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North Fork Shenandoah River at Cootes Store

Highest listed crest 27.86 ftFlood stage 15.0 ft67 crests since 1926

The North Fork Shenandoah River at Cootes Store crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 67 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1926 to 2018. The highest, 27.86 ft on September 6, 1996, was major flooding, 12.86 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the North Fork Shenandoah River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
27.86 ft
September 6, 1996; 63,400 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
15.0 ft
Major flooding from 21.0 ft
Crests at major
4
40th of 242 gauges in Virginia
Most recent flood crest
June 22, 2018
15.42 ft, minor flooding
Location
Rockingham County
Near Harrisonburg (13.9 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, North Fork Shenandoah River at Cootes Store
Action stage10.045Jan 25, 2010The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)15.015Jun 22, 2018Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage18.03Jan 19, 1996Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage21.04Sep 6, 1996Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

67 crests from 1926 to 2018. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the North Fork Shenandoah River at Cootes Store, 1926 to 2018 1015202530ft Flood stage 15.0 ftMajor 21.0 ft Nov 16, 1926: 14.00 ft, action stage; 11,400 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1928: 11.00 ft, action stage; 6,000 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1929: 15.40 ft, minor flooding; 14,600 cubic feet per secondOct 22, 1929: 12.00 ft, action stage; 7,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 1932: 10.20 ft, action stage; 4,880 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1933: 11.70 ft, action stage; 7,120 cubic feet per secondDec 1, 1934: 19.00 ft, moderate flooding; 24,600 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1936: 23.25 ft, major flooding; 40,500 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1937: 17.00 ft, minor flooding; 18,600 cubic feet per secondOct 28, 1937: 10.00 ft, action stage; 4,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1939: 12.84 ft, action stage; 9,040 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1940: 11.70 ft, action stage; 6,800 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1941: 10.26 ft, action stage; 5,040 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1942: 16.93 ft, minor flooding; 18,300 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 1942: 25.30 ft, major flooding; 50,000 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1944: 11.45 ft, action stage; 7,640 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 1945: 15.90 ft, minor flooding; 15,800 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1949: 14.84 ft, action stage; 13,500 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 1950: 14.36 ft, action stage; 12,700 cubic feet per secondDec 4, 1950: 13.89 ft, action stage; 11,800 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1952: 13.01 ft, action stage; 10,200 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1953: 11.93 ft, action stage; 8,440 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1954: 11.88 ft, action stage; 8,440 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 1955: 16.60 ft, minor flooding; 17,500 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1957: 10.59 ft, action stage; 6,440 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1959: 13.91 ft, action stage; 11,800 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1960: 14.25 ft, action stage; 12,400 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1962: 10.33 ft, action stage; 6,040 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1963: 13.80 ft, action stage; 11,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 1965: 11.02 ft, action stage; 7,000 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1967: 13.70 ft, action stage; 11,500 cubic feet per secondAug 1, 1969: 10.20 ft, action stage; 5,910 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 1970: 16.55 ft, minor flooding; 17,400 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1971: 13.63 ft, action stage; 11,300 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1972: 14.98 ft, action stage; 17,400 cubic feet per secondOct 5, 1972: 19.50 ft, moderate flooding; 26,400 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1974: 14.47 ft, action stage; 12,800 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1975: 17.29 ft, minor flooding; 19,500 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1976: 12.75 ft, action stage; 9,800 cubic feet per secondOct 9, 1976: 16.98 ft, minor flooding; 18,500 cubic feet per secondNov 7, 1977: 14.81 ft, action stage; 13,500 cubic feet per secondSep 5, 1979: 15.69 ft, minor flooding; 15,500 cubic feet per secondOct 2, 1979: 15.25 ft, minor flooding; 14,600 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1982: 10.56 ft, action stage; 6,470 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1983: 10.56 ft, action stage; 6,470 cubic