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Gauley River near Belva

Highest listed crest 28.60 ftFlood stage 20.0 ft16 crests since 1932

The Gauley River near Belva crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 16 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1932 to 2003. The highest, 28.60 ft on July 5, 1932, was major flooding, 8.60 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
28.60 ft
July 5, 1932; 105,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
20.0 ft
Major flooding from 27.0 ft
Crests at major
1
40th of 116 gauges in West Virginia
Most recent flood crest
January 29, 1957
20.02 ft, minor flooding
Location
Nicholas 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, Gauley River near Belva
Action stage18.02Nov 19, 2003The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)20.05Jan 29, 1957Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage24.02Jul 19, 1954Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage27.01Jul 5, 1932Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

16 crests from 1932 to 2003. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Gauley River near Belva, 1932 to 2003 1015202530ft Flood stage 20.0 ftMajor 27.0 ft Jul 5, 1932: 28.60 ft, major flooding; 105,000 cubic feet per secondOct 28, 1938: 21.37 ft, minor flooding; 65,300 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 1940: 26.35 ft, moderate flooding; 92,300 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 1946: 21.00 ft, minor flooding; 63,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1948: 20.62 ft, minor flooding; 60,300 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 1954: 24.80 ft, moderate flooding; 67,500 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1955: 22.99 ft, minor flooding; 60,400 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 1957: 20.02 ft, minor flooding; 49,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1972: 16.86 ft, below flood stage; 38,700 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1974: 15.69 ft, below flood stage; 34,900 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1975: 13.99 ft, below flood stage; 29,400 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1986: 17.90 ft, below flood stage; 42,200 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1987: 14.51 ft, below flood stage; 31,000 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1996: 15.21 ft, below flood stageJul 29, 2001: 19.09 ft, action stage; 45,770 cubic feet per secondNov 19, 2003: 19.23 ft, action stage; 46,190 cubic feet per second Highest, 28.60 ft, Jul 5, 1932 1940195019601970198019902000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Gauley River near Belva 1930s: 2 1940s: 3 3 1950s: 3 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s
  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, Gauley River near Belva
1Jul 5, 193228.60+8.60Major105,000
2Jun 27, 194026.35+6.35Moderate92,300
3Jul 19, 195424.80+4.80Moderate67,500
4Mar 5, 195522.99+2.99Minor60,400
5Oct 28, 193821.37+1.37Minor65,300
6Jan 7, 194621.00+1.00Minor63,200
7Feb 14, 194820.62+0.62Minor60,300
8Jan 29, 195720.02+0.02Minor49,300
9Nov 19, 200319.23−0.77Action46,190
10Jul 29, 200119.09−0.91Action45,770
11Jul 2, 198617.90−2.10Below flood stage42,200
12Feb 26, 197216.86−3.14Below flood stage38,700
13Jun 2, 197415.69−4.31Below flood stage34,900
14Jan 19, 199615.21−4.79Below flood stage—
15Apr 24, 198714.51−5.49Below flood stage31,000
16Mar 20, 197513.99−6.01Below flood stage29,400

Gauges on the Gauley River

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

Flood gauges on the Gauley River
Camden-On-GauleyWV19.029.75 ft, Jun 24, 20161
CraigsvilleWV24.029.04 ft, Jun 24, 20161
Belva this gaugeWV20.028.60 ft, Jul 5, 19321

Other gauges in Nicholas County

Flood gauges in Nicholas County
Craigsville24.029.04 ft, Jun 24, 20161
Nallen15.024.78 ft, Jun 23, 20161

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BVAW2, 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.