Long Creek near Bessemer City water level

Name: Long Creek near Bessemer City 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, Long Creek, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Low for late October

Water level

0.92ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 05:30 AM EDT (59 min ago)

Flow: 2.6 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Long Creek near Bessemer City is running below normal at 0.92 ft.

That puts it 0.16 ft below the median of 1.08 ft for late October, based on 24 years of readings. It is 8.58 ft below the flood stage of 9.50 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.09 ft (−0.17 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 0.80 ft and 2.91 ft.

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

Compared with 24 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.08 ft0.16 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.84 ft – 1.58 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (24 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.09 ft−0.17 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 0.80 ft – 2.91 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.78 ft – 2.91 ft
Highest on record: 9.10 ftOctober 16, 1971

Floating and fishing near Long Creek near Bessemer City

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Flood stage here is 9.50 ft, 8.58 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

11.00 ft: HOMES NEAR THE RIVER ALONG BESSEMER CITY HIGHWAY NEAR RED NECK RIDGE AND WHITE JENKINS ROAD AND ALSO ALONG YORK STREET WILL BEGIN TO FLOOD.
9.50 ft: WATER WILL COVER BESSEMER CITY HIGHWAY AND WILL APPROACH HOMES ALONG RED NECK RIDGE AND YORK STREETS.
9.00 ft: 100 YR FLOOD 6500 CFS
2.50 ft: 2.5 TO 3 INCH IN 2 HOURS WILL CAUSE FLOODING IN TOWN AND RIVER WILL RISE ABOUT 4 FT.
1.75 ft: 1.75 IN ONE HOUR CAUSED A 3 FT RISE IN STREAM.
1.00 ft: 1 INCH OF RAIN IN ONE HOUR OVER BASIN WILL CAUSE LONG CREEK TO RISE 1 FT IF IN DROUGHT. NO FLOODING PROBLEMS.
0.92 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	9.10 ft	October 16, 1971
2	8.77 ft	November 6, 1977
3	8.46 ft	October 9, 1976
4	8.41 ft	May 22, 2003
5	8.26 ft	November 19, 1957
6	7.97 ft	August 17, 1985
7	7.56 ft	October 8, 2005
8	7.25 ft	April 29, 1997
9	6.72 ft	September 8, 2004
10	5.88 ft	March 28, 2005

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:37 AM Sunset 06:44 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Other gauges on Long Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Long Creek near Paw CreekRiver gauge, Long Creek	1.43 ft	Normal	+0.09 ft	18 mi
Long Creek near RhyneRiver gauge, Long Creek	2.29 ft	Very high	+0.11 ft	15 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Fork Catawba River at LowellRiver gauge, South Fork Catawba River	2.22 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	8 mi
Indian Creek near LaboratoryRiver gauge, Indian Creek	0.96 ft	High	+0.10 ft	8 mi
Catawba River Dnstrm Deck Mountain Is Dam near MountainRiver gauge, Catawba River Dnstrm Deck Mountain Is Dam	8.44 ft	Normal	−2.18 ft	14 mi
Killian Creek near MariposaRiver gauge, Killian Creek	3.01 ft	High	+0.11 ft	15 mi
Paw Creek at Wilkinson Blvd near CharlotteRiver gauge, Paw Creek	1.24 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	15 mi
Gum Branch near ThriftRiver gauge, Gum Branch	1.69 ft	High	+0.01 ft	16 mi
Beaverdam Creek above Windy Gap Road near ShoptonRiver gauge, Beaverdam Creek	1.17 ft	Very high	+0.04 ft	17 mi
Kings Creek at BlacksburgRiver gauge, Kings Creek	2.40 ft	Very low	+0.02 ft	17 mi

Questions and answers

How does Long Creek near Bessemer City compare with last year?

It is 0.17 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.09 ft.

What is flood stage for Long Creek near Bessemer City?

The official flood stage is 9.50 ft. The level is currently 8.58 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Long Creek near Bessemer City in late October?

The median for late October is 1.08 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.84 ft and 1.58 ft, based on 24 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 Long Creek near Bessemer City today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 05:30 AM EDT, the water level was 0.92 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Long Creek near Bessemer City rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.27 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Long Creek near Bessemer City normal?

Low for late October. Compared with 24 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:02144000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.30639, -81.23472 (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	0.92 ft	2026-10-21 09:30	Provisional
Flow	2.6 cfs	2026-10-21 09:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Long Creek near Bessemer City (usgs:02144000). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/long-creek-near-bessemer-city

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