Maury River near Buena Vista

Highest listed crest 31.23 ftFlood stage 17.0 ft63 crests since 1948

The Maury River near Buena Vista crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 63 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1948 to 2024. The highest, 31.23 ft on August 20, 1969, was major flooding, 14.23 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Maury River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
31.23 ft
August 20, 1969; 105,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
17.0 ft
Major flooding from 21.0 ft
Crests at major
2
75th of 242 gauges in Virginia
Most recent flood crest
September 7, 1996
18.90 ft, minor flooding
Location
Rockbridge County
Virginia

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Maury River near Buena Vista
Action stage13.016Apr 16, 2018The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)17.06Sep 7, 1996Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage19.01Jun 28, 1995Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage21.02Nov 5, 1985Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

63 crests from 1948 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Maury River near Buena Vista, 1948 to 2024 010203040ft Flood stage 17.0 ftMajor 21.0 ft Dec 4, 1948: 13.84 ft, action stage; 15,600 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 1950: 16.20 ft, action stage; 22,400 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1954: 13.80 ft, action stage; 15,600 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1957: 12.39 ft, below flood stage; 12,500 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1960: 12.20 ft, below flood stage; 12,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1961: 12.40 ft, below flood stage; 22,600 cubic feet per secondOct 21, 1961: 17.68 ft, minor flooding; 42,000 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1963: 13.70 ft, action stage; 15,400 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1964: 9.06 ft, below flood stage; 6,470 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1965: 10.02 ft, below flood stage; 7,950 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1967: 13.74 ft, action stage; 15,500 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1967: 11.99 ft, below flood stage; 11,700 cubic feet per secondAug 20, 1969: 31.23 ft, major flooding; 105,000 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1969: 12.26 ft, below flood stage; 12,200 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1971: 14.01 ft, action stage; 17,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1972: 9.44 ft, below flood stage; 7,900 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1972: 17.10 ft, minor flooding; 27,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1973: 10.72 ft, below flood stage; 10,600 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1975: 14.07 ft, action stage; 18,100 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1978: 15.46 ft, action stage; 22,300 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1982: 14.55 ft, action stage; 19,400 cubic feet per secondNov 5, 1985: 26.30 ft, major flooding; 72,100 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1986: 11.16 ft, below flood stage; 11,900 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1987: 13.36 ft, action stage; 16,600 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1987: 11.90 ft, below flood stage; 13,400 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1988: 6.37 ft, below flood stage; 4,180 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1990: 9.87 ft, below flood stage; 9,510 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1991: 11.40 ft, below flood stage; 12,400 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1992: 18.99 ft, minor flooding; 35,100 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1995: 17.95 ft, minor flooding; 30,990 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1995: 19.48 ft, moderate flooding; 37,500 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1996: 18.28 ft, minor flooding; 32,269 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 1996: 18.90 ft, minor flooding; 35,300 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 1996: 11.19 ft, below flood stage; 12,500 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 1998: 15.20 ft, action stage; 22,500 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1999: 6.88 ft, below flood stage; 5,280 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2000: 6.42 ft, below flood stage; 4,660 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2001: 8.09 ft, below flood stage; 7,040 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 2002: 8.36 ft, below flood stage; 7,470 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 2003: 13.20 ft, action stage; 17,450 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 2003: 15.36 ft, action stage; 23,000 cubic feet per secondNov 19, 2003: 11.78 ft, below flood stage; 17,100 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 2005: 8.19 ft, below flood stage; 8,430 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2006: 