Johns River at Corpening Bridge Rd, 6 NNW Morganton, NC

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

What floods at each level

From the National Weather Service, highest first.

• 40 ftA FEW HOMES NEAR THE RIVER BEGING TO FLOOD.
• 30 ftRIVER OVERFLOWS ITS BANKS DOWNSTREAM IN CALDWELL COUNTY.
• 28.6 ftFLOODING WILL BE SIMILAR TO THAT WHICH OCCURRED IN SEPTEMBER 2004 WITH HURRICANE FRANCES
• 25 ftFLOODING WILL BE SIMILAR TO THAT WHICH OCCURRED WITH TROPICAL STORM BERYL IN AUGUST OF 1994
• 20 ftAT THIS STAGE THE BRIDGE WHERE THE GAGE IS AT WILL BEGIN TO FLOOD. NOT MUCH ELSE IN THE AREA TO FLOOD AT THIS LEVEL.
• 19 ftWATER WILL BE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BRIDGE ON HIGHWAY 18 NORTH OF MORGANTON.
• 18.5 ftAPPROACHES TO CORPENING BRIDGE WILL BE FLOODED AND PARTS OF JOHNS RIVER ROAD WILL BE FLOODED.
• 16.53 ftPARTS OF ADAKO ROAD WILL BE FLOODED. FLOODING WILL BE SIMILAR TO THAT WHICH OCCURRED IN SEPT 2004 WITH HURICANE IVAN.
• 16 ftFLOODING WILL DEVELOP OR BE ONGOING ALONG JOHNS RIVER LOOP RD...OLD JOHNS RIVER RD AND VALLEY VIEW CIRCLE.
• 13.5 ftAT THIS LEVEL THERE WILL BE SOME BACKWATER EFFECTS ON SIMS BRANCH THAT FLOWS INTO THE RIVER. JOHNS RIVER ROAD AND A CAMPING AREA ON LOWER CREEK THAT FLOWS INTO RIVER WILL START TO FLOOD.
• 12 ftAT THIS STAGE PARTS OF NC 90 NORTH OF COLLETTSVILLE...JOHNS RIVER ROAD AND CORPENING BRIDGE ROAD ARE FLOODED.
• 11.5 ftPARKING LOT OF THE BOAT RAMP AT NC 18/64 IS FLOODED ON CORPENING BRIDGE ROAD
• 9 ftPLAYMORE BEACH ROAD AND JOHNS RIVER ROAD AND OTHER BRIDGES OVER THE RIVER USUALLY BEGIN TO FLOOD NEAR THE CONFLUENCE OF WILSON CREEK AND JOHNS RIVER.
• 8.5 ftHEAVY RAIN AND THIS RIVER LEVEL MAY CAUSE FLOODING IN COLLETTSVILLE ON ADAKO ROAD AND COFFEY ROAD. THESE SITES ARE UPSTREAM FROM THE RIVER GAGE.
• 8 ftAT THIS LEVEL JOHNS RIVER ROAD WILL LIKELY BEGIN TO FLOOD IN LOW LYING AREAS.
• 4 ft3.5 TO 4.5 INCH 36 HR BASINWIDE RAINFALL CAUSED A 10 FT RISE...2 FT TO 12 FT...HOWEVER A SIMILAR AMOUNT FALLING IN 10 HOURS CAUSED A 13 FT RISE...3 FT TO 16 FT.
• 3 ft24 HR BASINWIDE RAINFALL OF 3 INCHES RESULTED IN A RISE FROM 1.7 FT TO 5 FT.
• 2 ft2 INCHES OF RAIN IN ONE TO 2 HOURS WILL CAUSE THE RIVER TO RISE TO NEAR 8.5 FT
• 1.5 ft1.5 IN 6 TO 12 HOURS CAUSED RIVER TO RISE FROM 2.25 FT TO 5.13 FT

Highest crests on record

1. 28.6 ft — September 8, 2004
2. 25.23 ft — August 17, 1994
3. 23.98 ft — January 15, 1995
4. 20.29 ft — May 19, 2018
5. 19.31 ft — August 12, 1996

Recent crests: 13.42 ft (February 7, 2020) · 20.29 ft (May 19, 2018) · 12.87 ft (May 25, 2017) · 14.21 ft (February 3, 2016) · 11.64 ft (December 24, 2015)

Up and down the river, and nearby

• Linville River near Nebo, NC
• Yadkin River at Patterson, NC
• Jacob Fork below Old NC 18 in Shoups Ford, NC
• South Fork Catawba River near HENRY FORK, NC
• Catawba River near Pleasant Gardens, NC
• First Broad River near Casar, NC
• Elk Creek (NC) at Elkville, NC
• S Toe River below Whiteoak Ck, 2 SSE Celo, NC