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South River at Harriston

Highest listed crest 18.80 ftFlood stage 9.5 ft49 crests since 1870

The South River at Harriston crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 49 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1870 to 2018. The highest, 18.80 ft on September 1, 1870, was major flooding, 9.30 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
18.80 ft
September 1, 1870
Flood stage
9.5 ft
Major flooding from 16.0 ft
Crests at major
4
40th of 242 gauges in Virginia
Most recent flood crest
September 17, 2018
12.32 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Augusta County
Near Waynesboro (11.0 mi), Staunton (12.9 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, South River at Harriston
Action stage6.07Oct 23, 1990The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)9.523Jan 25, 2010Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage12.015Sep 17, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage16.04Oct 15, 1942Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

49 crests from 1870 to 2018. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the South River at Harriston, 1870 to 2018 8101214161820ft Flood stage 9.5 ftMajor 16.0 ft Sep 1, 1870: 18.80 ft, major floodingNov 1, 1877: 18.80 ft, major floodingMay 1, 1924: 16.60 ft, major flooding; 21,000 cubic feet per secondNov 16, 1926: 10.00 ft, minor flooding; 6,100 cubic feet per secondSep 20, 1928: 11.90 ft, minor flooding; 10,100 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 1929: 10.00 ft, minor flooding; 6,100 cubic feet per secondOct 22, 1929: 10.00 ft, minor flooding; 6,100 cubic feet per secondOct 17, 1932: 11.50 ft, minor flooding; 8,700 cubic feet per secondSep 16, 1934: 8.50 ft, action stage; 3,960 cubic feet per secondDec 1, 1934: 11.30 ft, minor flooding; 8,340 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1936: 13.07 ft, moderate flooding; 12,600 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1937: 13.00 ft, moderate flooding; 11,700 cubic feet per secondNov 13, 1937: 8.20 ft, action stage; 3,590 cubic feet per secondAug 16, 1940: 12.91 ft, moderate flooding; 12,100 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1942: 10.21 ft, minor flooding; 6,420 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 1942: 17.20 ft, major flooding; 23,100 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 1944: 11.33 ft, minor flooding; 8,340 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 1945: 12.80 ft, moderate flooding; 11,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1948: 8.52 ft, action stage; 3,960 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1949: 11.06 ft, minor flooding; 7,980 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 1950: 8.52 ft, action stage; 3,960 cubic feet per secondDec 4, 1950: 10.64 ft, minor flooding; 7,100 cubic feet per secondAug 20, 1969: 12.72 ft, moderate flooding; 11,100 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1971: 11.93 ft, minor flooding; 9,460 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1972: 15.25 ft, moderate flooding; 21,300 cubic feet per secondOct 5, 1972: 13.24 ft, moderate flooding; 15,300 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 1973: 8.00 ft, action stage; 3,660 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1975: 12.20 ft, moderate flooding; 12,400 cubic feet per secondOct 9, 1976: 10.62 ft, minor flooding; 8,250 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1978: 10.38 ft, minor flooding; 7,800 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 1979: 13.47 ft, moderate flooding; 16,200 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1980: 8.45 ft, action stage; 4,260 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1983: 11.44 ft, minor flooding; 10,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1984: 10.60 ft, minor flooding; 8,250 cubic feet per secondNov 4, 1985: 15.47 ft, moderate flooding; 28,100 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1987: 