Nantahala River near Rainbow Springs
Flood levels
Official flood levels at this gauge: action stage begins at 4.0 ft; minor flooding begins at 10.0 ft; moderate flooding begins at 14.0 ft; major flooding begins at 16.0 ft.
| Action stage | 4.0 ft |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 10.0 ft |
| Moderate flooding | 14.0 ft |
| Major flooding | 16.0 ft |
Highest recorded crests
- 9.7 ft on Jun 16, 1949 (historic crest)
- 8.5 ft on May 15, 1976 (historic crest)
- 8.5 ft on Oct 4, 1964 (historic crest)
- 8.3 ft on Dec 24, 2015 (historic crest)
What the water does
National Weather Service impact statements for this gauge, in the Weather Service's own words.
| 2.5 ft | 2 TO 3 INCH IN 24 HOUR IN THIS AREA CLAY/MACON COUNTY LINE WILL CAUSE THE RIVER TO RISE TO 4.7 FEET. THERE ARE USUALLY WHITE WATER RAFTERS ON THIS RIVER IN SUMMERTIME. |
|---|---|
| 4.0 ft | Action/Advisory Stage. The Nantahala River is flooding low-water crossings at Tate Cove Rd and near Water Gauge Rd and Rainbow Springs Rd and is beginning to strand residents or require lengthy detours into Clay County. |
| 7.0 ft | PARTS OF WATER GAUGE ROAD WILL BEGIN TO FLOOD NEAR THE GAGE LOCATION. |
| 8.0 ft | AT 8 FT WATER WILL APPROACH SOME HOMES SOUTH OF TATE COVE ROAD NEAR THE RIVER. THIS IS DOWNSTREAM OF THE RIVER GAGE SITE. |
| 10.0 ft | FURTHER FLOODING OF WATER GAUGE RD AND FOREST SERVICE ROAD 437 IN NANTAHALA NATIONAL FOREST WILL FLOOD.BASEMENTS OF SOME HOMES NEAR THE RIVER WILL BE FLOODED. |
Forecast office: NWS Greer · River Forecast Center: Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center.
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Nearby stations and gauges
- Nantahala River at Nantahala Dam NWS gauge · 5.4 mi
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- Queen Creek at QUEENS CREEK DAM NWS gauge · 10.5 mi
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- Hiwassee River at Hayesville NWS gauge · 12.2 mi
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