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South Fork Holston River at Riverside nr Chilhowie

Highest listed crest 10.87 ftFlood stage 7.0 ft87 crests since 1921

The South Fork Holston River at Riverside nr Chilhowie crested above flood stage 16 times among the 87 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1921 to 2025. The highest, 10.87 ft on September 27, 2024, was moderate flooding, 3.87 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
10.87 ft
September 27, 2024; 11,700 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
7.0 ft
Major flooding from 11.0 ft
Crests at major
0
16 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
September 27, 2024
10.87 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Smyth County
Virginia

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, South Fork Holston River at Riverside nr Chilhowie
Action stage5.048Jan 10, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)7.013Nov 19, 2003Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage9.03Sep 27, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage11.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

87 crests from 1921 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the South Fork Holston River at Riverside nr Chilhowie, 1921 to 2025 24681012ft Flood stage 7.0 ftMajor 11.0 ft Feb 10, 1921: 4.40 ft, below flood stage; 1,420 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1922: 5.00 ft, action stage; 1,880 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1923: 9.00 ft, moderate flooding; 6,000 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 1924: 5.00 ft, action stage; 1,880 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 1924: 3.70 ft, below flood stage; 960 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1926: 4.50 ft, below flood stage; 1,450 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 1927: 5.70 ft, action stage; 2,430 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 1928: 4.00 ft, below flood stage; 1,100 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1929: 5.00 ft, action stage; 1,820 cubic feet per secondOct 2, 1929: 4.60 ft, below flood stage; 1,520 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1931: 5.00 ft, action stage; 1,820 cubic feet per secondAug 9, 1942: 4.58 ft, below flood stage; 1,200 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 1942: 5.80 ft, action stage; 1,870 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1944: 6.62 ft, action stage; 2,380 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1945: 6.58 ft, action stage; 2,380 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 1946: 5.84 ft, action stage; 1,870 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 1947: 6.99 ft, action stage; 2,660 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1948: 5.87 ft, action stage; 1,930 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1949: 5.04 ft, action stage; 1,410 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1950: 4.97 ft, below flood stage; 1,270 cubic feet per secondDec 7, 1950: 7.84 ft, minor flooding; 3,270 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1952: 3.25 ft, below flood stage; 541 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1953: 5.25 ft, action stage; 1,450 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1954: 6.53 ft, action stage; 2,280 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1955: 6.88 ft, action stage; 2,580 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1956: 6.20 ft, action stage; 2,070 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 1957: 8.32 ft, minor flooding; 3,800 cubic feet per secondAug 1, 1958: 8.18 ft, minor flooding; 3,670 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1959: 5.10 ft, action stage; 1,420 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1960: 6.20 ft, action stage; 2,100 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1961: 6.71 ft, action stage; 2,450 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 1961: 8.27 ft, minor flooding; 3,780 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1963: 6.82 ft, action stage; 2,520 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1964: 7.16 ft, minor flooding; 2,830 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1965: 7.46 ft, minor flooding; 3,070 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1966: 6.50 ft, action stage; 2,310 cubic feet per secondNov 2, 1966: 5.10 ft, action stage; 1,420 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1968: 4.93 ft, below flood stage; 1,320 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1969: 4.22 ft, below flood stage; 960 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1970: 5.60 ft, action stage; 1,720 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1971: 5.15 ft, action stage; 1,450 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1972: 6.26 ft, action stage; 2,140 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1973: 5.65 ft, action stage; 1,750 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1974: 7.54 ft, minor flooding; 3,100 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1977: 8.89 ft, minor flooding; 5,240 cubic feet per secondNov 6, 1977: 10.20 ft, moderate flooding; 9,600 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1979: 5.57 ft, action stage; 2,040 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1980: 4.67 ft, below flood stage; 1,360 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1981: 4.49 ft, below flood stage; 1,250 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 1982: 5.56 ft, action stage; 