Roanoke River at Roanoke Rapids water level

Name: Roanoke River at Roanoke Rapids 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, Roanoke River, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

2.61ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 03:00 AM EDT (26 min ago)

Flow: 1,550 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The Roanoke River at Roanoke Rapids is running far below normal at 2.61 ft.

The median for mid-October is 3.31 ft, based on 44 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.70 ft below typical. It is 6.39 ft below the flood stage of 9.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 3.11 ft, a difference of −0.50 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 2.56 ft and 3.77 ft.

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

Compared with 44 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.31 ft0.70 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.65 ft – 7.40 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (44 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.11 ft−0.50 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.56 ft – 3.77 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.56 ft – 5.19 ft
Highest on record: 39.00 ftAugust 18, 1940

Floating and fishing near Roanoke River at Roanoke Rapids

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

Flood stage here is 9.00 ft, 6.39 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

15.00 ft: Major flooding begins. There is significant flooding of homes and businesses in Roanoke Rapids.
13.00 ft: Moderate flooding begins. Homes and other structures along the river in Roanoke Rapids flood.
10.00 ft: The public boat ramp on Rockfish Ln in Weldon is flooded.
9.00 ft: Minor flooding begins. Farmlands and timberlands adjacent to the river in Roanoke Rapids flood. Property on the farmlands may be at risk from floodwaters.
2.61 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: 6 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	39.00 ft	August 18, 1940
2	26.95 ft	September 22, 1944
3	26.78 ft	September 22, 1945
4	19.25 ft	February 17, 1948
5	18.99 ft	December 7, 1948
6	16.52 ft	May 7, 1958
7	16.04 ft	November 2, 1949
8	15.48 ft	September 26, 1947
9	12.83 ft	August 19, 1955
10	11.87 ft	April 16, 1993

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:23 AM Sunset 06:29 PM Daylight 11 hr, 6 min First quarter 66%

Map

Other gauges on the Roanoke River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Roanoke River at LafayetteRiver gauge, Roanoke River	1.65 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	152 mi
Roanoke River at GlenvarRiver gauge, Roanoke River	2.31 ft	Below flood stage	+0.05 ft	149 mi
Roanoke River at RoanokeRiver gauge, Roanoke River	1.00 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	139 mi
Roanoke River at NiagaraRiver gauge, Roanoke River	2.08 ft	Below flood stage	+0.07 ft	135 mi
Roanoke River at AltavistaRiver gauge, Roanoke River	1.59 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	102 mi
Roanoke River at Buggs IslandRiver gauge, Roanoke River	3.35 ft	No reference yet	±0	38 mi
Roanoke River at HalifaxRiver gauge, Roanoke River	16.74 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	9 mi
Roanoke River near Scotland NeckRiver gauge, Roanoke River	4.12 ft	Very low	±0	22 mi
Roanoke River at HamiltonRiver gauge, Roanoke River	1.71 ft	Very low	−0.61 ft	43 mi
Roanoke River at WilliamstonRiver gauge, Roanoke River	3.61 ft	Normal	−0.59 ft	53 mi
Roanoke River at JamesvilleRiver gauge, Roanoke River	0.54 ft	Very low	−0.52 ft	61 mi
Roanoke River at NC 45 near WestoverRiver gauge, Roanoke River	0.53 ft	Very low	−0.51 ft	63 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Meherrin River at EmporiaRiver gauge, Meherrin River	2.24 ft	Below flood stage	±0	17 mi
Meherrin River near Bryants CornerRiver gauge, Meherrin River	53.9 cfs	Very low	−1.9 cfs	17 mi
Meherrin River near LawrencevilleRiver gauge, Meherrin River	1.57 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	21 mi
Fishing Creek near EnfieldRiver gauge, Fishing Creek	2.33 ft	Normal	±0	22 mi
Little Fishing Creek near White OakRiver gauge, Little Fishing Creek	1.30 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	23 mi
Nottoway River at Route 609 near McKenneyRiver gauge, Nottoway River	2.08 ft	Below flood stage	+1.91 ft	31 mi
Nottoway River near Stony CreekRiver gauge, Nottoway River	2.12 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	33 mi
Nottoway River near SebrellRiver gauge, Nottoway River	3.03 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	34 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Roanoke River at Roanoke Rapids higher than last year?

No, it is 0.50 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.11 ft.

What is flood stage for the Roanoke River at Roanoke Rapids?

The official flood stage is 9.00 ft. The level is currently 6.39 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Roanoke River at Roanoke Rapids in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.31 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.65 ft and 7.40 ft, based on 44 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 Roanoke River at Roanoke Rapids today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 03:00 AM EDT, the water level was 2.61 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Roanoke River at Roanoke Rapids rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.32 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Roanoke River at Roanoke Rapids normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 44 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:02080500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 36.46000, -77.63361 (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	2.61 ft	2026-10-20 07:00	Provisional
Flow	1,550 cfs	2026-10-20 07:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Roanoke River at Roanoke Rapids (usgs:02080500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/roanoke-river-at-roanoke-rapids

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