French Broad River above Silver Mine Ck, in Hot Springs, NC
River level and flood forecast · Madison County
Normal4.7 ftas of Mon 3:15 PM
The river is 4.8 ft below flood stage (9.5 ft).
Flow: 9,040 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Sun, Dec 31, 7 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 21 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 16 ft |
| Flood stage | 9.5 ft |
| Action stage | 7.5 ft |
| Record crest (September 27, 2024) | 22.3 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 26 ftMajor flooding. Water levels in town will be around 1 to 3 ft high.
- 23.5 ftFurther flooding along Spring Creek, causing water levels to be around 2 ft deep in some areas between Spring creek and Andrew Ave.
- 22.5 ftWater will approach camping areas and a few homes along Painted Rock Rd. Similar flooding that occurred on September 17, 2004
- 21 ftHot Springs Spa buildings will be flooded. Homes and some buildings between the river and river and Silver Mine Rds will be flooded.
- 19 ftMuch of the area between the river and Silver Mine and Andrews Rds will likely be flooded. Spring Creek will overflow its banks north of Bridges Rd.
- 16.5 ftAreas between the railroad and the river near Divine Water Way northwest of town and areas between the river and Highway 25/70 near Lookout Loop will begin to flood.
- 12.5 ftWater may approach camping areas between South Andrews Avenue and the river. Floodwater levels will be similar to levels observed on September 9, 2004.
- 10 ftFloodwaters will approach Hot Springs Spa property and parts of River Road and Silvermine Road will flood. Floodwater levels will be similar to levels observed on May 6, 2003.
- 9.5 ftParts of Silver Mine Road and River Road may begin to flood. Areas near Spring Creek in the Hot Springs Spa area will begin to flood.
Highest crests on record
- 22.3 ft — September 27, 2024
- 22 ft — July 16, 1916
- 19 ft — February 28, 1902
- 18 ft — March 1, 1867
- 17.5 ft — November 7, 1977
Recent crests: 22.3 ft (September 27, 2024) · 11.28 ft (February 6, 2020) · 13.1 ft (April 19, 2019) · 6.95 ft (May 30, 2018) · 5.94 ft (April 24, 2017)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- UpstreamFrench Broad River above Rollins Rd, 1 SE Marshall, NC
- DownstreamFrench Broad River near Newport, TN
- Ivy River near Marshall, NC
- Pigeon River below Jonathans Ck, 4 NW Crabtree, NC
- Pigeon River at Newport, TN
- French Broad River at Pearson Bridge Rd, 2 NW Asheville, NC
- Big Limestone Creek near Limestone, TN
- Pigeon River above Old River Rd (NC 215), 1 SW Canton, NC
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (HSPN7); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.