Rocky River NC near ROCKY RIVER/ ABV IRISH BUFFALO CK, NC
River level and flood forecast · Cabarrus County
Normal2.7 ftas of Mon 4:15 PM
The river is 15.3 ft below flood stage (18 ft).
Flow: 318 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 | 40 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 26 ft |
| Flood stage | 18 ft |
| Action stage | 14 ft |
| Record crest (August 27, 2008) | 29.91 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 40 ftMajor Flood Stage. Some homes near the streamgauge site and areas around the waste treatment plan may begin to flood.
- 26 ftModerate Flood Stage. Rocky River is flooding the Intersection of Mt Pleasant Rd and NC 200 with extensive flooding of farmland and other low-lying areas along NC 200. Floodwaters may also approach NC 200 and backwater effects will likely cause significant flooding of Parks Lafferty Rd. Floodwaters may also approach a driveway to a care facility at the 5300 block of NC 200 and access may be restricted.
- 22 ftMinor Flooding continues. Cox Mill Road, N.C. Route 200, and Mount Pleasant Road may flood.
- 19 ftMinor Flooding continues. Mount Pleasant Road, N.C. Route 200, and Bonaza Drive may flood.
- 18.5 ftMinor Flooding continues. Flooding of Dutch Buffalo Creek, a tributary to the Rocky River, may cause flooding of Bowman Barrier Road between Long Run Farm Road and the Mount Pleasant City Limits.
- 18 ftMinor Flood Stage. Flooding of Muddy Creek, a tributary to the Rocky River, may cause flooding of Hopewell Church Road.
- 17 ftMinor Flooding continues. Stallings Road and Poplar Tent Road may be flooded.
- 16.5 ftLegacy Minor Flood Stage. Pharr Mill Road between Rocky River Road and Sequoia Hill Road may be submerged by up to 1 foot of water. Floodwaters may approach Stallings Road and Mount Pleasant Road.
- 14 ftAction Stage. Flooding along Back Creek south of Harrisburg may occur near the intersection of Robinson Church Road and Stallings Road which is near Middleton and Rocky Meadows subdivisions.
- 12 ftLegacy Action or Bankfull Stage. Flooding from Back Creek may approach but not reach Pharr Mill Road due to backwater effects from Rocky River.
- 7 ftAt this level, some low lying areas downstream around Midland, along Muddy Creek, may start to flood due to backwater effects of the Rocky River.
Highest crests on record
- 29.91 ft — August 27, 2008
- 24.6 ft — January 25, 2010
- 23.46 ft — February 7, 2020
- 23.21 ft — April 11, 2003
- 23.21 ft — September 17, 2018
Recent crests: 23.46 ft (February 7, 2020) · 23.21 ft (September 17, 2018) · 18.79 ft (April 24, 2017) · 22.51 ft (December 31, 2015) · 17.3 ft (December 24, 2015)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- UpstreamWest Branch Rocky River NC below mouth of South Prong River, NC
- Back Creek at Caldwell Rd near Harrisburg, NC
- McKee Creek near Wilgrove, NC
- Clear Creek (NC) at SR3181, NC
- Reedy Creek below I-485 nr Pine Ridge, NC
- Mallard Creek below Stony Creek nr Harrisburg, NC
- Reedy Creek at SR 2803, NC
- Clarke Creek NC near HARRISBURG, NC
- Goose Creek at SR1525 nr Indian Trail, NC
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (IBFN7); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.