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Cheat River at Rowlesburg

Highest listed crest 36.90 ftFlood stage 16.0 ft29 crests since 1924

The Cheat River at Rowlesburg crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 29 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1924 to 2025. The highest, 36.90 ft on November 5, 1985, was major flooding, 20.90 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Cheat River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
36.90 ft
November 5, 1985; 194,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
16.0 ft
Major flooding from 22.0 ft
Crests at major
3
25th of 116 gauges in West Virginia
Most recent flood crest
February 1, 2025
16.70 ft, minor flooding
Location
Preston County
West Virginia

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Cheat River at Rowlesburg
Action stage12.57Mar 4, 2015The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)16.08Feb 1, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage18.07Mar 20, 2002Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage22.03Jan 19, 1996Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

29 crests from 1924 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Cheat River at Rowlesburg, 1924 to 2025 10203040ft Flood stage 16.0 ftMajor 22.0 ft Mar 29, 1924: 12.23 ft, below flood stageFeb 4, 1932: 12.66 ft, action stageMar 17, 1936: 11.95 ft, below flood stageOct 23, 1937: 12.37 ft, below flood stageFeb 3, 1939: 12.33 ft, below flood stageOct 16, 1954: 15.67 ft, action stageMay 28, 1956: 12.56 ft, action stageNov 5, 1985: 36.90 ft, major flooding; 194,000 cubic feet per secondNov 20, 1988: 12.63 ft, action stageFeb 16, 1989: 13.72 ft, action stageMar 6, 1989: 18.71 ft, moderate floodingMay 27, 1990: 18.65 ft, moderate floodingFeb 9, 1994: 23.58 ft, major floodingMay 8, 1994: 20.94 ft, moderate floodingJan 19, 1996: 24.20 ft, major flooding; 88,400 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1996: 17.50 ft, minor flooding; 46,700 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 1996: 19.50 ft, moderate flooding; 58,000 cubic feet per secondJul 31, 1996: 18.72 ft, moderate flooding; 53,400 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 1996: 17.15 ft, minor flooding; 44,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 2000: 20.90 ft, moderate flooding; 66,400 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 2002: 19.00 ft, moderate flooding; 55,000 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 2003: 16.80 ft, minor flooding; 43,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 2004: 15.00 ft, action stage; 34,000 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2007: 16.00 ft, minor flooding; 38,849 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2010: 17.30 ft, minor flooding; 45,653 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2014: 16.10 ft, minor flooding; 39,353 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 2015: 14.80 ft, action stage; 33,083 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 2021: 16.12 ft, minor flooding; 33,085 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 2025: 16.70 ft, minor flooding; 43,980 cubic feet per second Highest, 36.90 ft, Nov 5, 1985 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Cheat River at Rowlesburg 1920s: 0 1930s: 0 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 2 1990s: 8 8 2000s: 4 2010s: 2 2020s: 2 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.
  3. 1 crest measured on an earlier gauge datum is left out: 19.75 ft on Jul 29, 2017.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Cheat River at Rowlesburg
1Nov 5, 198536.90+20.90Major194,000
2Jan 19, 199624.20+8.20Major88,400
3Feb 9, 199423.58+7.58Major—
4May 8, 199420.94+4.94Moderate—
5Feb 19, 200020.90+4.90Moderate66,400
6Jul 19, 199619.50+3.50Moderate58,000
7Mar 20, 200219.00+3.00Moderate55,000
8Jul 31, 199618.72+2.72Moderate53,400
9Mar 6, 198918.71+2.71Moderate—
10May 27, 199018.65+2.65Moderate—
11May 17, 199617.50+1.50Minor46,700
12Jan 26, 201017.30+1.30Minor45,653
13Sep 7, 199617.15+1.15Minor44,800
14Sep 19, 200316.80+0.80Minor43,000
15Feb 1, 202516.70+0.70Minor43,980
16Mar 1, 202116.12+0.12Minor33,085
17May 16, 201416.10+0.10Minor39,353
18Apr 16, 200716.000.00Minor38,849
19Oct 16, 195415.67−0.33Action—
20Feb 6, 200415.00−1.00Action34,000
21Mar 4, 201514.80−1.20Action33,083
22Feb 16, 198913.72−2.28Action—
23Feb 4, 193212.66−3.34Action—
24Nov 20, 198812.63−3.37Action—
25May 28, 195612.56−3.44Action—
26Oct 23, 193712.37−3.63Below flood stage—
27Feb 3, 193912.33−3.67Below flood stage—
28Mar 29, 192412.23−3.77Below flood stage—
29Mar 17, 193611.95−4.05Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Cheat River

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

November 5, 1985: 36.90 ft here, major flooding

  • RowlesburgWV · Nov 5, 1985 · 32.00 ft · Major · its highest
  • ParsonsWV · Nov 5, 1985 · 24.30 ft · Major · its highest

January 19, 1996: 24.20 ft here, major flooding

  • ParsonsWV · Jan 19, 1996 · 19.80 ft · Minor
  • RowlesburgWV · Jan 19, 1996 · 19.60 ft · Minor

February 9, 1994: 23.58 ft here, major flooding

  • ParsonsWV · Feb 9, 1994 · 18.97 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Cheat River

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

Flood gauges on the Cheat River
ParsonsWV18.524.30 ft, Nov 5, 19851
RowlesburgWV19.032.00 ft, Nov 5, 19851
Rowlesburg this gaugeWV16.036.90 ft, Nov 5, 19853
AlbrightWV27.027.23 ft, Jul 29, 20170

Other gauges in Preston County

Flood gauges in Preston County
Rockville17.518.00 ft, Jul 24, 19120
Albright27.027.23 ft, Jul 29, 20170
Rowlesburg19.032.00 ft, Nov 5, 19851

Preston County: every hazard · River floods across the country · West Virginia

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge ROWW2, 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.