Coal River at Tornado water level

Name: Coal River at Tornado 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, Coal River, West Virginia, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

10.74ft Down 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 12:15 PM EDT (49 min ago)

Flow: 1,030 cfs
Water temperature: 60 °F

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 10.00 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 02:00 PM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 09:12 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at Coal River at Tornado reads 10.74 ft, a normal level.

It is 14.26 ft below the flood stage of 25.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.16 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 10.00 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 02:00 PM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 10.74 ft and 11.48 ft.

The water temperature at the gauge is 60 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 31.98 ftMarch 7, 1967
Lowest on record: 8.98 ftSeptember 12, 2024
Forecast peak: 10.70 ftSunday, October 18 at 02:00 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 25.00 ft, still 14.26 ft away.

What happens at each level

32.00 ft: Major flooding all along the Coal River. Several homes and buildings are affected. Access to Meadowood Park and the area along the river in the park are flooded.
30.00 ft: Water floods golf course and homes along low sections of river. Roads flooded and closed throughout Tornado and surrounding areas.
29.00 ft: Bridge over Falls Creek on Coal River Road, located approximately 250 yards north of intersection with Smith Creek Road, floods.
28.70 ft: Dip on Coal River Road approximately 150 yards north of intersection with Smith Creek Road floods.
27.00 ft: Coal River Road is flooded in several places along river. Smith Creek Road and Ferrell Road are impassable.
25.00 ft: Smith Creek Road and Ferrell Road become impassable from backwater approximately 1 to 2 miles from the bridge. Sections of Coal River Road upstream from Tornado bridge are flooded. The river banks overflow near the river gauge.
20.00 ft: Between 20 to 25 feet, backwater flooding from the Coal River affects Smith Creek. This results in flooding of low spots along the banks of Smith Creek, Ferrell Road, and Coal River Road upstream from gauge.
10.74 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: 28 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	31.98 ft	March 7, 1967
2	30.89 ft	December 31, 1969
3	30.79 ft	March 2, 2021
4	30.61 ft	April 16, 2007
5	30.14 ft	March 13, 1963
6	29.65 ft	December 9, 1978
7	29.57 ft	January 26, 1978
8	29.00 ft	February 28, 1962
9	28.98 ft	November 20, 2003
10	28.45 ft	March 5, 2015

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.67 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 59° 36° – Wind 5 mph

19 Mon 65° 40° – Wind 4 mph

20 Tue 67° 40° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 68° 43° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 68° 44° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 69° 45° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 69° 45° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:40 AM Sunset 06:47 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min First quarter 51%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Kanawha River at CharlestonRiver gauge, Kanawha River	15,700 cfs	Very high	+300 cfs	8 mi
Kanawha River at S Side Bridge at CharlestonRiver gauge, Kanawha River	8.24 ft	Below flood stage	−0.47 ft	11 mi
Hurricane Creek at HurricaneRiver gauge, Hurricane Creek	5.29 ft	Below flood stage	−0.26 ft	12 mi
Elk River at CharlestonRiver gauge, Elk River	4,490 cfs	Very high	−430.0 cfs	12 mi
Middle Fork Mud River near GriffithsvilleRiver gauge, Middle Fork Mud River	3.08 ft	Below flood stage	−0.64 ft	12 mi
Big Coal River at AshfordRiver gauge, Big Coal River	3.43 ft	Below flood stage	−0.26 ft	13 mi
Elk Twomile Creek near CharlestonRiver gauge, Elk Twomile Creek	2.35 ft	Below flood stage	±0	13 mi
Mud River near MiltonRiver gauge, Mud River	1.47 ft	Below flood stage	+0.22 ft	15 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Coal River at Tornado?

The official flood stage is 25.00 ft. The level is currently 14.26 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 Coal River at Tornado today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 12:15 PM EDT, the water level was 10.74 ft. Down 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Coal River at Tornado rising or falling?

Down 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Coal River at Tornado normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Coal River at Tornado?

The highest level on record is 31.98 ft on March 7, 1967. The lowest is 8.98 ft on September 12, 2024.

Is Coal River at Tornado expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 10.00 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 02:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03200500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.33898, -81.84152 (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	10.74 ft	2026-10-18 16:15	Provisional
Flow	1,030 cfs	2026-10-18 16:15	Provisional
Water temperature	60 °F	2026-10-18 16:15	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Coal River at Tornado (usgs:03200500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/west-virginia/coal-river-at-tornado

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