Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Middle River near Grottoes

Highest listed crest 35.62 ftFlood stage 12.0 ft75 crests since 1924

The Middle River near Grottoes crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 75 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1924 to 2025. The highest, 35.62 ft on September 7, 1996, was major flooding, 23.62 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
35.62 ft
September 7, 1996; 44,300 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
12.0 ft
Major flooding from 26.0 ft
Crests at major
4
40th of 242 gauges in Virginia
Most recent flood crest
July 2, 2025
12.57 ft, minor flooding
Location
Augusta County
Near Harrisonburg (12.1 mi), Staunton (13.0 mi), Waynesboro (13.6 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Middle River near Grottoes
Action stage10.010Apr 29, 2011The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.059Jul 2, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage23.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage26.04Sep 7, 1996Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

75 crests from 1924 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Middle River near Grottoes, 1924 to 2025 010203040ft Flood stage 12.0 ftMajor 26.0 ft May 1, 1924: 22.80 ft, minor flooding; 16,200 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 1928: 12.90 ft, minor flooding; 5,740 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1929: 13.30 ft, minor flooding; 6,090 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1932: 11.00 ft, action stage; 4,220 cubic feet per secondOct 18, 1932: 17.00 ft, minor flooding; 9,560 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1934: 11.00 ft, action stage; 4,220 cubic feet per secondDec 1, 1934: 20.60 ft, minor flooding; 13,500 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1936: 28.57 ft, major flooding; 24,500 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1937: 17.13 ft, minor flooding; 9,660 cubic feet per secondOct 20, 1937: 16.10 ft, minor flooding; 8,660 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 1939: 12.15 ft, minor flooding; 5,310 cubic feet per secondAug 16, 1940: 19.81 ft, minor flooding; 12,500 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1942: 19.08 ft, minor flooding; 11,800 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 1942: 26.30 ft, major flooding; 21,000 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 1944: 14.10 ft, minor flooding; 6,810 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 1945: 20.50 ft, minor flooding; 13,400 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1947: 10.50 ft, action stage; 3,820 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1948: 16.40 ft, minor flooding; 8,960 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1949: 22.74 ft, minor flooding; 16,100 cubic feet per secondDec 8, 1950: 12.53 ft, minor flooding; 5,420 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 1952: 11.47 ft, action stage; 4,620 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1953: 13.70 ft, minor flooding; 6,450 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1954: 11.86 ft, action stage; 4,940 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 1955: 19.93 ft, minor flooding; 12,700 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1957: 11.58 ft, action stage; 4,700 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1958: 10.97 ft, action stage; 4,220 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1960: 12.67 ft, minor flooding; 5,580 cubic feet per secondOct 21, 1961: 16.98 ft, minor flooding; 9,560 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1963: 14.53 ft, minor flooding; 7,170 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1967: 15.24 ft, minor flooding; 7,840 cubic feet per secondAug 20, 1969: 13.04 ft, minor flooding; 5,860 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1969: 12.76 ft, minor flooding; 5,600 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1971: 18.70 ft, minor flooding; 11,200 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1972: 21.51 ft, minor flooding; 16,300 cubic feet per secondOct 6, 1972: 21.08 ft, minor flooding; 15,600 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 1973: 15.99 ft, minor flooding; 8,590 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1975: 18.63 ft, minor flooding; 12,000 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1976: 12.66 ft, minor flooding; 5,090 cubic feet per secondOct 9, 1976: 17.40 ft, minor flooding; 10,300 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1978: 17.18 ft, minor flooding; 10,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1979: 15.15 ft, minor flooding; 7,660 cubic feet per secondOct 3, 1979: 11.78 ft, action stage; 4,330 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1982: 14.51 ft, minor flooding; 6,930 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1983: 14.20 ft, minor flooding; 6,610 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1984: 14.70 ft, minor flooding; 7,140 cubic feet per secondNov 5, 1985: 33.09 ft, major flooding; 38,500 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1987: 18.80 ft, minor flooding; 12,200 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 1989: 12.03 ft, minor flooding; 4,580 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1990: 12.31 ft, minor flooding; 4,820 cubic feet per secondOct 23, 1990: 10.91 ft, action stage; 3,710 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1992: 18.16 ft, minor flooding; 11,300 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1993: 19.56 ft, minor flooding; 13,300 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1994: 12.65 ft, minor flooding; 5,540 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1995: 12.55 ft, minor flooding; 5,460 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 1996: 35.62 ft, major flooding; 44,300 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 1998: 16.79 ft, minor flooding; 9,590 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2001: 12.10 ft, minor flooding; 5,090 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 2003: 19.31 ft, minor flooding; 12,900 cubic feet per secondSep 29, 2004: 16.79 ft, minor flooding; 9,590 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2006: 13.22 ft, minor flooding; 6,070 cubic feet per secondNov 17, 2006: 13.09 ft, minor flooding; 5,950 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2010: 17.47 ft, minor flooding; 10,600 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2011: 9.80 ft, below flood stage; 3,310 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2011: 16.03 ft, minor flooding; 8,936 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2011: 10.37 ft, action stageMay 18, 2011: 9.54 ft, below flood stageMay 8, 2013: 14.97 ft, minor flooding; 7,790 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2017: 13.06 ft, minor flooding; 5,927 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2018: 12.52 ft, minor flooding; 5,445 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 2018: 17.83 ft, minor flooding; 11,063 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 2018: 13.81 ft, minor flooding; 6,629 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 2018: 15.71 ft, minor flooding; 8,583 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 2018: 12.24 ft, minor flooding; 5,204 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 2024: 14.57 ft, minor flooding; 7,380 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 2025: 12.57 ft, minor flooding; 5,489 cubic feet per second Highest, 35.62 ft, Sep 7, 1996 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Middle River near Grottoes 1920s: 3 1930s: 6 1940s: 7 1950s: 3 1960s: 6 1970s: 9 9 1980s: 6 1990s: 7 2000s: 5 2010s: 9 2020s: 2 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