12.41 ft, below flood stage; 18,900 cubic feet per secondNov 17, 2006: 11.59 ft, below flood stage; 16,600 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2008: 7.65 ft, below flood stage; 7,370 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2009: 8.96 ft, below flood stage; 10,100 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2010: 14.42 ft, action stage; 25,100 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2011: 13.65 ft, action stage; 22,600 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 2012: 11.40 ft, below flood stage; 16,000 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2013: 11.43 ft, below flood stage; 16,100 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2014: 8.37 ft, below flood stage; 8,800 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2015: 8.19 ft, below flood stage; 8,430 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 2016: 9.44 ft, below flood stage; 11,100 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2018: 13.09 ft, action stage; 20,900 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 2018: 10.14 ft, below flood stage; 12,800 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2020: 9.74 ft, below flood stage; 11,800 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 2021: 8.60 ft, below flood stage; 9,290 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 2021: 9.58 ft, below flood stage; 11,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 2022: 8.89 ft, below flood stage; 9,910 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 2023: 8.80 ft, below flood stage; 9,440 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 2024: 8.67 ft, below flood stage; 9,160 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2024: 8.86 ft, below flood stage; 9,570 cubic feet per second Highest, 31.23 ft, Aug 20, 1969 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Maury River near Buena Vista 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 2 1970s: 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 5 5 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 2020s: 0 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 63 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Maury River near Buena Vista
1Aug 20, 196931.23+14.23Major105,000
2Nov 5, 198526.30+9.30Major72,100
3Jun 28, 199519.48+2.48Moderate37,500
4Apr 22, 199218.99+1.99Minor35,100
5Sep 7, 199618.90+1.90Minor35,300
6Jan 19, 199618.28+1.28Minor32,269
7Jun 23, 199517.95+0.95Minor30,990
8Oct 21, 196117.68+0.68Minor42,000
9Jun 21, 197217.10+0.10Minor27,800
10Sep 10, 195016.20−0.80Action22,400
11Jan 26, 197815.46−1.54Action22,300
12Sep 19, 200315.36−1.64Action23,000
13Jan 8, 199815.20−1.80Action22,500
14Jun 13, 198214.55−2.45Action19,400
15Jan 25, 201014.42−2.58Action25,100
16Mar 20, 197514.07−2.93Action18,100
17May 31, 197114.01−2.99Action17,900
18Dec 4, 194813.84−3.16Action15,600
19Mar 1, 195413.80−3.20Action15,600
20Mar 7, 196713.74−3.26Action15,500
21Mar 12, 196313.70−3.30Action15,400
22Apr 17, 201113.65−3.35Action22,600
23Apr 16, 198713.36−3.64Action16,600
24Feb 23, 200313.20−3.80Action17,450
25Apr 16, 201813.09−3.91Action20,900
26Jun 26, 200612.41−4.59Below flood stage18,900
27Feb 26, 196112.40−4.60Below flood stage22,600
28Apr 6, 195712.39−4.61Below flood stage12,500
29Dec 31, 196912.26−4.74Below flood stage12,200
30Mar 31, 196012.20−4.80Below flood stage12,100
31Mar 15, 196711.99−5.01Below flood stage11,700
32Apr 25, 198711.90−5.10Below flood stage13,400
33Nov 19, 200311.78−5.22Below flood stage17,100
34Nov 17, 200611.59−5.41Below flood stage16,600
35May 8, 201311.43−5.57Below flood stage16,100
36Mar 4, 199111.40−5.60Below flood stage12,400
37May 15, 201211.40−5.60Below flood stage16,000
38Dec 2, 199611.19−5.81Below flood stage12,500
39Mar 15, 198611.16−5.84Below flood stage11,900
40Feb 2, 197310.72−6.28Below flood stage10,600
41Dec 21, 201810.14−6.86Below flood stage12,800
42Jan 24, 196510.02−6.98Below flood stage7,950
43Jan 1, 19909.87−7.13Below flood stage9,510
44Apr 30, 20209.74−7.26Below flood stage11,800
45Sep 23, 20219.58−7.42Below flood stage11,500
46Feb 26, 19729.44−7.56Below flood stage7,900
47Feb 16, 20169.44−7.56Below flood stage11,100
48Jan 25, 19649.06−7.94Below flood stage6,470
49May 17, 20098.96−8.04Below flood stage10,100
50Feb 4, 20228.89−8.11Below flood stage9,910

The worst floods along the Maury River

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

August 20, 1969: 31.23 ft here, major flooding

November 5, 1985: 26.30 ft here, major flooding

June 28, 1995: 19.48 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Maury River

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

Flood gauges on the Maury River
Rockbridge BathsVA10.019.19 ft, Nov 5, 19851
Buena Vista this gaugeVA17.031.23 ft, Aug 20, 19692

Other gauges in Rockbridge County

Flood gauges in Rockbridge County
Murat8.011.40 ft, May 5, 20170
Goshen12.020.23 ft, Nov 4, 19852
Lexington8.015.44 ft, Jun 28, 19951
Rockbridge Baths10.019.19 ft, Nov 5, 19851

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BVSV2, 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.