Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

South River at Waynesboro near Rife Road

Highest listed crest 13.14 ftFlood stage 10.5 ft21 crests since 1949

The South River at Waynesboro near Rife Road crested above flood stage 3 times among the 21 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1949 to 2018. The highest, 13.14 ft on September 17, 2018, was moderate flooding, 2.64 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the South River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
13.14 ft
September 17, 2018
Flood stage
10.5 ft
Major flooding from 14.0 ft
Crests at major
0
3 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
September 17, 2018
13.14 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Waynesboro city
Near Waynesboro (0.5 mi), Staunton (11.2 mi)
Identifiers
NWS WRRV2
Out of service

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 Waynesboro near Rife Road
Action stage8.04Jun 27, 2006The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.51Sep 26, 1975Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage12.02Sep 17, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage14.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

21 crests from 1949 to 2018. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the South River at Waynesboro near Rife Road, 1949 to 2018 68101214ft Flood stage 10.5 ftMajor 14.0 ft Jul 18, 1949: 7.48 ft, below flood stage; 1,200 cubic feet per secondNov 25, 1950: 8.55 ft, action stage; 1,490 cubic feet per secondSep 15, 1966: 6.02 ft, below flood stage; 1,140 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1967: 6.15 ft, below flood stage; 1,200 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 1970: 7.87 ft, below flood stage; 2,040 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1971: 6.02 ft, below flood stage; 1,140 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1972: 12.33 ft, moderate flooding; 5,430 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1973: 6.51 ft, below flood stage; 1,460 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1974: 6.28 ft, below flood stage; 1,350 cubic feet per secondSep 26, 1975: 11.70 ft, minor flooding; 4,850 cubic feet per secondOct 18, 1975: 6.16 ft, below flood stage; 1,200 cubic feet per secondOct 9, 1976: 10.18 ft, action stage; 3,650 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1978: 6.76 ft, below flood stage; 1,500 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1979: 10.20 ft, action stage; 3,700 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1981: 7.00 ft, below flood stage; 1,630 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2006: 10.47 ft, action stage; 3,940 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2008: 6.44 ft, below flood stage; 2,020 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2010: 7.48 ft, below flood stage; 2,500 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2011: 7.53 ft, below flood stageApr 28, 2011: 7.62 ft, below flood stageSep 17, 2018: 13.14 ft, moderate flooding Highest, 13.14 ft, Sep 17, 2018 1950196019701980199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, South River at Waynesboro near Rife Road 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 2 2 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 1 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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 Waynesboro near Rife Road
1Sep 17, 201813.14+2.64Moderate—
2Jun 22, 197212.33+1.83Moderate5,430
3Sep 26, 197511.70+1.20Minor4,850
4Jun 27, 200610.47−0.03Action3,940
5Jan 24, 197910.20−0.30Action3,700
6Oct 9, 197610.18−0.32Action3,650
7Nov 25, 19508.55−1.95Action1,490
8Jul 29, 19707.87−2.63Below flood stage2,040
9Apr 28, 20117.62−2.88Below flood stage—
10Apr 17, 20117.53−2.97Below flood stage—
11Jul 18, 19497.48−3.02Below flood stage1,200
12Mar 13, 20107.48−3.02Below flood stage2,500
13Jun 13, 19817.00−3.50Below flood stage1,630
14Mar 14, 19786.76−3.74Below flood stage1,500
15May 29, 19736.51−3.99Below flood stage1,460
16May 12, 20086.44−4.06Below flood stage2,020
17Apr 4, 19746.28−4.22Below flood stage1,350
18Oct 18, 19756.16−4.34Below flood stage1,200
19Mar 7, 19676.15−4.35Below flood stage1,200
20Sep 15, 19666.02−4.48Below flood stage1,140
21Feb 13, 19716.02−4.48Below flood stage1,140

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.

September 17, 2018: 13.14 ft here, moderate flooding

June 22, 1972: 12.33 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
HarristonVA9.518.80 ft, Sep 1, 18704
Waynesboro near Lyndhurst RoadVA9.515.30 ft, Nov 4, 19858
Waynesboro near Rife Road this gaugeVA10.513.14 ft, Sep 17, 20180
DoomsVA11.014.25 ft, Sep 6, 19960

Other gauges in Waynesboro city

Flood gauges in Waynesboro city
Waynesboro near Lyndhurst Road9.515.30 ft, Nov 4, 19858
Dooms11.014.25 ft, Sep 6, 19960

Waynesboro city: every hazard · River floods across the country · Virginia

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WRRV2, 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.