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Meherrin River at Emporia

Highest listed crest 31.50 ftFlood stage 23.0 ft106 crests since 1908

The Meherrin River at Emporia crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 106 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1908 to 2025. The highest, 31.50 ft on August 17, 1940, was major flooding, 8.50 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Meherrin River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
31.50 ft
August 17, 1940; 40,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
23.0 ft
Major flooding from 27.0 ft
Crests at major
3
55th of 242 gauges in Virginia
Most recent flood crest
January 12, 2024
23.09 ft, minor flooding
Location
Emporia city
Virginia

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Meherrin River at Emporia
Action stage13.080Apr 9, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)23.011Jan 12, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage25.012Oct 14, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage27.03Oct 8, 1972Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

106 crests from 1908 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Meherrin River at Emporia, 1908 to 2025 101520253035ft Flood stage 23.0 ftMajor 27.0 ft Aug 28, 1908: 28.00 ft, major floodingMar 1, 1912: 25.00 ft, moderate floodingApr 27, 1928: 26.00 ft, moderate floodingAug 17, 1940: 31.50 ft, major flooding; 40,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 1951: 19.02 ft, action stage; 6,700 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1951: 16.90 ft, action stage; 5,100 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 1951: 20.60 ft, action stage; 9,410 cubic feet per secondNov 23, 1952: 21.90 ft, action stage; 11,200 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1954: 17.53 ft, action stage; 5,860 cubic feet per secondAug 21, 1955: 22.80 ft, action stage; 12,500 cubic feet per secondOct 3, 1955: 19.07 ft, action stage; 7,520 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1957: 19.78 ft, action stage; 7,580 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1958: 22.75 ft, action stage; 12,100 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1958: 21.18 ft, action stage; 9,400 cubic feet per secondNov 27, 1959: 20.70 ft, action stage; 8,710 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 1961: 19.02 ft, action stage; 6,700 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1962: 23.17 ft, minor flooding; 12,900 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1963: 20.47 ft, action stage; 8,450 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 1964: 16.30 ft, action stage; 4,210 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 1965: 19.34 ft, action stage; 7,030 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1966: 19.72 ft, action stage; 7,470 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1967: 17.50 ft, action stage; 5,200 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1968: 18.52 ft, action stage; 6,200 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1969: 18.13 ft, action stage; 5,800 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 1970: 16.52 ft, action stage; 5,400 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1971: 19.96 ft, action stage; 7,800 cubic feet per secondOct 26, 1971: 26.59 ft, moderate flooding; 19,400 cubic feet per secondOct 8, 1972: 27.38 ft, major flooding; 21,100 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 1974: 21.95 ft, action stage; 10,000 cubic feet per secondJul 17, 1975: 25.09 ft, moderate flooding; 16,200 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 1976: 20.40 ft, action stage; 8,100 cubic feet per secondOct 22, 1976: 17.83 ft, action stage; 5,640 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1978: 26.62 ft, moderate flooding; 19,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 1979: 25.34 ft, moderate flooding; 16,600 cubic feet per secondOct 3, 1979: 22.60 ft, action stage; 11,100 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1981: 16.70 ft, action stage; 4,790 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1982: 16.38 ft, action stage; 4,940 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1983: 21.70 ft, action stage; 9,360 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1984: 23.96 ft, minor flooding; 13,800 cubic feet per secondJan 6, 1985: 20.84 ft, action stage; 8,570 cubic feet per secondNov 6, 1985: 25.74 ft, moderate flooding; 17,500 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1987: 25.29 ft, moderate flooding; 16,600 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1988: 13.85 ft, action stage; 3,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1989: 19.69 ft, action stage; 7,390 cubic feet per secondJan 3, 1990: 19.36 ft, action stage; 7,060 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1991: 20.49 ft, action stage; 8,190 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1992: 19.40 ft, action stage; 7,100 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1993: 24.11 ft, minor flooding; 14,100 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1994: 22.41 ft, action stage; 10,700 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1995: 17.47 ft, action stage; 5,250 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1996: 20.09 ft, action stage; 7,060 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 1996: 24.06 ft, minor flooding; 13,400 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 1996: 19.68 ft, action stage; 6,640 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 1997: 22.08 ft, action stage; 9,870 cubic feet per secondJul 25, 1997: 18.04 ft, action stage; 5,550 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 1998: 17.09 ft, action stage; 5,420 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 1998: 21.30 ft, action stage; 9,940 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1998: 19.45 ft, action stage; 7,570 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1998: 13.66 ft, action stage; 3,610 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1998: 20.71 ft, action stage; 9,130 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1998: 24.96 ft, minor flooding; 16,000 cubic feet per secondSep 16, 1999: 26.33 ft, moderate flooding; 18,800 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2000: 19.81 ft, action stage; 7,960 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 