French Broad River near Newport water level

Name: French Broad River near Newport 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, French Broad River, Tennessee, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.33ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 08:45 PM EDT (43 min ago)

Flow: 1,140 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.20 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 02:00 PM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 09:43 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at French Broad River near Newport reads 2.33 ft, a normal level.

It is 7.67 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.20 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 02:00 PM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.32 ft and 2.70 ft.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 24.00 ftMarch 7, 1867
Forecast peak: 2.30 ftTuesday, October 20 at 08:00 PM

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 10.00 ft, still 7.67 ft away.

What happens at each level

24.00 ft: Flood of record.
23.30 ft: Around 4 feet of water floods the walk out basement of the large home 2 lots downstream from the new bypass bridge. Perhaps 6 or more feet of water is in the large storage building behind the house. Del Rio Baptist Church buildings on Fugate Road flood with water half way or more up the windows. The train tracks across from the church are inundated. Fugate Road is inundated perhaps 6 feet deep.
19.50 ft: Water begins to enter the walk out basement of a large home two lots downstream from the new bypass bridge. There is perhaps two or three feet of water in their large storage building behind the house.
16.00 ft: The campground and the other low-lying cabins are more substantially impacted. (Most of these structures were destroyed by Helene flooding, some may gradually be rebuilt.) Flooding of backyards begins along River Chase Trail. Flooding of Fugate Road in Del Rio is more widespread, including near Del Rio Baptist Church.
15.00 ft: Buildings at the campground on Hwy 25/70E might begin to take water. A few low-lying riverfront cabins between Newport and Del Rio might begin to take water. (Most of these structures were destroyed by Helene flooding, some may gradually be rebuilt.)
14.00 ft: Flooding begins on Rock Hill Road near Newport and low spots on Fugate Road near Del Rio.
10.00 ft: Agricultural land near the gage on Highway 321 is flooded. Water begins entering a campground along Hwy 25/70E.
2.33 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	24.00 ft	March 7, 1867
2	23.34 ft	September 27, 2024
3	23.00 ft	February 28, 1902
4	22.50 ft	July 17, 1916
5	19.25 ft	August 30, 1940
6	18.36 ft	November 6, 1977
7	18.10 ft	September 17, 2004
8	17.93 ft	March 26, 1965
9	17.60 ft	March 17, 1973
10	17.57 ft	April 5, 1977

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.09 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 59° 45° 0.02 in, 28% Wind 12 mph

18 Sun 69° 39° – Wind 10 mph

19 Mon 67° 41° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 71° 40° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 72° 42° – Wind 4 mph

22 Thu 71° 42° – Wind 3 mph

23 Fri 71° 40° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:45 AM Sunset 06:51 PM Daylight 11 hr, 5 min Waxing gibbous 73%

Map

Other gauges on the French Broad River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
French Broad River at RosmanRiver gauge, French Broad River	2.07 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	61 mi
French Broad River at BlantyreRiver gauge, French Broad River	5.56 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	56 mi
French Broad River near FletcherRiver gauge, French Broad River	4.26 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	51 mi
French Broad River at AshevilleRiver gauge, French Broad River	1.23 ft	Low	−0.03 ft	42 mi
French Broad River at MarshallRiver gauge, French Broad River	1.41 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	31 mi
French Broad River at Hot SpringsRiver gauge, French Broad River	2.70 ft	Low	−0.03 ft	20 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Pigeon River at NewportRiver gauge, Pigeon River	2.93 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	1.6 mi
Nolichucky River near LowlandRiver gauge, Nolichucky River	7.30 ft	Normal	+0.14 ft	10 mi
Pigeon River below Power Plant near WatervilleRiver gauge, Pigeon River	6.91 ft	Very high	−0.01 ft	14 mi
Nolichucky River below Nolichucky DamRiver gauge, Nolichucky River	523 cfs	Low	−422.0 cfs	17 mi
Cataloochee Creek near CataloocheeRiver gauge, Cataloochee Creek	2.20 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	22 mi
Little Pigeon River at SeviervilleRiver gauge, Little Pigeon River	1.47 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	24 mi
Pigeon River near HepcoRiver gauge, Pigeon River	1.77 ft	Normal	±0	26 mi
Crockett Creek below RogersvilleRiver gauge, Crockett Creek	0.60 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	28 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the French Broad River near Newport?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 7.67 ft below it.

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 French Broad River near Newport today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 08:45 PM EDT, the water level was 2.33 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is French Broad River near Newport rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.29 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of French Broad River near Newport normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at French Broad River near Newport?

The highest level on record is 24.00 ft on March 7, 1867.

Is French Broad River near Newport expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.20 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 02:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03455000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.98151, -83.16121 (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	2.33 ft	2026-10-21 00:45	Provisional
Flow	1,140 cfs	2026-10-21 00:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: French Broad River near Newport (usgs:03455000). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/tennessee/french-broad-river-near-newport

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