Linville River near Nebo water level

Name: Linville River near Nebo water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Linville River, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Very high for mid-October

Water level

2.18ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 06:45 PM EDT (20 min ago)

Flow: 82.1 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The gauge at Linville River near Nebo shows 2.18 ft, well above normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 1.27 ft, based on 25 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.91 ft above typical. It is 9.82 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 2.00 ft, a difference of +0.18 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.96 ft and 5.43 ft.

That stands out in fall, when many rivers are usually near their lowest.

Compared with 25 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.27 ft0.91 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.76 ft – 1.91 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (25 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.00 ft+0.18 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.96 ft – 5.43 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.84 ft – 5.43 ft
Highest on record: 13.68 ftSeptember 8, 2004

High water at Linville River near Nebo

The National Weather Service splits flooding into minor, moderate and major flood stage, each tied to what starts to go under water at this particular gauge. Minor flooding usually means low roads, parks and farmland; major flooding reaches homes and businesses.

Keep children and dogs well back from the edge, and stay off flooded footpaths and towpaths.

What happens at each level

15.50 ft: PARKS DRIVE ALONG THE RIVER AND SOME STURCTURES NORTH OF HIGHWAY 126 MAY BEGIN TO FLOOD.
13.70 ft: FLOODING OF AREAS ALONG THE RIVER WILL BE SIMILAR TO THOSE THAT OCCURRED WITH HURRICANE FRANCES IN 2004
12.00 ft: RIVER STARTS TO FLOOD SOME ROADS AND MAY CUT OFF THE ONLY ROAD TO SOME HOMES LOCATED IN THE FONTA FLORA COMMUNITY ON NORTHWEST SIDE OF LAKE JAMES.
11.26 ft: FLOODING WILL BE SIMILAR TO THAT WHICH OCCURRED WITH HURICANE IVAN IN 2004
10.50 ft: FLOODING WILL BE SIMILAR TO WHAT HAPPENED IN AUGUST 1994 WITH TROPICAL STORM BERYL
7.00 ft: LOCAL RESIDENCES WILL LIKELY BE CALLED TO BE ALERTED TO POSSIBLE FLOODING BY REVERSE 911
5.60 ft: BANKFULL STAGE AS LINVILLE RIVER FLOWS INTO LAKE JAMES.
2.18 ft: Right now
2.00 ft: 2 INCHES IN 1 TO 2 HOURS WILL TAKE RIVER FROM 1.5 FT TO AROUND 4 FT
1.75 ft: 1.5 INCH AVERAGE RAINFALL IN 2 HOURS WILL CAUSE A 1.5 FT RISE. HEAVY RAIN IN EXTREME HEADWATERS NEAR NTNN7 TOOK AROUND 12 HOURS TO SHOW UP AT THIS GAGE SITE.

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	13.68 ft	September 8, 2004
2	11.40 ft	August 13, 1940
3	11.26 ft	September 17, 2004
4	11.00 ft	July 16, 1916
5	10.52 ft	August 17, 1994
6	9.97 ft	January 14, 1995
7	9.64 ft	November 6, 1977
8	8.82 ft	May 6, 2013
9	8.29 ft	June 10, 1972
10	7.99 ft	October 16, 1936

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:39 AM Sunset 06:47 PM Daylight 11 hr, 8 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Catawba River at Sr1223 below Lake James near BridgewaterRiver gauge, Catawba River	4.12 ft	High	+0.04 ft	4.9 mi
Johns River at Arneys StoreRiver gauge, Johns River	2.40 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	10 mi
Catawba River near Pleasant GardensRiver gauge, Catawba River	1.86 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	12 mi
South Toe River near CeloRiver gauge, South Toe River	0.94 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	17 mi
Yadkin River at PattersonRiver gauge, Yadkin River	1.07 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	23 mi
Jacob Fork at RamseyRiver gauge, Jacob Fork	1.78 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	23 mi
First Broad River near CasarRiver gauge, First Broad River	0.59 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	24 mi
Catawba River at RhodhissRiver gauge, Catawba River	11.28 ft	Normal	−0.14 ft	26 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Linville River near Nebo higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.18 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.00 ft.

What is flood stage for the Linville River near Nebo?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 9.82 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Linville River near Nebo in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.27 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.76 ft and 1.91 ft, based on 25 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 Linville River near Nebo today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 06:45 PM EDT, the water level was 2.18 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Linville River near Nebo rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.59 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Linville River near Nebo normal?

Very high for mid-October. Compared with 25 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:02138500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.79556, -81.89111 (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

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	2.18 ft	2026-10-20 22:45	Provisional
Flow	82.1 cfs	2026-10-20 22:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Linville River near Nebo (usgs:02138500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/linville-river-near-nebo

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.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer