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Drowning Creek near Hoffman water level

River gauge, Drowning Creek, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Right now

Very low for late October

Water level

1.38ft Down 0.26 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
35.2 cfs
5 10 Highest onrecord 11.49 ft Minor floodstage 8.00 ft

History

History
358ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 20Oct 21Minor flood stage358ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 21Minor flood stage
358ftSep 22Sep 29Oct 6Oct 14Oct 21Minor flood stage358ftSep 22Oct 6Oct 21Minor flood stage
-0358ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage-0358ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
-0246ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026-0246ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

At 1.38 ft, Drowning Creek near Hoffman is far below normal for late October.

The median for late October is 2.94 ft, based on 30 years of readings, so the river stage is 1.56 ft below typical. It is 6.62 ft below the flood stage of 8.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 2.33 ft, a difference of −0.95 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.26 ft over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 30 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
2.94 ft1.56 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.66 ft – 5.01 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (30 years of records)
Same day last year
2.33 ft−0.95 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
0.85 ft – 2.66 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
0.35 ft – 5.10 ft
Highest on record
11.49 ftSeptember 17, 2018

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 8.00 ft, still 6.62 ft away.

What happens at each level

13.00 ft
MAJOR FLOOD STAGE. THE US1 BRIDGE IS FLOODED AND THE ROAD CLOSED.
8.00 ft
FLOOD STAGE. WATER REACHES THE BASE OF THE US1 BRIDGE.
1.38 ft
Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
111.49 ftSeptember 17, 2018

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:30 AM Sunset 06:37 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Rockfish Creek at RaefordRiver gauge, Rockfish Creek 2.82 ft Very low −0.13 ft 16 mi
Little River near Mount PleasantRiver gauge, Little River 2.96 ft Low −0.05 ft 20 mi
Flat Creek near InvernessRiver gauge, Flat Creek 0.63 ft Very low −0.02 ft 20 mi
Lumber River near MaxtonRiver gauge, Lumber River 6.85 ft Low +0.02 ft 22 mi
Big Shoe Heel Creek near LaurinburgRiver gauge, Big Shoe Heel Creek 1.27 ft Low −0.08 ft 22 mi
Pee Dee River below Powerhouse Dam near Pee DeeRiver gauge, Pee Dee River 4.86 ft Normal ±0 22 mi
Pee Dee River near RockinghamRiver gauge, Pee Dee River 2.49 ft Normal +0.09 ft 23 mi
Pee Dee River above Jones Creek near CordovaRiver gauge, Pee Dee River 3.28 ft Normal +0.24 ft 26 mi

Questions and answers

Is Drowning Creek near Hoffman higher than last year?

No, it is 0.95 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.33 ft.

What is flood stage for Drowning Creek near Hoffman?

The official flood stage is 8.00 ft. The level is currently 6.62 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Drowning Creek near Hoffman in late October?

The median for late October is 2.94 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.66 ft and 5.01 ft, based on 30 years of records.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Drowning Creek near Hoffman today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 05:00 AM EDT, the water level was 1.38 ft. Down 0.26 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Drowning Creek near Hoffman rising or falling?

Down 0.26 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.21 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Drowning Creek near Hoffman normal?

Very low for late October. Compared with 30 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:02133500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
35.06111, -79.49389 (WGS84)
Vertical datum
NAVD88
Update interval
every 15 minutes
Licence
Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 1.38 ft 2026-10-21 09:00 Provisional
Flow 35.2 cfs 2026-10-21 09:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Drowning Creek near Hoffman (usgs:02133500). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/drowning-creek-near-hoffman

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.