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Neuse River at Smithfield water level

River gauge, Neuse River, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

4.98ft Down 0.24 ft over the last 24 hours

10 20 30 Highest onrecord 29.09 ft Minor floodstage 15.00 ft

History

51015ftOct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Minor flood stage51015ftOct 13Oct 18Oct 23Minor flood stage
51015ftSep 20Sep 28Oct 6Oct 15Oct 23Minor flood stage51015ftSep 20Oct 6Oct 23Minor flood stage
51015ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage51015ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
51015ftJanMarMayJulSepNov202651015ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

The forecast expects the river to rise to 5.50 ft by Monday, October 19 at 08:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 09:46 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Neuse River at Smithfield is at 4.98 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

That puts it 0.14 ft above the median of 4.84 ft for mid-October, based on 33 years of readings. It is 10.02 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 4.69 ft (+0.29 ft).

It has dropped 0.24 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 5.50 ft by Monday, October 19 at 08:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 4.15 ft and 6.20 ft.

Compared with 33 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
4.84 ft0.14 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
4.11 ft – 8.84 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Same day last year
4.69 ft+0.29 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
4.15 ft – 6.20 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
4.09 ft – 14.48 ft
Highest on record
29.09 ftOctober 10, 2016
Forecast peak
5.50 ftMonday, October 19 at 08:00 AM

Floating and fishing near Neuse River at Smithfield

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 15.00 ft, 10.02 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

40.00 ft
Water reaches the railing of the US70 bridge.
36.00 ft
The US70 bridge is inundated.
30.00 ft
Houses on the river side of Front Street flood.
28.50 ft
The water treatment plant will be flooded. Jaycee Park and North Front Street are flooded.
27.50 ft
Water begins to flow over the dike at the water treatment plant. Flooding threatens the plant's main operations building.
23.00 ft
Hospital and Buffalo Roads are flooded.
20.00 ft
Major flooding begins. Flooding cuts off the water treatment plants access to the reservoir.
18.00 ft
Moderate flooding begins. The Smithfield town park and the Neuse Riverwalk at the US70 bridge are flooded.
15.00 ft
Minor flooding begins. Flooding begins along the Neuse Riverwalk. Water nears the base of the holding tank at the water treatment plant.
14.00 ft
Action Stage. The Neuse River begins to overflow on the left bank.
4.98 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 23 %.

RankLevelDate
129.09 ftOctober 10, 2016
227.40 ftSeptember 8, 1996
327.10 ftAugust 1, 1908
426.80 ftJuly 24, 1919
526.72 ftSeptember 18, 1999
626.40 ftOctober 3, 1929
725.90 ftSeptember 20, 1945
825.36 ftApril 27, 2017
924.40 ftOctober 1, 1924
1023.65 ftFebruary 5, 1973

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:24 AM Sunset 06:34 PM Daylight 11 hr, 11 min First quarter 60%

Map

Other gauges on the Neuse River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Neuse River near FallsRiver gauge, Neuse River 1.23 ft Normal ±0 32 mi
Neuse River near ClaytonRiver gauge, Neuse River 1.48 ft Normal −0.27 ft 10 mi
Neuse River near Cox MillRiver gauge, Neuse River 70.23 ft No reference yet +0.59 ft 13 mi
Neuse River near GoldsboroRiver gauge, Neuse River 2.61 ft Very low −0.16 ft 23 mi
Neuse River at KinstonRiver gauge, Neuse River 3.14 ft Low −0.09 ft 46 mi
Neuse River near Fort BarnwellRiver gauge, Neuse River 3.26 ft Normal +0.01 ft 61 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Swift Creek at Sr1555 near ClaytonRiver gauge, Swift Creek 1.17 ft Low +0.02 ft 9 mi
Little River near PrincetonRiver gauge, Little River 0.42 ft Very low −0.11 ft 11 mi
Middle Creek near ClaytonRiver gauge, Middle Creek 1.56 ft Low ±0 14 mi
Contentnea Creek near LucamaRiver gauge, Contentnea Creek 2.13 ft Normal ±0 18 mi
Little River near ZebulonRiver gauge, Little River 1.58 ft Normal −0.02 ft 21 mi
Walnut Creek at Sunnybrook Drive near RaleighRiver gauge, Walnut Creek 2.44 ft Normal −0.18 ft 21 mi
Walnut Creek at Rose Lane at RaleighRiver gauge, Walnut Creek 4.06 ft Normal −0.09 ft 22 mi
Walnut Creek at South State Street at RaleighRiver gauge, Walnut Creek 1.65 ft Low −0.09 ft 23 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Neuse River at Smithfield compare with last year?

It is 0.29 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.69 ft.

What is flood stage for the Neuse River at Smithfield?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 10.02 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Neuse River at Smithfield in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 4.84 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 4.11 ft and 8.84 ft, based on 33 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 Neuse River at Smithfield today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 10:15 AM EDT, the water level was 4.98 ft. Down 0.24 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Neuse River at Smithfield rising or falling?

Down 0.24 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 1.22 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Neuse River at Smithfield normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 33 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:02087570 (Agency page)
Coordinates
35.51250, -78.34944 (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 4.98 ft 2026-10-19 14:15 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Neuse River at Smithfield (usgs:02087570). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/neuse-river-at-smithfield

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