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Smith Creek near New Market

Highest listed crest 17.62 ftFlood stage 8.0 ft45 crests since 1959

The Smith Creek near New Market crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 45 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1959 to 2021. The highest, 17.62 ft on September 6, 1996, was major flooding, 9.62 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
17.62 ft
September 6, 1996; 12,400 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
8.0 ft
Major flooding from 15.0 ft
Crests at major
3
55th of 242 gauges in Virginia
Most recent flood crest
September 9, 2021
9.17 ft, minor flooding
Location
Shenandoah County
Virginia

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Smith Creek near New Market
Action stage7.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)8.029Sep 9, 2021Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage11.013Jun 3, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage15.03Sep 19, 2003Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

45 crests from 1959 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Smith Creek near New Market, 1959 to 2021 81012141618ft Flood stage 8.0 ftMajor 15.0 ft Oct 1, 1959: 11.41 ft, moderate floodingMar 21, 1962: 8.71 ft, minor flooding; 1,680 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1963: 9.81 ft, minor flooding; 2,700 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1967: 9.93 ft, minor flooding; 2,770 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1971: 9.96 ft, minor flooding; 2,860 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1972: 13.22 ft, moderate flooding; 6,280 cubic feet per secondOct 6, 1972: 16.38 ft, major flooding; 10,600 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 1973: 11.08 ft, moderate flooding; 3,920 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1975: 11.48 ft, moderate flooding; 4,340 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1976: 8.35 ft, minor flooding; 1,660 cubic feet per secondOct 9, 1976: 11.90 ft, moderate flooding; 4,760 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1978: 10.62 ft, minor flooding; 3,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1979: 9.30 ft, minor flooding; 2,260 cubic feet per secondOct 5, 1979: 8.07 ft, minor flooding; 1,500 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1982: 8.43 ft, minor flooding; 1,680 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1983: 8.36 ft, minor flooding; 1,640 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1984: 11.93 ft, moderate flooding; 4,790 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 1985: 10.11 ft, minor flooding; 2,950 cubic feet per secondNov 5, 1985: 13.01 ft, moderate flooding; 6,050 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1987: 11.20 ft, moderate flooding; 4,020 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1988: 10.06 ft, minor flooding; 2,910 cubic feet per secondOct 23, 1990: 9.53 ft, minor flooding; 2,470 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1992: 9.31 ft, minor flooding; 2,310 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1993: 11.52 ft, moderate flooding; 4,360 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1993: 10.60 ft, minor flooding; 3,390 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 1996: 17.62 ft, major flooding; 12,400 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1997: 9.47 ft, minor flooding; 2,430 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 1998: 9.78 ft, minor flooding; 2,660 cubic feet per secondAug 12, 2001: 9.30 ft, minor flooding; 2,300 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 2003: 16.25 ft, major flooding; 10,300 cubic feet per secondSep 29, 2004: 9.95 ft, minor flooding; 2,810 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2006: 11.91 ft, moderate flooding; 3,710 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2010: 10.48 ft, minor flooding; 2,450 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2011: 11.28 ft, moderate floodingMay 18, 2011: 10.71 ft, minor floodingMay 8, 2013: 8.26 ft, minor flooding; 1,348 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 2013: 10.06 ft, minor flooding; 2,322 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2014: 12.43 ft, moderate flooding; 4,360 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2016: 10.34 ft, minor flooding; 2,520 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 2018: 11.55 ft, moderate flooding; 3,503 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 2018: 8.03 ft, minor flooding; 1,332 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 2018: 8.76 ft, minor flooding; 1,614 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 2021: 9.45 ft, minor flooding; 1,840 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2021: 9.53 ft, minor flooding; 1,580 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 2021: 9.17 ft, minor flooding; 1,440 cubic feet per second Highest, 17.62 ft, Sep 6, 1996 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Smith Creek near New Market 1950s: 1 1960s: 3 1970s: 10 10 1980s: 7 1990s: 7 2000s: 4 2010s: 10 2020s: 3 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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

Highest listed crests, Smith Creek near New Market
1Sep 6, 199617.62+9.62Major12,400
2Oct 6, 197216.38+8.38Major10,600
3Sep 19, 200316.25+8.25Major10,300
4Jun 22, 197213.22+5.22Moderate6,280
5Nov 5, 198513.01+5.01Moderate6,050
6May 16, 201412.43+4.43Moderate4,360
7Feb 14, 198411.93+3.93Moderate4,790
8Jun 28, 200611.91+3.91Moderate3,710
9Oct 9, 197611.90+3.90Moderate4,760
10Jun 3, 201811.55+3.55Moderate3,503
11Mar 4, 199311.52+3.52Moderate4,360
12Mar 19, 197511.48+3.48Moderate4,340
13Oct 1, 195911.41+3.41Moderate—
14Apr 17, 201111.28+3.28Moderate—
15Apr 17, 198711.20+3.20Moderate4,020
16Dec 26, 197311.08+3.08Moderate3,920
17May 18, 201110.71+2.71Minor—
18Mar 14, 197810.62+2.62Minor3,400
19Nov 28, 199310.60+2.60Minor3,390
20Jan 25, 201010.48+2.48Minor2,450
21Jun 5, 201610.34+2.34Minor2,520
22Feb 12, 198510.11+2.11Minor2,950
23May 19, 198810.06+2.06Minor2,910
24Jul 12, 201310.06+2.06Minor2,322
25Feb 13, 19719.96+1.96Minor2,860
26Sep 29, 20049.95+1.95Minor2,810
27Mar 7, 19679.93+1.93Minor2,770
28Mar 19, 19639.81+1.81Minor2,700
29Jan 8, 19989.78+1.78Minor2,660
30Oct 23, 19909.53+1.53Minor2,470
31Sep 2, 20219.53+1.53Minor1,580
32Mar 4, 19979.47+1.47Minor2,430
33May 5, 20219.45+1.45Minor1,840
34Apr 22, 19929.31+1.31Minor2,310
35Feb 25, 19799.30+1.30Minor2,260
36Aug 12, 20019.30+1.30Minor2,300
37Sep 9, 20219.17+1.17Minor1,440
38Sep 28, 20188.76+0.76Minor1,614
39Mar 21, 19628.71+0.71Minor1,680
40Mar 20, 19828.43+0.43Minor1,680
41May 16, 19838.36+0.36Minor1,640
42Jan 1, 19768.35+0.35Minor1,660
43May 8, 20138.26+0.26Minor1,348
44Oct 5, 19798.07+0.07Minor1,500
45Jun 22, 20188.03+0.03Minor1,332

Other gauges in Shenandoah County

Flood gauges in Shenandoah County
Mount Jackson13.022.17 ft, Sep 6, 19961

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge NWMV2, 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.