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New River at Galax

Highest listed crest 25.70 ftFlood stage 9.0 ft96 crests since 1929

The New River at Galax crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 96 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1929 to 2024. The highest, 25.70 ft on August 14, 1940, was major flooding, 16.70 feet above flood stage. 5 other gauges on the New River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 5 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
25.70 ft
August 14, 1940; 141,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
9.0 ft
Major flooding from 14.0 ft
Crests at major
4
40th of 242 gauges in Virginia
Most recent flood crest
September 28, 2024
21.26 ft, major flooding
Location
Grayson County
Virginia

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, New River at Galax
Action stage7.027Nov 12, 2020The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)9.012Apr 13, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage11.07May 21, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage14.04Sep 28, 2024Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

96 crests from 1929 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the New River at Galax, 1929 to 2024 0102030ft Flood stage 9.0 ftMajor 14.0 ft Oct 2, 1929: 9.00 ft, minor flooding; 33,100 cubic feet per secondAug 22, 1931: 4.35 ft, below flood stage; 12,000 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 1932: 3.96 ft, below flood stage; 9,470 cubic feet per secondOct 17, 1932: 6.54 ft, below flood stage; 22,000 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1934: 5.18 ft, below flood stage; 14,800 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 1935: 7.38 ft, action stage; 24,900 cubic feet per secondOct 17, 1936: 5.22 ft, below flood stage; 14,800 cubic feet per secondOct 19, 1937: 6.00 ft, below flood stage; 19,200 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 1939: 6.45 ft, below flood stage; 21,400 cubic feet per secondAug 14, 1940: 25.70 ft, major flooding; 141,000 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 1940: 3.84 ft, below flood stage; 8,940 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 1942: 5.33 ft, below flood stage; 15,000 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 1942: 5.55 ft, below flood stage; 15,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1944: 4.97 ft, below flood stage; 13,600 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 1945: 9.90 ft, minor flooding; 38,000 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1946: 6.77 ft, below flood stage; 22,000 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1947: 5.64 ft, below flood stage; 16,400 cubic feet per secondNov 3, 1947: 5.37 ft, below flood stage; 15,400 cubic feet per secondAug 29, 1949: 8.35 ft, action stage; 30,000 cubic feet per secondNov 2, 1949: 4.88 ft, below flood stage; 13,200 cubic feet per secondDec 7, 1950: 9.94 ft, minor flooding; 38,000 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1952: 5.24 ft, below flood stage; 14,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1953: 5.48 ft, below flood stage; 15,900 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 1954: 5.60 ft, below flood stage; 16,400 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1955: 7.19 ft, action stage; 23,900 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1956: 6.34 ft, below flood stage; 19,600 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1957: 9.04 ft, minor flooding; 33,300 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 1958: 5.01 ft, below flood stage; 13,700 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 1959: 10.35 ft, minor flooding; 40,700 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1960: 7.44 ft, action stage; 24,900 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1961: 7.77 ft, action stage; 26,900 cubic feet per secondDec 12, 1961: 6.09 ft, below flood stage; 18,700 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1963: 8.67 ft, action stage; 31,500 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1964: 4.76 ft, below flood stage; 12,600 cubic feet per secondOct 17, 1964: 6.86 ft, below flood stage; 22,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1966: 8.47 ft, action stage; 30,500 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1967: 4.67 ft, below flood stage; 12,000 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1968: 4.05 ft, below flood stage; 9,350 cubic feet per secondOct 19, 1968: 5.23 ft, below flood stage; 14,600 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 1970: 7.89 ft, action stage; 27,400 cubic feet per secondOct 31, 1970: 3.81 ft, below flood stage; 8,340 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1972: 8.54 ft, action stage; 30,700 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1973: 10.77 ft, minor flooding; 42,800 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1974: 7.86 ft, action stage; 27,200 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1975: 7.66 ft, action stage; 26,200 cubic feet per secondOct 18, 1975: 7.75 ft, action stage; 26,200 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1977: 8.10 ft, action stage; 28,400 cubic feet per secondNov 6, 1977: 18.59 ft, major flooding; 91,000 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 1979: 9.78 ft, minor flooding; 37,300 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1980: 7.72 ft, action stage; 26,500 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1981: 6.37 ft, below flood stage; 19,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1982: 5.80 ft, below flood stage; 17,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1983: 8.50 ft, action stage; 30,500 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1984: 