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Sandy River near Danville

Highest listed crest 11.46 ftFlood stage 8.0 ft54 crests since 1943

The Sandy River near Danville crested above flood stage 18 times among the 54 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1943 to 2024. The highest, 11.46 ft on October 11, 2018, was moderate flooding, 3.46 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
11.46 ft
October 11, 2018; 14,100 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
8.0 ft
Major flooding from 13.0 ft
Crests at major
0
18 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
February 7, 2020
9.23 ft, minor flooding
Location
Pittsylvania County
Near Danville (5.9 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Sandy River near Danville
Action stage7.010Jan 9, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)8.09Feb 7, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.09Oct 11, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage13.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

54 crests from 1943 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Sandy River near Danville, 1943 to 2024 2468101214ft Flood stage 8.0 ftMajor 13.0 ft Apr 19, 1943: 5.33 ft, below flood stage; 2,400 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 1944: 10.51 ft, moderate flooding; 11,800 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 1945: 6.58 ft, below flood stage; 4,270 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 1946: 5.04 ft, below flood stage; 2,100 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 1947: 5.83 ft, below flood stage; 3,110 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1948: 5.81 ft, below flood stage; 3,180 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1948: 5.24 ft, below flood stage; 2,330 cubic feet per secondJul 14, 1950: 6.07 ft, below flood stage; 3,400 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1951: 6.18 ft, below flood stage; 3,630 cubic feet per secondAug 31, 1952: 5.30 ft, below flood stage; 2,270 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1953: 4.18 ft, below flood stage; 1,330 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 1954: 8.65 ft, minor flooding; 7,830 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1956: 4.52 ft, below flood stage; 1,570 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1960: 5.55 ft, below flood stage; 2,700 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1963: 6.66 ft, below flood stage; 4,430 cubic feet per secondAug 24, 1967: 9.58 ft, minor flooding; 9,820 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1972: 9.92 ft, minor flooding; 10,500 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1975: 10.90 ft, moderate flooding; 12,700 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 1979: 10.38 ft, moderate flooding; 11,600 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 1985: 10.10 ft, moderate flooding; 10,900 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1987: 10.97 ft, moderate flooding; 12,800 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 1989: 10.63 ft, moderate flooding; 12,100 cubic feet per secondOct 23, 1990: 9.01 ft, minor flooding; 8,620 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 1992: 6.80 ft, below flood stage; 4,600 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1993: 7.82 ft, action stage; 6,380 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 1994: 6.51 ft, below flood stage; 4,120 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 1995: 10.26 ft, moderate flooding; 11,200 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 1996: 11.06 ft, moderate flooding; 13,000 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1997: 6.12 ft, below flood stage; 3,510 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1998: 7.63 ft, action stage; 6,020 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 1999: 5.97 ft, below flood stage; 3,210 cubic feet per secondSep 3, 2000: 7.05 ft, action stage; 5,000 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2001: 6.30 ft, below flood stage; 3,780 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 2002: 7.49 ft, action stage; 5,770 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 2003: 7.83 ft, action