Tar River at NC 97 at Rocky Mount water level

Name: Tar River at NC 97 at Rocky Mount 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, Tar River, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

2.98ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 03:45 PM EDT (29 min ago)

Flow: 53.3 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

The forecast expects the river to rise to 3.10 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 08:00 PM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 10:28 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Tar River at NC 97 at Rocky Mount is running far below normal at 2.98 ft.

The median for mid-October is 3.45 ft, based on 31 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.47 ft below typical. It is 18.02 ft below the flood stage of 21.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 3.01 ft, a difference of −0.03 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 3.10 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 08:00 PM. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 2.90 ft and 4.67 ft.

Compared with 31 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.45 ft0.47 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 3.06 ft – 6.76 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (31 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.01 ft−0.03 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.90 ft – 4.67 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.90 ft – 10.11 ft
Highest on record: 31.66 ftSeptember 17, 1999
Forecast peak: 3.10 ftWednesday, October 21 at 08:00 PM

Floating and fishing near Tar River at NC 97 at Rocky Mount

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

Flood stage here is 21.00 ft, 18.02 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

31.66 ft: This is the flood of record, set after hurricane Floyd on September 17, 1999.
28.00 ft: The section of NC97 north of the river floods to about the intersection with US64.
27.00 ft: Spruce Street at NC97 is flooded.
26.00 ft: East Virginia Street floods east of the wastewater plant.
25.00 ft: The on-ramps to US64 at NC97 begin to flood.
23.00 ft: Several streets west of business US301 are flooded, including E Ridge Street and Melton Drive.
21.00 ft: Flood stage. Flooding reaches Melton Drive and E Ridge Street.
18.00 ft: Action stage. Water begins flowing into the city sewer system.
2.98 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: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	31.66 ft	September 17, 1999
2	28.73 ft	October 10, 2016
3	27.25 ft	June 18, 2020
4	25.88 ft	September 12, 1996
5	25.76 ft	April 26, 2017
6	24.43 ft	August 12, 2024
7	21.01 ft	February 20, 2021
8	21.00 ft	February 20, 2021
9	21.00 ft	February 20, 2021
10	16.19 ft	September 18, 2018

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.30 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 72° 44° – Wind 15 mph

21 Wed 67° 49° – Wind 15 mph

22 Thu 71° 45° – Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 69° 47° – Wind 15 mph

24 Sat 68° 47° – Wind 12 mph

25 Sun 70° 47° – Wind 9 mph

26 Mon 73° 49° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:23 AM Sunset 06:30 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Other gauges on the Tar River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Tar River near Tar RiverRiver gauge, Tar River	1.25 ft	Low	−0.04 ft	47 mi
Tar River at US 401 at LouisburgRiver gauge, Tar River	3.47 ft	Very low	−0.22 ft	30 mi
Tar River at Nc-581 near Spring HopeRiver gauge, Tar River	1.94 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	18 mi
Tar River below Dam near Langley CrossroadsRiver gauge, Tar River	0.65 ft	Low	±0	7 mi
Tar River at TarboroRiver gauge, Tar River	1.29 ft	Very low	−0.05 ft	15 mi
Tar River at GreenvilleRiver gauge, Tar River	4.58 ft	Normal	+0.60 ft	33 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Fishing Creek near EnfieldRiver gauge, Fishing Creek	2.31 ft	Normal	±0	15 mi
Little Fishing Creek near White OakRiver gauge, Little Fishing Creek	1.30 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	17 mi
Contentnea Creek near Black CreekRiver gauge, Contentnea Creek	6.76 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	21 mi
Contentnea Creek near LucamaRiver gauge, Contentnea Creek	2.13 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	26 mi
Roanoke River at HalifaxRiver gauge, Roanoke River	16.74 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	28 mi
Roanoke River near Scotland NeckRiver gauge, Roanoke River	4.10 ft	Very low	+0.02 ft	29 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Tar River at NC 97 at Rocky Mount higher than last year?

No, it is 0.03 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.01 ft.

What is flood stage for the Tar River at NC 97 at Rocky Mount?

The official flood stage is 21.00 ft. The level is currently 18.02 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Tar River at NC 97 at Rocky Mount in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.45 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.06 ft and 6.76 ft, based on 31 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 Tar River at NC 97 at Rocky Mount today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 03:45 PM EDT, the water level was 2.98 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Tar River at NC 97 at Rocky Mount rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Up 0.06 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Tar River at NC 97 at Rocky Mount normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 31 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:02082585 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.95472, -77.78722 (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	2.98 ft	2026-10-20 19:45	Provisional
Flow	53.3 cfs	2026-10-20 19:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Tar River at NC 97 at Rocky Mount (usgs:02082585). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/tar-river-at-nc-97-at-rocky-mount

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