6.83 ft, below flood stage; 22,000 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 1985: 4.31 ft, below flood stage; 10,500 cubic feet per secondNov 5, 1985: 5.30 ft, below flood stage; 14,800 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1987: 7.29 ft, action stage; 24,300 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1988: 3.15 ft, below flood stage; 6,200 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 1989: 12.80 ft, moderate flooding; 54,100 cubic feet per secondOct 13, 1990: 8.09 ft, action stage; 28,400 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1992: 12.00 ft, moderate flooding; 49,500 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1993: 8.66 ft, action stage; 31,300 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 1994: 11.83 ft, moderate flooding; 48,500 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 1995: 15.23 ft, major flooding; 68,700 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1996: 9.31 ft, minor flooding; 34,700 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 1996: 5.15 ft, below flood stage; 14,200 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 1998: 7.55 ft, action stage; 25,600 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 1999: 4.97 ft, below flood stage; 13,400 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2000: 3.51 ft, below flood stage; 7,510 cubic feet per secondJul 30, 2001: 5.13 ft, below flood stage; 14,300 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 2002: 4.28 ft, below flood stage; 11,100 cubic feet per secondNov 19, 2003: 11.00 ft, moderate flooding; 43,900 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 2004: 9.32 ft, minor flooding; 34,828 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 2005: 4.43 ft, below flood stage; 11,600 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2006: 4.59 ft, below flood stage; 12,200 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 2007: 4.01 ft, below flood stage; 9,980 cubic feet per secondAug 27, 2008: 4.83 ft, below flood stage; 13,000 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 2009: 4.26 ft, below flood stage; 10,800 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 2010: 13.29 ft, moderate floodingJan 25, 2010: 6.41 ft, below flood stage; 19,800 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2011: 7.13 ft, action stage; 23,200 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 2013: 9.35 ft, minor flooding; 34,900 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2013: 8.38 ft, action stage; 29,878 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2015: 8.35 ft, action stage; 29,400 cubic feet per secondNov 19, 2015: 6.20 ft, below flood stage; 18,600 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 2017: 7.95 ft, action stage; 27,300 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 2018: 10.04 ft, minor flooding; 38,400 cubic feet per secondOct 12, 2018: 11.24 ft, moderate flooding; 44,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 2019: 8.83 ft, action stage; 32,100 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2019: 7.85 ft, action stage; 26,737 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2020: 8.38 ft, action stage; 29,600 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2020: 9.23 ft, minor flooding; 34,300 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2020: 11.75 ft, moderate flooding; 47,000 cubic feet per secondNov 12, 2020: 8.00 ft, action stage; 27,600 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 6.77 ft, below flood stage; 21,300 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 2024: 21.26 ft, major flooding; 108,000 cubic feet per second Highest, 25.70 ft, Aug 14, 1940 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, New River at Galax 1920s: 1 1930s: 0 1940s: 2 1950s: 3 1960s: 0 1970s: 3 1980s: 1 1990s: 4 4 2000s: 2 2010s: 4 2020s: 3 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 96 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, New River at Galax
1Aug 14, 194025.70+16.70Major141,000
2Sep 28, 202421.26+12.26Major108,000
3Nov 6, 197718.59+9.59Major91,000
4Jan 15, 199515.23+6.23Major68,700
5Jan 18, 201013.29+4.29Moderate—
6Sep 22, 198912.80+3.80Moderate54,100
7Jun 5, 199212.00+3.00Moderate49,500
8Aug 17, 199411.83+2.83Moderate48,500
9May 21, 202011.75+2.75Moderate47,000
10Oct 12, 201811.24+2.24Moderate44,800
11Nov 19, 200311.00+2.00Moderate43,900
12May 28, 197310.77+1.77Minor42,800
13Sep 30, 195910.35+1.35Minor40,700
14Sep 17, 201810.04+1.04Minor38,400
15Dec 7, 19509.94+0.94Minor38,000
16Sep 18, 19459.90+0.90Minor38,000
17Sep 22, 19799.78+0.78Minor37,300
18Jan 31, 20139.35+0.35Minor34,900
19Sep 18, 20049.32+0.32Minor34,828
20Jan 19, 19969.31+0.31Minor34,700
21Apr 13, 20209.23+0.23Minor34,300
22Apr 5, 19579.04+0.04Minor33,300
23Oct 2, 19299.000.00Minor33,100
24Feb 24, 20198.83−0.17Action32,100
25Mar 13, 19638.67−0.33Action31,500
26Mar 24, 19938.66−0.34Action31,300
27Jun 21, 19728.54−0.46Action30,700
28Feb 2, 19838.50−0.50Action30,500
29Feb 13, 19668.47−0.53Action30,500
30May 7, 20138.38−0.62Action29,878
31Feb 7, 20208.38−0.62Action29,600
32Aug 29, 19498.35−0.65Action30,000
33Apr 20, 20158.35−0.65Action29,400
34Apr 5, 19778.10−0.90Action28,400
35Oct 13, 19908.09−0.91Action28,400
36Nov 12, 20208.00−1.00Action27,600
37Apr 24, 20177.95−1.05Action27,300
38Sep 10, 19707.89−1.11Action27,400
39Apr 5, 19747.86−1.14Action27,200
40Jun 10, 20197.85−1.15Action26,737
41May 12, 19617.77−1.23Action26,900
42Oct 18, 19757.75−1.25Action26,200
43Apr 14, 19807.72−1.28Action26,500
44Mar 14, 19757.66−1.34Action26,200
45Jan 8, 19987.55−1.45Action25,600
46Mar 31, 19607.44−1.56Action24,900
47Sep 6, 19357.38−1.62Action24,900
48Mar 1, 19877.29−1.71Action24,300
49Apr 14, 19557.19−1.81Action23,900
50Apr 16, 20117.13−1.87Action23,200