stage; 6,380 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 2004: 7.49 ft, action stage; 5,770 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 2005: 7.19 ft, action stage; 5,240 cubic feet per secondOct 8, 2005: 5.43 ft, below flood stage; 2,550 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 2007: 8.60 ft, minor flooding; 7,800 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 2008: 9.08 ft, minor flooding; 8,750 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 2009: 5.17 ft, below flood stage; 2,240 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2010: 8.54 ft, minor flooding; 7,710 cubic feet per secondOct 28, 2010: 3.58 ft, below flood stage; 928 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 2012: 5.26 ft, below flood stage; 2,340 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 2013: 6.21 ft, below flood stage; 3,650 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 2014: 5.39 ft, below flood stage; 2,500 cubic feet per secondDec 24, 2015: 7.64 ft, action stage; 6,030 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 2018: 9.02 ft, minor flooding; 8,630 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 2018: 11.46 ft, moderate flooding; 14,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2020: 9.23 ft, minor flooding; 9,050 cubic feet per secondOct 29, 2020: 5.70 ft, below flood stage; 2,340 cubic feet per secondNov 12, 2020: 7.81 ft, action stage; 5,180 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2023: 6.27 ft, below flood stage; 2,997 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 2024: 7.68 ft, action stage; 5,134 cubic feet per second Highest, 11.46 ft, Oct 11, 2018 1960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Sandy River near Danville 1940s: 1 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 3 3 1980s: 3 1990s: 3 2000s: 2 2010s: 3 2020s: 1 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 54 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Sandy River near Danville
1Oct 11, 201811.46+3.46Moderate14,100
2Sep 6, 199611.06+3.06Moderate13,000
3Apr 16, 198710.97+2.97Moderate12,800
4Mar 30, 197510.90+2.90Moderate12,700
5Jul 5, 198910.63+2.63Moderate12,100
6Sep 19, 194410.51+2.51Moderate11,800
7Sep 22, 197910.38+2.38Moderate11,600
8Jun 29, 199510.26+2.26Moderate11,200
9Aug 18, 198510.10+2.10Moderate10,900
10Jun 21, 19729.92+1.92Minor10,500
11Aug 24, 19679.58+1.58Minor9,820
12Feb 7, 20209.23+1.23Minor9,050
13May 9, 20089.08+1.08Minor8,750
14Sep 23, 20189.02+1.02Minor8,630
15Oct 23, 19909.01+1.01Minor8,620
16Oct 15, 19548.65+0.65Minor7,830
17Jan 1, 20078.60+0.60Minor7,800
18Jan 25, 20108.54+0.54Minor7,710
19Mar 20, 20037.83−0.17Action6,380
20Mar 4, 19937.82−0.18Action6,380
21Nov 12, 20207.81−0.19Action5,180
22Jan 9, 20247.68−0.32Action5,134
23Dec 24, 20157.64−0.36Action6,030
24May 7, 19987.63−0.37Action6,020
25May 9, 20027.49−0.51Action5,770
26Sep 28, 20047.49−0.51Action5,770
27Jul 8, 20057.19−0.81Action5,240
28Sep 3, 20007.05−0.95Action5,000
29Jan 4, 19926.80−1.20Below flood stage4,600
30Mar 12, 19636.66−1.34Below flood stage4,430
31Sep 17, 19456.58−1.42Below flood stage4,270
32Mar 2, 19946.51−1.49Below flood stage4,120
33May 22, 20016.30−1.70Below flood stage3,780
34May 30, 20236.27−1.73Below flood stage2,997
35Jan 17, 20136.21−1.79Below flood stage3,650
36Jun 18, 19516.18−1.82Below flood stage3,630
37Apr 29, 19976.12−1.88Below flood stage3,510
38Jul 14, 19506.07−1.93Below flood stage3,400
39Sep 30, 19995.97−2.03Below flood stage3,210
40Sep 24, 19475.83−2.17Below flood stage3,110
41Apr 1, 19485.81−2.19Below flood stage3,180
42Oct 29, 20205.70−2.30Below flood stage2,340
43Apr 5, 19605.55−2.45Below flood stage2,700
44Oct 8, 20055.43−2.57Below flood stage2,550
45Jan 11, 20145.39−2.61Below flood stage2,500
46Apr 19, 19435.33−2.67Below flood stage2,400
47Aug 31, 19525.30−2.70Below flood stage2,270
48Mar 25, 20125.26−2.74Below flood stage2,340
49Nov 28, 19485.24−2.76Below flood stage2,330
50Jan 7, 20095.17−2.83Below flood stage2,240

Other gauges in Pittsylvania County

Flood gauges in Pittsylvania County
Sandy Level15.031.12 ft, Sep 8, 19872
Smith Mountain Lake797.0799.79 ft, Apr 27, 19783

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SDRV2, 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.