2,040 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1983: 5.17 ft, action stage; 1,730 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1984: 6.49 ft, action stage; 2,900 cubic feet per secondJul 27, 1985: 3.77 ft, below flood stage; 842 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1986: 4.09 ft, below flood stage; 1,020 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 1988: 4.38 ft, below flood stage; 1,190 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1990: 5.19 ft, action stage; 1,740 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1992: 5.74 ft, action stage; 2,080 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1993: 7.06 ft, minor flooding; 3,450 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1994: 6.22 ft, action stage; 2,530 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 1995: 8.68 ft, minor flooding; 5,820 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1996: 7.45 ft, minor flooding; 3,940 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1997: 4.76 ft, below flood stage; 1,120 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1998: 6.09 ft, action stage; 2,190 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1999: 3.65 ft, below flood stage; 540 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 2000: 3.71 ft, below flood stage; 565 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 2001: 6.88 ft, action stage; 3,120 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 2002: 6.60 ft, action stage; 2,760 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 2003: 7.03 ft, minor flooding; 3,320 cubic feet per secondNov 19, 2003: 8.08 ft, minor flooding; 4,950 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2005: 5.24 ft, action stage; 1,440 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2006: 4.62 ft, below flood stage; 1,030 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 2007: 4.64 ft, below flood stage; 1,040 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2008: 5.47 ft, action stage; 1,610 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2010: 5.85 ft, action stage; 1,940 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 2011: 5.84 ft, action stage; 1,930 cubic feet per secondDec 7, 2011: 5.13 ft, action stage; 1,330 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 2013: 6.65 ft, action stage; 2,890 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2015: 6.39 ft, action stage; 2,550 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 2017: 6.43 ft, action stage; 2,540 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 2018: 5.86 ft, action stage; 1,920 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2020: 6.51 ft, action stage; 2,630 cubic feet per secondNov 12, 2020: 6.40 ft, action stage; 2,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 2023: 4.03 ft, below flood stage; 834 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 5.21 ft, action stage; 1,400 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2024: 4.25 ft, below flood stage; 930 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 2024: 10.87 ft, moderate flooding; 11,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 2025: 4.94 ft, below flood stage; 1,232 cubic feet per second Highest, 10.87 ft, Sep 27, 2024 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, South Fork Holston River at Riverside nr Chilhowie 1920s: 1 1930s: 0 1940s: 0 1950s: 3 3 1960s: 3 1970s: 3 1980s: 0 1990s: 3 2000s: 2 2010s: 0 2020s: 1 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 87 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, South Fork Holston River at Riverside nr Chilhowie
1Sep 27, 202410.87+3.87Moderate11,700
2Nov 6, 197710.20+3.20Moderate9,600
3Jun 12, 19239.00+2.00Moderate6,000
4Apr 5, 19778.89+1.89Minor5,240
5Jan 15, 19958.68+1.68Minor5,820
6Jan 29, 19578.32+1.32Minor3,800
7Dec 18, 19618.27+1.27Minor3,780
8Aug 1, 19588.18+1.18Minor3,670
9Nov 19, 20038.08+1.08Minor4,950
10Dec 7, 19507.84+0.84Minor3,270
11Jun 28, 19747.54+0.54Minor3,100
12Mar 26, 19657.46+0.46Minor3,070
13Jan 19, 19967.45+0.45Minor3,940
14Mar 5, 19647.16+0.16Minor2,830
15Mar 24, 19937.06+0.06Minor3,450
16Feb 22, 20037.03+0.03Minor3,320
17Aug 4, 19476.99−0.01Action2,660
18Mar 18, 19556.88−0.12Action2,580
19Jul 29, 20016.88−0.12Action3,120
20Mar 12, 19636.82−0.18Action2,520
21May 12, 19616.71−0.29Action2,450
22Jan 16, 20136.65−0.35Action2,890
23Feb 18, 19446.62−0.38Action2,380
24Mar 18, 20026.60−0.40Action2,760
25May 18, 19456.58−0.42Action2,380
26Jan 22, 19546.53−0.47Action2,280
27Feb 7, 20206.51−0.49Action2,630
28Feb 13, 19666.50−0.50Action2,310
29May 7, 19846.49−0.51Action2,900
30Apr 24, 20176.43−0.57Action2,540
31Nov 12, 20206.40−0.60Action2,500
32Apr 20, 20156.39−0.61Action2,550
33Jun 21, 19726.26−0.74Action2,140
34Mar 28, 19946.22−0.78Action2,530
35Apr 16, 19566.20−0.80Action2,070
36Mar 30, 19606.20−0.80Action2,100
37Feb 17, 19986.09−0.91Action2,190
38Feb 14, 19485.87−1.13Action1,930
39Sep 17, 20185.86−1.14Action1,920
40Mar 13, 20105.85−1.15Action1,940
41Jan 8, 19465.84−1.16Action1,870
42Mar 1, 20115.84−1.16Action1,930
43Dec 30, 19425.80−1.20Action1,870
44Jun 5, 19925.74−1.26Action2,080
45Feb 23, 19275.70−1.30Action2,430
46Mar 17, 19735.65−1.35Action1,750
47Apr 28, 19705.60−1.40Action1,720
48Jan 21, 19795.57−1.43Action2,040
49Jan 4, 19825.56−1.44Action2,040
50Mar 5, 20085.47−1.53Action1,610

Other gauges in Smyth County

Flood gauges in Smyth County
Seven Mile Ford8.010.75 ft, Jan 29, 19573
Saltville10.015.46 ft, Nov 19, 20032

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SHLV2, 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.