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New River at Glen Lyn

Highest listed crest 27.50 ftFlood stage 15.0 ft75 crests since 1914

The New River at Glen Lyn crested at major flood stage 9 times among the 75 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1914 to 2025. The highest, 27.50 ft on August 14, 1940, was major flooding, 12.50 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
27.50 ft
August 14, 1940; 226,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
15.0 ft
Major flooding from 18.0 ft
Crests at major
9
18th of 242 gauges in Virginia
Most recent flood crest
September 28, 2024
24.33 ft, major flooding
Location
Giles 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 Glen Lyn
Action stage12.025Feb 16, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)15.08Nov 13, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage16.07Nov 20, 2003Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage18.09Sep 28, 2024Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

75 crests from 1914 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the New River at Glen Lyn, 1914 to 2025 51015202530ft Flood stage 15.0 ftMajor 18.0 ft Dec 5, 1914: 13.50 ft, action stage; 38,000 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1917: 13.50 ft, action stage; 34,000 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 1918: 14.60 ft, action stage; 40,000 cubic feet per secondOct 26, 1918: 19.00 ft, major flooding; 73,000 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1920: 12.00 ft, action stage; 27,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 1921: 12.40 ft, action stage; 29,000 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1922: 10.40 ft, below flood stage; 20,000 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1923: 15.00 ft, minor flooding; 43,000 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 1924: 15.00 ft, minor flooding; 43,000 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 1924: 9.70 ft, below flood stage; 17,000 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1926: 12.00 ft, action stage; 27,000 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 1928: 13.47 ft, action stage; 66,000 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1929: 10.40 ft, below flood stage; 36,100 cubic feet per secondAug 23, 1931: 7.66 ft, below flood stage; 19,600 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 1932: 7.94 ft, below flood stage; 21,200 cubic feet per secondOct 18, 1932: 9.84 ft, below flood stage; 32,500 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 1935: 13.40 ft, action stage; 63,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 1936: 12.00 ft, action stage; 51,600 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1937: 10.95 ft, below flood stage; 43,500 cubic feet per secondOct 20, 1937: 12.65 ft, action stage; 56,600 cubic feet per secondAug 14, 1940: 27.50 ft, major flooding; 226,000 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 1945: 14.50 ft, action stage; 76,000 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 1946: 13.50 ft, action stage; 66,000 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1957: 13.57 ft, action stage; 66,700 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1963: 12.72 ft, action stage; 57,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1966: 14.37 ft, action stage; 74,000 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1972: 17.36 ft, moderate flooding; 105,000 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1973: 16.69 ft, moderate flooding; 93,600 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1974: 11.75 ft, below flood stage; 47,000 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1975: 14.49 ft, action stage; 71,400 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1976: 12.67 ft, action stage; 55,000 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1977: 17.16 ft, moderate flooding; 98,900 cubic feet per secondNov 7, 1977: 18.12 ft, major flooding; 110,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1979: 13.62 ft, action stage; 63,600 cubic feet per secondNov 5, 1985: 12.55 ft, action stage; 53,600 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1987: 15.97 ft, minor flooding; 85,200 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1988: 6.47 ft, below flood stage; 12,900 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 1989: 17.71 ft, moderate flooding; 103,000 cubic feet per secondNov 17, 1989: 11.38 ft, below flood stage; 44,300 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1991: 9.61 ft, below flood stage; 31,600 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1992: 17.47 ft, moderate flooding; 100,000 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1993: 17.47 ft, moderate flooding; 100,000 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1995: 19.83 ft, major flooding; 125,000 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1996: 18.01 ft, major flooding; 105,000 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 1996: 11.28 ft, below flood stage; 43,500 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 1999: 6.88 ft, below flood stage; 16,300 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2000: 7.49 ft, below flood stage; 18,100 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2001: 9.82 ft, below flood stage; 33,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 2003: 15.71 ft, minor flooding; 100,600 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2003: 11.26 ft, below flood stage; 51,100 cubic feet per secondNov 20, 2003: 17.40 ft, moderate flooding; 99,600 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2005: 10.64 ft, below flood stage; 38,900 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2006: 11.01 ft, below flood stage; 41,500 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2007: 8.54 ft, below flood stage; 24,300 cubic feet per secondOct 27, 2007: 8.45 ft, below flood stage; 23,700 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2009: 8.76 ft, below flood stage; 25,300 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2010: 12.64 ft, action stage; 52,700 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2010: 14.48 ft, action stage; 69,700 cubic feet per secondDec 8, 2011: 11.12 ft, below flood stage; 50,008 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2012: 8.99 ft, below flood stage; 34,428 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 2013: 18.07 ft, major flooding; 105,000 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 2015: 14.77 ft, action stage; 72,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 2016: 11.23 ft, below flood stage; 43,000 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 2017: 15.65 ft, minor flooding; 80,688 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 2017: 13.23 ft, action stage; 58,800 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 2018: 13.42 ft, action stage; 60,400 cubic feet per secondOct 12, 2018: 19.47 ft, major flooding; 121,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 2019: 15.09 ft, minor flooding; 75,400 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2020: 15.24 ft, minor flooding; 76,800 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2020: 18.93 ft, major flooding; 115,000 cubic feet per secondNov 13, 2020: 15.39 ft, minor flooding; 78,200 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2023: 11.01 ft, below flood stage; 39,700 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 11.35 ft, below flood stage; 43,600 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 2024: 24.33 ft, major flooding; 181,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 2025: 13.73 ft, action stage; 66,900 cubic feet per second Highest, 27.50 ft, Aug 14, 1940 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, New River at Glen Lyn 1910s: 1 1920s: 2 1930s: 0 1940s: 1 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 4 4 1980s: 2 1990s: 4 2000s: 2 2010s: 4 2020s: 4 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, New River at Glen Lyn
1Aug 14, 194027.50+12.50Major226,000
2Sep 28, 202424.33+9.33Major181,000
3Jan 16, 199519.83+4.83Major125,000
4Oct 12, 201819.47+4.47Major121,000
5Oct 26, 191819.00+4.00Major73,000
6May 22, 202018.93+3.93Major115,000
7Nov 7, 197718.12+3.12Major110,000
8Feb 1, 201318.07+3.07Major105,000
9Jan 19, 199618.01+3.01Major105,000
10Sep 23, 198917.71+2.71Moderate103,000
11Jun 5, 199217.47+2.47Moderate100,000
12Mar 24, 199317.47+2.47Moderate100,000
13Nov 20, 200317.40+2.40Moderate99,600
14Jun 22, 197217.36+2.36Moderate105,000
15Apr 5, 197717.16+2.16Moderate98,900
16May 29, 197316.69+1.69Moderate93,600
17Apr 25, 198715.97+0.97Minor85,200
18Feb 23, 200315.71+0.71Minor100,600
19Apr 25, 201715.65+0.65Minor80,688
20Nov 13, 202015.39+0.39Minor78,200
21Apr 14, 202015.24+0.24Minor76,800
22Feb 24, 201915.09+0.09Minor75,400
23Jun 13, 192315.000.00Minor43,000
24Jan 17, 192415.000.00Minor43,000
25Apr 21, 201514.77−0.23Action72,400
26Jan 29, 191814.60−0.40Action40,000
27Sep 18, 194514.50−0.50Action76,000
28Mar 14, 197514.49−0.51Action71,400
29Mar 13, 201014.48−0.52Action69,700
30Feb 14, 196614.37−0.63Action74,000
31Feb 16, 202513.73−1.27Action66,900
32Feb 26, 197913.62−1.38Action63,600
33Apr 6, 195713.57−1.43Action66,700
34Dec 5, 191413.50−1.50Action38,000
35Mar 5, 191713.50−1.50Action34,000
36Jan 8, 194613.50−1.50Action66,000
37Aug 17, 192813.47−1.53Action66,000
38Sep 18, 201813.42−1.58Action60,400
39Jan 23, 193513.40−1.60Action63,600
40May 25, 201713.23−1.77Action58,800
41Mar 13, 196312.72−2.28Action57,000
42Jun 21, 197612.67−2.33Action55,000
43Oct 20, 193712.65−2.35Action56,600
44Jan 26, 201012.64−2.36Action52,700
45Nov 5, 198512.55−2.45Action53,600
46Feb 11, 192112.40−2.60Action29,000
47Apr 3, 192012.00−3.00Action27,000
48Jan 19, 192612.00−3.00Action27,000
49Feb 15, 193612.00−3.00Action51,600
50Apr 5, 197411.75−3.25Below flood stage47,000

