Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Jackson River near Bacova

Highest listed crest 22.25 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft42 crests since 1972

The Jackson River near Bacova crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 42 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1972 to 2025. The highest, 22.25 ft on November 4, 1985, was major flooding, 12.25 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Jackson River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
22.25 ft
November 4, 1985; 30,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 16.0 ft
Crests at major
2
75th of 242 gauges in Virginia
Most recent flood crest
March 1, 2021
11.07 ft, minor flooding
Location
Bath County
Virginia

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Jackson River near Bacova
Action stage8.011Feb 16, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.023Mar 1, 2021Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage14.01Nov 19, 2003Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage16.02Jan 19, 1996Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

42 crests from 1972 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Jackson River near Bacova, 1972 to 2025 510152025ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 16.0 ft Jun 21, 1972: 11.40 ft, minor flooding; 4,800 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 1973: 13.88 ft, minor flooding; 7,560 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1975: 11.20 ft, minor flooding; 4,600 cubic feet per secondOct 18, 1975: 10.41 ft, minor flooding; 3,820 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1977: 13.39 ft, minor flooding; 6,970 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1978: 12.26 ft, minor flooding; 5,680 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1979: 10.00 ft, minor flooding; 3,450 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1980: 11.02 ft, minor flooding; 4,390 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1984: 11.07 ft, minor flooding; 4,430 cubic feet per secondNov 4, 1985: 22.25 ft, major flooding; 30,000 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1987: 11.02 ft, minor flooding; 4,380 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1993: 12.66 ft, minor flooding; 6,100 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 1995: 11.86 ft, minor flooding; 5,230 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1996: 17.94 ft, major flooding; 16,300 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 1998: 10.87 ft, minor flooding; 4,180 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 2000: 8.10 ft, action stage; 1,930 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2000: 7.49 ft, below flood stage; 1,560 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2001: 7.96 ft, below flood stage; 1,840 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 2003: 10.52 ft, minor flooding; 3,840 cubic feet per secondNov 19, 2003: 14.65 ft, moderate flooding; 9,230 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2006: 10.62 ft, minor flooding; 3,940 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 2007: 12.30 ft, minor flooding; 5,680 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2008: 8.38 ft, action stage; 2,120 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2009: 8.06 ft, action stage; 1,910 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2010: 11.80 ft, minor flooding; 5,130 cubic feet per secondDec 8, 2011: 10.71 ft, minor flooding; 4,020 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 2013: 9.44 ft, action stage; 2,910 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2014: 10.38 ft, minor flooding; 3,720 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 2015: 9.91 ft, action stage; 3,300 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2016: 10.43 ft, minor flooding; 3,760 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 2016: 11.59 ft, minor flooding; 4,900 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 2017: 8.98 ft, action stage; 2,550 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2018: 12.29 ft, minor flooding; 5,670 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 2020: 8.02 ft, action stage; 1,880 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 2021: 11.07 ft, minor flooding; 4,370 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2021: 7.73 ft, below flood stage; 1,700 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 2021: 9.49 ft, action stage; 2,950 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 2023: 9.97 ft, action stage; 3,350 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 7.99 ft, below flood stage; 1,860 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 2025: 7.96 ft, below flood stage; 1,840 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2025: 8.89 ft, action stage; 2,490 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 2025: 8.38 ft, action stage; 2,120 cubic feet per second Highest, 22.25 ft, Nov 4, 1985 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Jackson River near Bacova 1970s: 7 7 1980s: 4 1990s: 4 2000s: 4 2010s: 6 2020s: 1 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, Jackson River near Bacova
1Nov 4, 198522.25+12.25Major30,000
2Jan 19, 199617.94+7.94Major16,300
3Nov 19, 200314.65+4.65Moderate9,230
4Dec 26, 197313.88+3.88Minor7,560
5Apr 5, 197713.39+3.39Minor6,970
6Apr 16, 199312.66+2.66Minor6,100
7Mar 2, 200712.30+2.30Minor5,680
8Apr 16, 201812.29+2.29Minor5,670
9Jan 26, 197812.26+2.26Minor5,680
10Jan 15, 199511.86+1.86Minor5,230
11Jan 25, 201011.80+1.80Minor5,130
12Sep 30, 201611.59+1.59Minor4,900
13Jun 21, 197211.40+1.40Minor4,800
14Mar 19, 197511.20+1.20Minor4,600
15Mar 21, 198411.07+1.07Minor4,430
16Mar 1, 202111.07+1.07Minor4,370
17Apr 14, 198011.02+1.02Minor4,390
18Apr 14, 198711.02+1.02Minor4,380
19Jan 8, 199810.87+0.87Minor4,180
20Dec 8, 201110.71+0.71Minor4,020
21Jun 28, 200610.62+0.62Minor3,940
22Feb 23, 200310.52+0.52Minor3,840
23Jun 24, 201610.43+0.43Minor3,760
24Oct 18, 197510.41+0.41Minor3,820
25May 16, 201410.38+0.38Minor3,720
26Jan 21, 197910.000.00Minor3,450
27Feb 17, 20239.97−0.03Action3,350
28Jul 6, 20159.91−0.09Action3,300
29Sep 23, 20219.49−0.51Action2,950
30Jan 31, 20139.44−0.56Action2,910
31May 25, 20178.98−1.02Action2,550
32Feb 7, 20258.89−1.11Action2,490
33Mar 5, 20088.38−1.62Action2,120
34Feb 16, 20258.38−1.62Action2,120
35Feb 19, 20008.10−1.90Action1,930
36May 16, 20098.06−1.94Action1,910
37Dec 25, 20208.02−1.98Action1,880
38Jan 10, 20247.99−2.01Below flood stage1,860
39May 23, 20017.96−2.04Below flood stage1,840
40Feb 1, 20257.96−2.04Below flood stage1,840
41Jun 14, 20217.73−2.27Below flood stage1,700
42Mar 12, 20007.49−2.51Below flood stage1,560

The worst floods along the Jackson River

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

November 4, 1985: 22.25 ft here, major flooding

  • CovingtonVA · Nov 4, 1985 · 23.31 ft · Major

January 19, 1996: 17.94 ft here, major flooding

  • CovingtonVA · Jan 19, 1996 · 20.85 ft · Moderate

December 26, 1973: 13.88 ft here, minor flooding

  • CovingtonVA · Dec 27, 1973 · 22.09 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Jackson River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Jackson River
Bacova this gaugeVA10.022.25 ft, Nov 4, 19852
CovingtonVA17.024.36 ft, Jun 21, 19722

Other gauges in Bath County

Flood gauges in Bath County
Sunrise (blw PSS)8.012.22 ft, Nov 19, 20030
Mountain Grove8.012.41 ft, Jan 19, 19961
Sunrise (abv PSS)7.09.46 ft, Apr 16, 20180
Williamsville8.014.39 ft, Nov 4, 19851

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BCVV2, 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.