French Broad River at Old Fanning Bridge Rd, 3 W Fletcher, NC
River level and flood forecast · Henderson County
Near flood stage11.0 ftas of Mon 3:45 PM
The river is 2.0 ft below flood stage (13 ft).
Forecast to fall to 4.0 ft by Sat, Oct 17, 8 AM.
Flow: 7,820 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 9:22 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 20 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 17 ft |
| Flood stage | 13 ft |
| Action stage | 10 ft |
| Record crest (September 27, 2024) | 30.61 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 20.1 ftRecord Flood Stage. Floodwaters are approaching levels similar to those levels observed in during Hurricane Frances in early September, 2004.
- 20 ftMajor Flood Stage. Significant and damaging flooding of the French Broad River Valley is likely from Etowah upstream to Avery Creek and Biltmore Park downstream of the gauge site.
- 17 ftModerate Flood Stage. Significant inundation of several roads within the French Broad River Valley from Etowah to Avery Creek is ongoing. Floodwaters may be approaching vulnerable homes and businesses within the valley. Floodwater levels are similar to those levels observed during Hurricane Ivan in mid-September, 2004.
- 15 ftMinor Flooding continues. French Broad River floodwaters may be impacting several roads within the valley, resulting in road closures including along Glenn Bridge Rd., Pinner Rd., Butler Bridge Rd., Nelson Rd., Banner Farm Rd., Brannon Rd., Old Brevard Hwy., and Ladson Rd. Widespread farmland flooding is ongoing with floodwaters impacting some residential and commercial property and outbuildings. Adjacent parks and river access points along the reach of the river are experiencing significant inundation.
- 13 ftMinor Flood Stage. French Broad River floodwaters are now inundating Banner Farm Rd. Floodwaters may be approaching portions of Glenn Bridge Rd. Farmland and other low-lying areas within the French Broad River Valley from Etowah to Avery Creek are experiencing scattered flooding. Glenn Bridge Park and river access is experiencing scattered flooding.
- 12 ftAction Stage continues. Glenn Bridge Park river access is experiencing minor flooding. Westfeldt Park is experiencing scattered flooding. French Broad River floodwaters are causing isolated to widely scattered farmland flooding.
- 11.5 ftAction Stage Flooding continues. Butler Bridge Rd. is inundated with up to 6 inches of floodwaters from the French Broad River, forcing road closure.
- 10 ftAction/Advisory Stage. The French Broad River has exceeded bankfull at the gauge site. Isolated farmland flooding is beginning across the French Broad River Valley from Etowah downstream to Avery Creek upstream of the gauge site.
Highest crests on record
- 30.61 ft — September 27, 2024
- 20.13 ft — September 8, 2004
- 17.54 ft — September 17, 2004
- 15.62 ft — May 6, 2013
- 15.31 ft — January 10, 2024
Recent crests: 30.61 ft (September 27, 2024) · 15.31 ft (January 10, 2024) · 14.34 ft (February 7, 2020) · 15.3 ft (May 19, 2018) · 10.65 ft (April 24, 2017)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- UpstreamFrench Broad River at Grove Bridge Rd, in Blantyre, NC
- DownstreamFrench Broad River at Pearson Bridge Rd, 2 NW Asheville, NC
- Mills River near Mills River, NC
- Mud Creek (NC) at N Main St 1 N Hendersonville, NC
- Swannanoa River below Hendersonville Rd (NC 81), in Biltmore Village (2 S Asheville), NC
- Davidson River near hwy 276 near Pisgah Forest, NC
- Pigeon River above Old River Rd (NC 215), 1 SW Canton, NC
- East Fork Pigeon River above Canton, NC
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (FLCN7); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.