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Smith River at Smith River Church near Woolwine

Highest listed crest 16.11 ftFlood stage 9.0 ft33 crests since 1995

The Smith River at Smith River Church near Woolwine crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 33 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1995 to 2026. The highest, 16.11 ft on September 29, 2015, was major flooding, 7.11 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
16.11 ft
September 29, 2015; 6,300 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
9.0 ft
Major flooding from 13.0 ft
Crests at major
1
90th of 242 gauges in Virginia
Most recent flood crest
September 27, 2024
9.30 ft, minor flooding
Location
Patrick 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 River at Smith River Church near Woolwine
Action stage8.09Oct 11, 2026The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)9.05Sep 27, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage11.04Aug 28, 2023Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage13.01Sep 29, 2015Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

33 crests from 1995 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Smith River at Smith River Church near Woolwine, 1995 to 2026 05101520ft Flood stage 9.0 ftMajor 13.0 ft Jan 15, 1995: 8.23 ft, action stage; 1,340 cubic feet per secondAug 12, 1996: 8.45 ft, action stage; 1,420 cubic feet per secondDec 1, 1996: 8.36 ft, action stage; 1,390 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 1998: 7.68 ft, below flood stage; 1,150 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1999: 5.43 ft, below flood stage; 492 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 2000: 5.18 ft, below flood stage; 433 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2001: 5.74 ft, below flood stage; 552 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2002: 4.14 ft, below flood stage; 217 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 2003: 8.27 ft, action stage; 1,480 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 2004: 12.20 ft, moderate flooding; 3,520 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 2005: 8.69 ft, action stage; 1,660 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 2006: 7.69 ft, below flood stage; 1,250 cubic feet per secondNov 16, 2006: 8.41 ft, action stage; 1,540 cubic feet per secondOct 26, 2007: 6.21 ft, below flood stage; 740 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 2009: 7.16 ft, below flood stage; 1,060 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2010: 7.85 ft, below flood stage; 1,310 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 2011: 7.79 ft, below flood stage; 1,290 cubic feet per secondDec 7, 2011: 6.86 ft, below flood stage; 953 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2013: 7.58 ft, below flood stage; 1,210 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 2014: 5.41 ft, below flood stage; 518 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2015: 7.38 ft, below flood stage; 1,137 cubic feet per secondSep 29, 2015: 16.11 ft, major flooding; 6,300 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 2017: 9.63 ft, minor flooding; 2,100 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 2018: 12.35 ft, moderate flooding; 3,720 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 2018: 12.15 ft, moderate flooding; 3,600 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2020: 9.65 ft, minor flooding; 2,240 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2020: 9.75 ft, minor flooding; 2,360 cubic feet per secondOct 29, 2020: 9.25 ft, minor flooding; 2,110 cubic feet per secondNov 12, 2020: 8.33 ft, action stage; 1,680 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2023: 11.04 ft, moderate flooding; 2,380 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 2024: 8.44 ft, action stage; 1,555 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 2024: 9.30 ft, minor flooding; 1,830 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 2026: 8.34 ft, action stage; 1,513 cubic feet per second Highest, 16.11 ft, Sep 29, 2015 200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Smith River at Smith River Church near Woolwine 1990s: 0 2000s: 1 2010s: 4 2020s: 5 5 1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 River at Smith River Church near Woolwine
1Sep 29, 201516.11+7.11Major6,300
2Sep 17, 201812.35+3.35Moderate3,720
3Sep 28, 200412.20+3.20Moderate3,520
4Oct 11, 201812.15+3.15Moderate3,600
5Aug 28, 202311.04+2.04Moderate2,380
6May 21, 20209.75+0.75Minor2,360
7Apr 13, 20209.65+0.65Minor2,240
8May 5, 20179.63+0.63Minor2,100
9Sep 27, 20249.30+0.30Minor1,830
10Oct 29, 20209.25+0.25Minor2,110
11Jan 14, 20058.69−0.31Action1,660
12Aug 12, 19968.45−0.55Action1,420
13Jan 9, 20248.44−0.56Action1,555
14Nov 16, 20068.41−0.59Action1,540
15Dec 1, 19968.36−0.64Action1,390
16Oct 11, 20268.34−0.66Action1,513
17Nov 12, 20208.33−0.67Action1,680
18Feb 22, 20038.27−0.73Action1,480
19Jan 15, 19958.23−0.77Action1,340
20Jan 25, 20107.85−1.15Below flood stage1,310
21Mar 6, 20117.79−1.21Below flood stage1,290
22Jan 13, 20067.69−1.31Below flood stage1,250
23Aug 17, 19987.68−1.32Below flood stage1,150
24May 6, 20137.58−1.42Below flood stage1,210
25Apr 20, 20157.38−1.62Below flood stage1,137
26Jun 4, 20097.16−1.84Below flood stage1,060
27Dec 7, 20116.86−2.14Below flood stage953
28Oct 26, 20076.21−2.79Below flood stage740
29Mar 29, 20015.74−3.26Below flood stage552
30May 14, 19995.43−3.57Below flood stage492
31Feb 21, 20145.41−3.59Below flood stage518
32Mar 20, 20005.18−3.82Below flood stage433
33Mar 17, 20024.14−4.86Below flood stage217

The worst floods along the Smith River

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

October 11, 2018: 12.15 ft here, moderate flooding

  • EdenNC · Oct 12, 2018 · 13.70 ft · Minor
  • MartinsvilleVA · Oct 12, 2018 · 12.79 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Smith River

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

Flood gauges on the Smith River
Smith River Church near Woolwine this gaugeVA9.016.11 ft, Sep 29, 20151
MartinsvilleVA11.020.08 ft, Sep 8, 19873
EdenNC12.019.28 ft, Aug 15, 19401

Other gauges in Patrick County

Flood gauges in Patrick County
Nettleridge12.022.00 ft, Sep 22, 19793

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SMWV2, 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.