The 50 highest of 75 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Middle River near Grottoes
1Sep 7, 199635.62+23.62Major44,300
2Nov 5, 198533.09+21.09Major38,500
3Mar 18, 193628.57+16.57Major24,500
4Oct 15, 194226.30+14.30Major21,000
5May 1, 192422.80+10.80Minor16,200
6Jun 18, 194922.74+10.74Minor16,100
7Jun 22, 197221.51+9.51Minor16,300
8Oct 6, 197221.08+9.08Minor15,600
9Dec 1, 193420.60+8.60Minor13,500
10Sep 18, 194520.50+8.50Minor13,400
11Aug 18, 195519.93+7.93Minor12,700
12Aug 16, 194019.81+7.81Minor12,500
13Mar 4, 199319.56+7.56Minor13,300
14Sep 19, 200319.31+7.31Minor12,900
15May 22, 194219.08+7.08Minor11,800
16Apr 17, 198718.80+6.80Minor12,200
17May 30, 197118.70+6.70Minor11,200
18Mar 19, 197518.63+6.63Minor12,000
19Apr 22, 199218.16+6.16Minor11,300
20Sep 18, 201817.83+5.83Minor11,063
21Jan 25, 201017.47+5.47Minor10,600
22Oct 9, 197617.40+5.40Minor10,300
23Jan 26, 197817.18+5.18Minor10,000
24Apr 26, 193717.13+5.13Minor9,660
25Oct 18, 193217.00+5.00Minor9,560
26Oct 21, 196116.98+4.98Minor9,560
27Jan 8, 199816.79+4.79Minor9,590
28Sep 29, 200416.79+4.79Minor9,590
29Feb 14, 194816.40+4.40Minor8,960
30Oct 20, 193716.10+4.10Minor8,660
31Apr 17, 201116.03+4.03Minor8,936
32Dec 27, 197315.99+3.99Minor8,590
33Sep 28, 201815.71+3.71Minor8,583
34Mar 7, 196715.24+3.24Minor7,840
35Feb 25, 197915.15+3.15Minor7,660
36May 8, 201314.97+2.97Minor7,790
37Mar 29, 198414.70+2.70Minor7,140
38Sep 30, 202414.57+2.57Minor7,380
39Mar 12, 196314.53+2.53Minor7,170
40Jun 14, 198214.51+2.51Minor6,930
41Mar 19, 198314.20+2.20Minor6,610
42Sep 19, 194414.10+2.10Minor6,810
43Sep 24, 201813.81+1.81Minor6,629
44Mar 25, 195313.70+1.70Minor6,450
45Apr 16, 192913.30+1.30Minor6,090
46Jun 28, 200613.22+1.22Minor6,070
47Nov 17, 200613.09+1.09Minor5,950
48May 26, 201713.06+1.06Minor5,927
49Aug 20, 196913.04+1.04Minor5,860
50Aug 17, 192812.90+0.90Minor5,740

Other gauges in Augusta County

Flood gauges in Augusta County
Harriston9.518.80 ft, Sep 1, 18704

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge GROV2, 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.