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: 27.50 ft here, major flooding

  • IvanhoeVA · Aug 14, 1940 · 38.10 ft · Major · its highest
  • RadfordVA · Aug 14, 1940 · 35.96 ft · Major · its highest
  • GalaxVA · Aug 14, 1940 · 25.70 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: 24.33 ft here, major flooding

  • IvanhoeVA · Sep 28, 2024 · 33.08 ft · Major
  • RadfordVA · Sep 28, 2024 · 31.03 ft · Major
  • AllisoniaVA · Sep 28, 2024 · 22.29 ft · Major
  • GalaxVA · Sep 28, 2024 · 21.26 ft · Major

January 16, 1995: 19.83 ft here, major flooding

  • RadfordVA · Jan 15, 1995 · 24.04 ft · Major
  • GalaxVA · Jan 15, 1995 · 15.23 ft · Major
  • AllisoniaVA · Jan 15, 1995 · 16.56 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
GalaxVA9.025.70 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 Lyn this gaugeVA15.027.50 ft, Aug 14, 19409
HintonWV15.018.97 ft, Aug 15, 19401
ThurmondWV19.020.35 ft, Jan 20, 19960

Other gauges in Giles County

Flood gauges in Giles County
Bane11.023.50 ft, Sep 15, 18784
Narrows10.013.95 ft, Nov 19, 20034

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge GLLV2, 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.