2001: 22.04 ft, action stage; 8,310 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 2003: 23.27 ft, minor flooding; 13,000 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 2003: 22.47 ft, action stage; 11,700 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2003: 25.56 ft, moderate flooding; 17,200 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 2003: 25.00 ft, moderate flooding; 16,100 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2004: 24.43 ft, minor flooding; 14,600 cubic feet per secondDec 12, 2004: 20.85 ft, action stage; 8,170 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 2006: 21.69 ft, action stage; 10,500 cubic feet per secondOct 9, 2006: 21.41 ft, action stage; 9,230 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 2008: 17.29 ft, action stage; 5,320 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 2008: 20.13 ft, action stage; 8,390 cubic feet per secondNov 14, 2009: 21.93 ft, action stage; 10,800 cubic feet per secondOct 2, 2010: 15.21 ft, action stage; 3,170 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 2011: 14.35 ft, action stage; 2,680 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 2013: 20.81 ft, action stage; 8,190 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 2013: 16.92 ft, action stage; 5,220 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2014: 23.22 ft, minor flooding; 12,900 cubic feet per secondOct 17, 2014: 17.99 ft, action stage; 5,990 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 2015: 23.36 ft, minor flooding; 12,300 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 2016: 21.72 ft, action stage; 9,260 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2018: 17.40 ft, action stage; 3,830 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2018: 24.14 ft, minor flooding; 14,000 cubic feet per secondSep 20, 2018: 21.00 ft, action stage; 8,110 cubic feet per secondOct 14, 2018: 25.36 ft, moderate flooding; 16,900 cubic feet per secondOct 28, 2018: 15.11 ft, action stage; 2,630 cubic feet per secondNov 7, 2018: 16.22 ft, action stage; 3,040 cubic feet per secondNov 15, 2018: 21.29 ft, action stage; 8,560 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 2018: 18.73 ft, action stage; 5,150 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 2018: 17.79 ft, action stage; 4,190 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 2019: 15.88 ft, action stage; 2,910 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2019: 15.50 ft, action stage; 2,780 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2019: 13.03 ft, action stage; 2,070 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 2019: 17.79 ft, action stage; 4,190 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 2019: 21.01 ft, action stage; 8,120 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2019: 15.63 ft, action stage; 2,820 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 2019: 18.41 ft, action stage; 4,810 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2019: 14.46 ft, action stage; 2,450 cubic feet per secondDec 24, 2022: 13.06 ft, action stage; 2,670 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2023: 17.99 ft, action stage; 5,140 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 2023: 18.92 ft, action stage; 5,930 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 2023: 18.55 ft, action stage; 5,610 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 2024: 23.09 ft, minor flooding; 12,200 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2025: 17.39 ft, action stage; 4,799 cubic feet per second Highest, 31.50 ft, Aug 17, 1940 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Meherrin River at Emporia 1900s: 1 1910s: 1 1920s: 1 1930s: 0 1940s: 1 1950s: 0 1960s: 1 1970s: 5 5 1980s: 3 1990s: 4 2000s: 4 2010s: 4 2020s: 1 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 106 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Meherrin River at Emporia
1Aug 17, 194031.50+8.50Major40,000
2Aug 28, 190828.00+5.00Major—
3Oct 8, 197227.38+4.38Major21,100
4Apr 29, 197826.62+3.62Moderate19,400
5Oct 26, 197126.59+3.59Moderate19,400
6Sep 16, 199926.33+3.33Moderate18,800
7Apr 27, 192826.00+3.00Moderate—
8Nov 6, 198525.74+2.74Moderate17,500
9May 28, 200325.56+2.56Moderate17,200
10Oct 14, 201825.36+2.36Moderate16,900
11Feb 27, 197925.34+2.34Moderate16,600
12Apr 18, 198725.29+2.29Moderate16,600
13Jul 17, 197525.09+2.09Moderate16,200
14Mar 1, 191225.00+2.00Moderate—
15Sep 21, 200325.00+2.00Moderate16,100
16Mar 22, 199824.96+1.96Minor16,000
17Sep 2, 200424.43+1.43Minor14,600
18May 21, 201824.14+1.14Minor14,000
19Mar 7, 199324.11+1.11Minor14,100
20Sep 9, 199624.06+1.06Minor13,400
21Feb 16, 198423.96+0.96Minor13,800
22Dec 26, 201523.36+0.36Minor12,300
23Mar 23, 200323.27+0.27Minor13,000
24May 18, 201423.22+0.22Minor12,900
25Jan 9, 196223.17+0.17Minor12,900
26Jan 12, 202423.09+0.09Minor12,200
27Aug 21, 195522.80−0.20Action12,500
28May 8, 195822.75−0.25Action12,100
29Oct 3, 197922.60−0.40Action11,100
30Apr 11, 200322.47−0.53Action11,700
31Mar 5, 199422.41−0.59Action10,700
32May 1, 199722.08−0.92Action9,870
33Apr 1, 200122.04−0.96Action8,310
34Sep 9, 197421.95−1.05Action10,000
35Nov 14, 200921.93−1.07Action10,800
36Nov 23, 195221.90−1.10Action11,200
37Oct 11, 201621.72−1.28Action9,260
38Apr 18, 198321.70−1.30Action9,360
39Jul 6, 200621.69−1.31Action10,500
40Oct 9, 200621.41−1.59Action9,230
41Feb 7, 199821.30−1.70Action9,940
42Nov 15, 201821.29−1.71Action8,560
43Dec 31, 195821.18−1.82Action9,400
44Feb 26, 201921.01−1.99Action8,120
45Sep 20, 201821.00−2.00Action8,110
46Dec 12, 200420.85−2.15Action8,170
47Jan 6, 198520.84−2.16Action8,570
48Jan 18, 201320.81−2.19Action8,190
49Mar 10, 199820.71−2.29Action9,130
50Nov 27, 195920.70−2.30Action8,710

The worst floods along the Meherrin River

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

August 17, 1940: 31.50 ft here, major flooding

  • LawrencevilleVA · Aug 17, 1940 · 42.00 ft · Major · its highest

August 28, 1908: 28.00 ft here, major flooding

October 8, 1972: 27.38 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Meherrin River

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

Flood gauges on the Meherrin River
LawrencevilleVA15.042.00 ft, Aug 17, 194010
Emporia this gaugeVA23.031.50 ft, Aug 17, 19403

Emporia city: every hazard · River floods across the country · Virginia

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge EPOV2, 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.