11.08 ft, minor flooding; 8,120 cubic feet per secondOct 23, 1990: 8.19 ft, action stage; 3,620 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1992: 11.80 ft, minor flooding; 9,840 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1993: 10.67 ft, minor flooding; 7,360 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1995: 9.77 ft, minor flooding; 5,550 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 1996: 15.57 ft, moderate flooding; 28,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1998: 11.59 ft, minor flooding; 10,000 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 2003: 14.41 ft, moderate flooding; 22,000 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 2004: 12.26 ft, moderate flooding; 12,300 cubic feet per secondNov 29, 2005: 11.84 ft, minor flooding; 10,900 cubic feet per secondOct 7, 2006: 9.73 ft, minor flooding; 7,160 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2010: 11.90 ft, minor flooding; 11,100 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2011: 12.15 ft, moderate floodingSep 17, 2018: 12.32 ft, moderate flooding; 12,543 cubic feet per second Highest, 18.80 ft, Sep 1, 1870 1880190019201940196019802000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, South River at Harriston 1870s: 2 1880s: 0 1890s: 0 1900s: 0 1910s: 0 1920s: 5 1930s: 4 1940s: 6 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 7 7 1980s: 4 1990s: 5 2000s: 4 2010s: 3 1870s1890s1910s1930s1950s1970s1990s2010s
  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, South River at Harriston
1Sep 1, 187018.80+9.30Major—
2Nov 1, 187718.80+9.30Major—
3Oct 15, 194217.20+7.70Major23,100
4May 1, 192416.60+7.10Major21,000
5Sep 6, 199615.57+6.07Moderate28,900
6Nov 4, 198515.47+5.97Moderate28,100
7Jun 21, 197215.25+5.75Moderate21,300
8Sep 19, 200314.41+4.91Moderate22,000
9Sep 6, 197913.47+3.97Moderate16,200
10Oct 5, 197213.24+3.74Moderate15,300
11Mar 18, 193613.07+3.57Moderate12,600
12Apr 26, 193713.00+3.50Moderate11,700
13Aug 16, 194012.91+3.41Moderate12,100
14Sep 18, 194512.80+3.30Moderate11,300
15Aug 20, 196912.72+3.22Moderate11,100
16Sep 17, 201812.32+2.82Moderate12,543
17Sep 28, 200412.26+2.76Moderate12,300
18Mar 19, 197512.20+2.70Moderate12,400
19Apr 17, 201112.15+2.65Moderate—
20May 30, 197111.93+2.43Minor9,460
21Sep 20, 192811.90+2.40Minor10,100
22Jan 25, 201011.90+2.40Minor11,100
23Nov 29, 200511.84+2.34Minor10,900
24Apr 22, 199211.80+2.30Minor9,840
25Feb 17, 199811.59+2.09Minor10,000
26Oct 17, 193211.50+2.00Minor8,700
27Mar 19, 198311.44+1.94Minor10,300
28Sep 19, 194411.33+1.83Minor8,340
29Dec 1, 193411.30+1.80Minor8,340
30Apr 17, 198711.08+1.58Minor8,120
31Jun 18, 194911.06+1.56Minor7,980
32Mar 4, 199310.67+1.17Minor7,360
33Dec 4, 195010.64+1.14Minor7,100
34Oct 9, 197610.62+1.12Minor8,250
35Feb 14, 198410.60+1.10Minor8,250
36Jan 26, 197810.38+0.88Minor7,800
37May 16, 194210.21+0.71Minor6,420
38Nov 16, 192610.00+0.50Minor6,100
39May 3, 192910.00+0.50Minor6,100
40Oct 22, 192910.00+0.50Minor6,100
41Jun 28, 19959.77+0.27Minor5,550
42Oct 7, 20069.73+0.23Minor7,160
43Feb 14, 19488.52−0.98Action3,960
44Sep 10, 19508.52−0.98Action3,960
45Sep 16, 19348.50−1.00Action3,960
46Apr 15, 19808.45−1.05Action4,260
47Nov 13, 19378.20−1.30Action3,590
48Oct 23, 19908.19−1.31Action3,620
49Dec 21, 19738.00−1.50Action3,660

The worst floods along the South River

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

October 15, 1942: 17.20 ft here, major flooding

September 6, 1996: 15.57 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the South River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the South River
Harriston this gaugeVA9.518.80 ft, Sep 1, 18704
Waynesboro near Lyndhurst RoadVA9.515.30 ft, Nov 4, 19858
Waynesboro near Rife RoadVA10.513.14 ft, Sep 17, 20180
DoomsVA11.014.25 ft, Sep 6, 19960

Other gauges in Augusta County

Flood gauges in Augusta County
Grottoes12.035.62 ft, Sep 7, 19964

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge HARV2, 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.