Nantahala River near Rainbow Springs, NC
River level and flood forecast · Macon County
Normal1.2 ftas of Mon 3:30 PM
The river is 8.8 ft below flood stage (10 ft).
Flow: 132 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 | 16 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 14 ft |
| Flood stage | 10 ft |
| Action stage | 4 ft |
| Record crest (June 16, 1949) | 9.7 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 10 ftFURTHER FLOODING OF WATER GAUGE RD AND FOREST SERVICE ROAD 437 IN NANTAHALA NATIONAL FOREST WILL FLOOD.BASEMENTS OF SOME HOMES NEAR THE RIVER WILL BE FLOODED.
- 8 ftAT 8 FT WATER WILL APPROACH SOME HOMES SOUTH OF TATE COVE ROAD NEAR THE RIVER. THIS IS DOWNSTREAM OF THE RIVER GAGE SITE.
- 7 ftPARTS OF WATER GAUGE ROAD WILL BEGIN TO FLOOD NEAR THE GAGE LOCATION.
- 4 ftAction/Advisory Stage. The Nantahala River is flooding low-water crossings at Tate Cove Rd and near Water Gauge Rd and Rainbow Springs Rd and is beginning to strand residents or require lengthy detours into Clay County.
- 2.5 ft2 TO 3 INCH IN 24 HOUR IN THIS AREA CLAY/MACON COUNTY LINE WILL CAUSE THE RIVER TO RISE TO 4.7 FEET. THERE ARE USUALLY WHITE WATER RAFTERS ON THIS RIVER IN SUMMERTIME.
Highest crests on record
- 9.7 ft — June 16, 1949
- 8.53 ft — May 15, 1976
- 8.46 ft — October 4, 1964
- 8.35 ft — December 24, 2015
- 8.29 ft — September 17, 2004
Recent crests: 8.35 ft (December 24, 2015) · 6.24 ft (September 21, 2009) · 8.29 ft (September 17, 2004) · 5.9 ft (September 8, 2004) · 4.3 ft (April 3, 2000)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- Cartoogechaye Creek near Franklin, NC
- Nantahala River near Hewitt, NC
- Little Tennessee River near Prentiss, NC
- Little Tennessee River near NEEDMORE, NC
- Tallulah River above Plum Orchard Rd 6 NW Tiger, GA
- Hiwassee River at Riverside Drive near Hiawassee, GA
- Valley River at Tomotla, NC
- Tuckasegee River below Everett St, in Bryson City, NC
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (RAIN7); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.