feet per secondDec 12, 1983: 11.54 ft, action stage; 7,880 cubic feet per secondNov 4, 1985: 25.13 ft, major flooding; 49,200 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1987: 13.72 ft, action stage; 12,000 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1988: 10.94 ft, action stage; 7,580 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1991: 12.44 ft, action stage; 9,860 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1992: 13.35 ft, action stage; 11,400 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1993: 14.71 ft, action stage; 13,800 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 1994: 15.26 ft, minor flooding; 14,800 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 1995: 12.61 ft, action stage; 10,100 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1996: 19.71 ft, moderate flooding; 27,000 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 1996: 27.86 ft, major flooding; 63,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1998: 10.97 ft, action stage; 10,700 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 2001: 12.37 ft, action stage; 13,600 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 2002: 10.70 ft, action stage; 10,200 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 2003: 15.22 ft, minor flooding; 20,400 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 2004: 13.09 ft, action stage; 15,200 cubic feet per secondNov 29, 2005: 14.63 ft, action stage; 18,900 cubic feet per secondNov 16, 2006: 14.09 ft, action stage; 17,600 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2010: 12.59 ft, action stage; 9,630 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2011: 16.33 ft, minor flooding; 22,200 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2018: 17.35 ft, minor flooding; 21,934 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 2018: 15.42 ft, minor flooding; 17,685 cubic feet per second Highest, 27.86 ft, Sep 6, 1996 1940196019802000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, North Fork Shenandoah River at Cootes Store 1920s: 1 1930s: 3 1940s: 3 1950s: 1 1960s: 0 1970s: 6 6 1980s: 1 1990s: 3 2000s: 1 2010s: 3 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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 67 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, North Fork Shenandoah River at Cootes Store
1Sep 6, 199627.86+12.86Major63,400
2Oct 15, 194225.30+10.30Major50,000
3Nov 4, 198525.13+10.13Major49,200
4Mar 17, 193623.25+8.25Major40,500
5Jan 19, 199619.71+4.71Moderate27,000
6Oct 5, 197219.50+4.50Moderate26,400
7Dec 1, 193419.00+4.00Moderate24,600
8May 22, 201817.35+2.35Minor21,934
9Mar 19, 197517.29+2.29Minor19,500
10Apr 25, 193717.00+2.00Minor18,600
11Oct 9, 197616.98+1.98Minor18,500
12May 22, 194216.93+1.93Minor18,300
13Aug 18, 195516.60+1.60Minor17,500
14Jul 9, 197016.55+1.55Minor17,400
15Apr 16, 201116.33+1.33Minor22,200
16Sep 18, 194515.90+0.90Minor15,800
17Sep 5, 197915.69+0.69Minor15,500
18Jun 22, 201815.42+0.42Minor17,685
19Apr 16, 192915.40+0.40Minor14,600
20Aug 17, 199415.26+0.26Minor14,800
21Oct 2, 197915.25+0.25Minor14,600
22Sep 19, 200315.22+0.22Minor20,400
23Jun 22, 197214.98−0.02Action17,400
24Jun 28, 194914.84−0.16Action13,500
25Nov 7, 197714.81−0.19Action13,500
26Mar 4, 199314.71−0.29Action13,800
27Nov 29, 200514.63−0.37Action18,900
28Jun 2, 197414.47−0.53Action12,800
29Sep 13, 195014.36−0.64Action12,700
30May 8, 196014.25−0.75Action12,400
31Nov 16, 200614.09−0.91Action17,600
32Nov 16, 192614.00−1.00Action11,400
33Jun 2, 195913.91−1.09Action11,800
34Dec 4, 195013.89−1.11Action11,800
35Mar 19, 196313.80−1.20Action11,600
36Apr 16, 198713.72−1.28Action12,000
37Mar 7, 196713.70−1.30Action11,500
38May 30, 197113.63−1.37Action11,300
39Apr 21, 199213.35−1.65Action11,400
40Sep 28, 200413.09−1.91Action15,200
41Mar 11, 195213.01−1.99Action10,200
42Feb 3, 193912.84−2.16Action9,040
43Jan 1, 197612.75−2.25Action9,800
44Jan 15, 199512.61−2.39Action10,100
45Jan 25, 201012.59−2.41Action9,630
46Mar 23, 199112.44−2.56Action9,860
47Jun 22, 200112.37−2.63Action13,600
48Oct 22, 192912.00−3.00Action7,600
49Mar 24, 195311.93−3.07Action8,440
50Mar 1, 195411.88−3.12Action8,440

The worst floods along the North Fork Shenandoah River

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

September 6, 1996: 27.86 ft here, major flooding

  • StrasburgVA · Sep 7, 1996 · 32.27 ft · Major · its highest
  • Mount JacksonVA · Sep 6, 1996 · 22.17 ft · Major · its highest

October 15, 1942: 25.30 ft here, major flooding

  • StrasburgVA · Oct 16, 1942 · 31.20 ft · Major

November 4, 1985: 25.13 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the North Fork Shenandoah River

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

Flood gauges on the North Fork Shenandoah River
Cootes Store this gaugeVA15.027.86 ft, Sep 6, 19964
Mount JacksonVA13.022.17 ft, Sep 6, 19961
StrasburgVA17.032.27 ft, Sep 7, 19965

Other gauges in Rockingham County

Flood gauges in Rockingham County
Mount Clinton8.010.37 ft, Sep 6, 19960
Burketown11.036.70 ft, Sep 6, 19964
Lynnwood16.030.84 ft, Sep 7, 199616

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge COOV2, 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.