, 1940 to 2025 1520253035ft Flood stage 22.0 ftMajor 35.0 ft Aug 16, 1940: 32.20 ft, moderate floodingApr 10, 1951: 20.50 ft, action stage; 23,200 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1952: 22.12 ft, minor flooding; 25,700 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1953: 20.00 ft, action stage; 20,200 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1954: 22.13 ft, minor flooding; 24,800 cubic feet per secondOct 17, 1954: 25.40 ft, minor flooding; 34,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1957: 22.46 ft, minor flooding; 26,100 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1958: 22.19 ft, minor flooding; 25,300 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 1958: 24.30 ft, minor flooding; 30,300 cubic feet per secondOct 12, 1959: 24.48 ft, minor flooding; 30,900 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1963: 24.72 ft, minor flooding; 31,500 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 1970: 23.11 ft, minor flooding; 25,200 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1972: 33.15 ft, moderate flooding; 64,800 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1975: 26.95 ft, minor flooding; 37,800 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1978: 29.08 ft, moderate flooding; 46,300 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 1979: 29.34 ft, moderate flooding; 47,400 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1980: 22.39 ft, minor flooding; 23,400 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1983: 20.95 ft, action stage; 20,700 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1987: 30.91 ft, moderate flooding; 54,200 cubic feet per secondOct 4, 1989: 25.58 ft, minor flooding; 33,000 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1991: 20.96 ft, action stageMar 31, 1991: 28.87 ft, minor floodingJan 5, 1992: 22.68 ft, minor floodingApr 23, 1992: 24.46 ft, minor floodingJan 10, 1993: 21.98 ft, action stageMar 6, 1993: 26.53 ft, minor floodingMar 28, 1993: 21.21 ft, action stageApr 26, 1993: 23.38 ft, minor floodingMar 4, 1994: 24.90 ft, minor floodingMar 30, 1994: 26.08 ft, minor floodingJan 16, 1995: 20.87 ft, action stageJun 30, 1995: 26.62 ft, minor floodingJan 21, 1996: 22.63 ft, minor floodingAug 14, 1996: 21.19 ft, action stageSep 7, 1996: 31.43 ft, moderate flooding; 56,500 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 1996: 21.45 ft, action stageMar 5, 1997: 20.61 ft, action stageApr 30, 1997: 24.97 ft, minor floodingJan 29, 1998: 24.67 ft, minor floodingFeb 6, 1998: 21.71 ft, action stageFeb 18, 1998: 22.00 ft, minor floodingApr 19, 1998: 23.05 ft, minor floodingMay 9, 1998: 22.91 ft, minor floodingOct 1, 2000: 19.74 ft, below flood stage; 18,200 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2001: 18.02 ft, below flood stage; 15,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 2003: 22.47 ft, minor flooding; 22,500 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2003: 28.26 ft, minor flooding; 42,900 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2003: 24.52 ft, minor flooding; 29,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 2004: 20.91 ft, action stage; 20,620 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 2004: 20.17 ft, action stage; 18,977 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 2004: 22.80 ft, minor flooding; 25,179 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2005: 19.18 ft, below flood stage; 17,200 cubic feet per secondSep 15, 2006: 17.20 ft, below flood stage; 16,200 cubic feet per secondJan 2, 2007: 25.29 ft, minor flooding; 34,700 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 2008: 20.47 ft, action stage; 22,576 cubic feet per secondNov 14, 2009: 26.99 ft, minor flooding; 39,900 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 2010: 25.64 ft, minor flooding; 35,655 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2010: 21.38 ft, action stage; 24,480 cubic feet per secondOct 2, 2010: 21.35 ft, action stage; 24,500 cubic feet per secondOct 29, 2010: 20.57 ft, action stage; 22,700 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 2012: 18.50 ft, below flood stage; 18,700 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 2013: 22.97 ft, minor flooding; 28,388 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 2014: 20.65 ft, action stage; 22,949 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 2015: 18.85 ft, below flood stage; 19,300 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 2015: 21.56 ft, action stage; 24,968 cubic feet per secondOct 5, 2015: 24.27 ft, minor flooding; 25,800 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 2015: 23.65 ft, minor flooding; 30,152 cubic feet per secondFeb 5, 2016: 20.35 ft, action stage; 22,278 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 2016: 20.21 ft, action stage; 22,000 