The worst floods along the New River

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

August 14, 1940: 25.70 ft here, major flooding

  • IvanhoeVA · Aug 14, 1940 · 38.10 ft · Major · its highest
  • RadfordVA · Aug 14, 1940 · 35.96 ft · Major · its highest
  • Glen LynVA · Aug 14, 1940 · 27.50 ft · Major · its highest
  • AllisoniaVA · Aug 14, 1940 · 23.42 ft · Major · its highest
  • HintonWV · Aug 15, 1940 · 18.97 ft · Major · its highest

September 28, 2024: 21.26 ft here, major flooding

  • IvanhoeVA · Sep 28, 2024 · 33.08 ft · Major
  • RadfordVA · Sep 28, 2024 · 31.03 ft · Major
  • Glen LynVA · Sep 28, 2024 · 24.33 ft · Major
  • AllisoniaVA · Sep 28, 2024 · 22.29 ft · Major

November 6, 1977: 18.59 ft here, major flooding

  • IvanhoeVA · Nov 7, 1977 · 28.08 ft · Major
  • RadfordVA · Nov 7, 1977 · 24.10 ft · Major
  • Glen LynVA · Nov 7, 1977 · 18.12 ft · Major
  • AllisoniaVA · Nov 7, 1977 · 16.59 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the New River

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

Flood gauges on the New River
Galax this gaugeVA9.025.70 ft, Aug 14, 19404
IvanhoeVA16.038.10 ft, Aug 14, 19404
AllisoniaVA8.023.42 ft, Aug 14, 19402
RadfordVA14.035.96 ft, Aug 14, 194010
Glen LynVA15.027.50 ft, Aug 14, 19409
HintonWV15.018.97 ft, Aug 15, 19401
ThurmondWV19.020.35 ft, Jan 20, 19960

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge GAXV2, 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.