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South Fork Shenandoah River at Luray

Highest listed crest 26.95 ftFlood stage 14.0 ft39 crests since 1896

The South Fork Shenandoah River at Luray crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 39 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1896 to 2024. The highest, 26.95 ft on September 7, 1996, was major flooding, 12.95 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the South Fork Shenandoah River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
26.95 ft
September 7, 1996; 11,200 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
14.0 ft
Major flooding from 25.0 ft
Crests at major
4
40th of 242 gauges in Virginia
Most recent flood crest
October 1, 2024
15.41 ft, minor flooding
Location
Page 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 Shenandoah River at Luray
Action stage13.05Dec 21, 2018The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)14.020Oct 1, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage20.03Jan 20, 1996Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage25.04Sep 7, 1996Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

39 crests from 1896 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the South Fork Shenandoah River at Luray, 1896 to 2024 1015202530ft Flood stage 14.0 ftMajor 25.0 ft Oct 1, 1896: 25.40 ft, major floodingMay 1, 1924: 22.50 ft, moderate floodingApr 17, 1929: 13.20 ft, action stage; 20,300 cubic feet per secondOct 23, 1929: 12.00 ft, below flood stage; 17,300 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 1940: 17.87 ft, minor flooding; 41,100 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1942: 17.82 ft, minor flooding; 40,500 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 1942: 25.70 ft, major flooding; 100,000 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 1945: 18.36 ft, minor flooding; 44,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 1948: 12.66 ft, below flood stage; 18,600 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1949: 20.46 ft, moderate flooding; 58,100 cubic feet per secondDec 8, 1950: 15.18 ft, minor flooding; 26,900 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 1979: 15.73 ft, minor flooding; 32,700 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1982: 12.18 ft, below flood stage; 19,600 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1983: 13.99 ft, action stage; 25,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1984: 15.62 ft, minor flooding; 32,300 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1984: 14.03 ft, minor flooding; 26,000 cubic feet per secondNov 5, 1985: 26.72 ft, major flooding; 110,000 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1987: 18.50 ft, minor flooding; 47,000 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1992: 16.33 ft, minor flooding; 35,600 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1993: 17.18 ft, minor flooding; 39,700 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1994: 12.30 ft, below flood stage; 19,900 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1995: 13.62 ft, action stage; 24,400 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1996: 21.23 ft, moderate flooding; 64,100 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 1996: 26.95 ft, major flooding; 11,200 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 1998: 16.39 ft, minor flooding; 36,700 cubic feet per secondSep 20, 2003: 19.11 ft, minor flooding; 50,600 cubic feet per secondSep 29, 2004: 16.24 ft, minor flooding; 36,000 cubic feet per secondNov 30, 2005: 15.77 ft, minor flooding; 33,800 cubic feet per secondNov 17, 2006: 12.88 ft, below flood stage; 21,900 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2010: 16.88 ft, minor flooding; 39,000 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2011: 11.53 ft, below flood stageApr 17, 2011: 17.60 ft, minor flooding; 42,600 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2011: 11.92 ft, below flood stageMay 16, 2014: 13.46 ft, action stage; 23,900 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 2018: 15.20 ft, minor flooding; 27,590 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 2018: 17.63 ft, minor flooding; 39,703 cubic feet per secondSep 29, 2018: 14.53 ft, minor flooding; 24,701 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 2018: 13.37 ft, action stage; 20,200 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 2024: 15.41 ft, minor flooding; 27,859 cubic feet per second Highest, 26.95 ft, Sep 7, 1996 1900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, South Fork Shenandoah River at Luray 1890s: 1 1900s: 0 1910s: 0 1920s: 1 1930s: 0 1940s: 5 5 1950s: 1 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1980s: 4 1990s: 5 2000s: 3 2010s: 5 2020s: 1 1890s1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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.
  3. 1 crest measured on an earlier gauge datum is left out: 23.60 ft on Mar 18, 1936.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, South Fork Shenandoah River at Luray
1Sep 7, 199626.95+12.95Major11,200
2Nov 5, 198526.72+12.72Major110,000
3Oct 16, 194225.70+11.70Major100,000
4Oct 1, 189625.40+11.40Major—
5May 1, 192422.50+8.50Moderate—
6Jan 20, 199621.23+7.23Moderate64,100
7Jun 18, 194920.46+6.46Moderate58,100
8Sep 20, 200319.11+5.11Minor50,600
9Apr 17, 198718.50+4.50Minor47,000
10Sep 19, 194518.36+4.36Minor44,100
11Aug 17, 194017.87+3.87Minor41,100
12May 23, 194217.82+3.82Minor40,500
13Sep 18, 201817.63+3.63Minor39,703
14Apr 17, 201117.60+3.60Minor42,600
15Mar 5, 199317.18+3.18Minor39,700
16Jan 26, 201016.88+2.88Minor39,000
17Jan 8, 199816.39+2.39Minor36,700
18Apr 22, 199216.33+2.33Minor35,600
19Sep 29, 200416.24+2.24Minor36,000
20Nov 30, 200515.77+1.77Minor33,800
21Sep 6, 197915.73+1.73Minor32,700
22Feb 14, 198415.62+1.62Minor32,300
23Oct 1, 202415.41+1.41Minor27,859
24Jun 3, 201815.20+1.20Minor27,590
25Dec 8, 195015.18+1.18Minor26,900
26Sep 29, 201814.53+0.53Minor24,701
27Mar 29, 198414.03+0.03Minor26,000
28Mar 19, 198313.99−0.01Action25,800
29Jan 16, 199513.62−0.38Action24,400
30May 16, 201413.46−0.54Action23,900
31Dec 21, 201813.37−0.63Action20,200
32Apr 17, 192913.20−0.80Action20,300
33Nov 17, 200612.88−1.12Below flood stage21,900
34Feb 15, 194812.66−1.34Below flood stage18,600
35Mar 29, 199412.30−1.70Below flood stage19,900
36Jun 14, 198212.18−1.82Below flood stage19,600
37Oct 23, 192912.00−2.00Below flood stage17,300
38May 18, 201111.92−2.08Below flood stage—
39Mar 11, 201111.53−2.47Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the South Fork Shenandoah River

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

September 7, 1996: 26.95 ft here, major flooding

  • Front RoyalVA · Sep 7, 1996 · 32.57 ft · Major
  • LynnwoodVA · Sep 7, 1996 · 30.84 ft · Major · its highest

November 5, 1985: 26.72 ft here, major flooding

  • Front RoyalVA · Nov 6, 1985 · 32.43 ft · Major
  • LynnwoodVA · Nov 5, 1985 · 29.46 ft · Major

October 16, 1942: 25.70 ft here, major flooding

  • Front RoyalVA · Oct 16, 1942 · 34.80 ft · Major · its highest
  • LynnwoodVA · Oct 15, 1942 · 27.20 ft · Major

Gauges on the South Fork Shenandoah River

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

Flood gauges on the South Fork Shenandoah River
LynnwoodVA16.030.84 ft, Sep 7, 199616
Luray this gaugeVA14.026.95 ft, Sep 7, 19964
Front RoyalVA12.034.80 ft, Oct 16, 194214

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SFSV2, 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.