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 2017: 29.14 ft, moderate flooding; 45,100 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 2018: 25.74 ft, minor flooding; 32,900 cubic feet per secondOct 13, 2018: 31.36 ft, moderate flooding; 55,400 cubic feet per secondNov 14, 2018: 24.57 ft, minor flooding; 29,300 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 2018: 23.29 ft, minor flooding; 25,600 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 2018: 23.15 ft, minor flooding; 25,300 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 2018: 22.31 ft, minor flooding; 23,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2019: 26.29 ft, minor flooding; 38,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 2020: 29.75 ft, moderate flooding; 51,000 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2020: 29.13 ft, moderate flooding; 48,700 cubic feet per secondOct 31, 2020: 18.29 ft, below flood stage; 17,900 cubic feet per secondNov 14, 2020: 28.79 ft, minor flooding; 47,500 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 2020: 20.64 ft, action stage; 22,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 2021: 21.41 ft, action stage; 24,700 cubic feet per secondDec 24, 2022: 17.38 ft, below flood stage; 16,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2023: 17.08 ft, below flood stage; 16,000 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 2024: 24.78 ft, minor flooding; 34,100 cubic feet per secondJan 30, 2024: 21.67 ft, action stage; 25,400 cubic feet per secondSep 29, 2024: 16.06 ft, below flood stage; 14,575 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2025: 19.57 ft, below flood stage; 20,276 cubic feet per second Highest, 33.15 ft, Jun 23, 1972 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Dan River at Paces 1940s: 1 1950s: 7 1960s: 1 1970s: 5 1980s: 3 1990s: 15 15 2000s: 6 2010s: 12 2020s: 4 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 89 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Dan River at Paces
1Jun 23, 197233.15+11.15Moderate64,800
2Aug 16, 194032.20+10.20Moderate—
3Sep 7, 199631.43+9.43Moderate56,500
4Oct 13, 201831.36+9.36Moderate55,400
5Apr 17, 198730.91+8.91Moderate54,200
6Feb 9, 202029.75+7.75Moderate51,000
7Sep 24, 197929.34+7.34Moderate47,400
8Apr 26, 201729.14+7.14Moderate45,100
9May 23, 202029.13+7.13Moderate48,700
10Apr 28, 197829.08+7.08Moderate46,300
11Mar 31, 199128.87+6.87Minor—
12Nov 14, 202028.79+6.79Minor47,500
13Mar 22, 200328.26+6.26Minor42,900
14Nov 14, 200926.99+4.99Minor39,900
15Mar 16, 197526.95+4.95Minor37,800
16Jun 30, 199526.62+4.62Minor—
17Mar 6, 199326.53+4.53Minor—
18Feb 25, 201926.29+4.29Minor38,900
19Mar 30, 199426.08+4.08Minor—
20Sep 19, 201825.74+3.74Minor32,900
21Jan 27, 201025.64+3.64Minor35,655
22Oct 4, 198925.58+3.58Minor33,000
23Oct 17, 195425.40+3.40Minor34,000
24Jan 2, 200725.29+3.29Minor34,700
25Apr 30, 199724.97+2.97Minor—
26Mar 4, 199424.90+2.90Minor—
27Jan 12, 202424.78+2.78Minor34,100
28Mar 14, 196324.72+2.72Minor31,500
29Jan 29, 199824.67+2.67Minor—
30Nov 14, 201824.57+2.57Minor29,300
31Apr 12, 200324.52+2.52Minor29,600
32Oct 12, 195924.48+2.48Minor30,900
33Apr 23, 199224.46+2.46Minor—
34Dec 30, 195824.30+2.30Minor30,300
35Oct 5, 201524.27+2.27Minor25,800
36Dec 26, 201523.65+1.65Minor30,152
37Apr 26, 199323.38+1.38Minor—
38Dec 17, 201823.29+1.29Minor25,600
39Dec 23, 201823.15+1.15Minor25,300
40Aug 13, 197023.11+1.11Minor25,200
41Apr 19, 199823.05+1.05Minor—
42Jan 19, 201322.97+0.97Minor28,388
43May 9, 199822.91+0.91Minor—
44Oct 1, 200422.80+0.80Minor25,179
45Jan 5, 199222.68+0.68Minor—
46Jan 21, 199622.63+0.63Minor—
47Feb 24, 200322.47+0.47Minor22,500
48Feb 2, 195722.46+0.46Minor26,100
49Apr 11, 198022.39+0.39Minor23,400
50Dec 30, 201822.31+0.31Minor23,600

The worst floods along the Dan River

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

June 23, 1972: 33.15 ft here, moderate flooding

  • WentworthNC · Jun 22, 1972 · 31.60 ft · Major · its highest
  • South BostonVA · Jun 24, 1972 · 33.37 ft · Moderate · its highest

August 16, 1940: 32.20 ft here, moderate flooding

  • South BostonVA · Aug 16, 1940 · 31.80 ft · Moderate
  • WentworthNC · Aug 15, 1940 · 26.90 ft · Moderate

September 7, 1996: 31.43 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Dan River

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

Flood gauges on the Dan River
Paces this gaugeVA22.033.15 ft, Jun 23, 19720
Pine HallNC23.027.94 ft, Feb 7, 20200
South BostonVA22.033.37 ft, Jun 24, 19720
STP near DanvilleVA21.030.01 ft, Oct 12, 20180
FranciscoNC13.019.50 ft, Aug 17, 19851
WentworthNC19.031.60 ft, Jun 22, 19721

Other gauges in Halifax County

Flood gauges in Halifax County
South Boston22.033.37 ft, Jun 24, 19720
Randolph24.041.60 ft, Aug 16, 19403

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PCEV2, 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.