Tar River at NC97 In Rocky Mount, NC
River level and flood forecast · Edgecombe County
Normal2.9 ftas of Mon 2:45 PM
The river is 18.1 ft below flood stage (21 ft).
Forecast to hold near 2.9 ft through Sat, Oct 17, 8 AM.
Flow: 48 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 11:22 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 25 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 23 ft |
| Flood stage | 21 ft |
| Action stage | 19 ft |
| Record crest (September 17, 1999) | 31.66 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 31.66 ftThis is the flood of record, set after hurricane Floyd on September 17, 1999.
- 28 ftThe section of NC97 north of the river floods to about the intersection with US64.
- 27 ftSpruce Street at NC97 is flooded.
- 26 ftEast Virginia Street floods east of the wastewater plant.
- 25 ftThe on-ramps to US64 at NC97 begin to flood.
- 23 ftSeveral streets west of business US301 are flooded, including E Ridge Street and Melton Drive.
- 21 ftFlood stage. Flooding reaches Melton Drive and E Ridge Street.
- 18 ftAction stage. Water begins flowing into the city sewer system.
Highest crests on record
- 31.66 ft — September 17, 1999
- 28.73 ft — October 10, 2016
- 27.25 ft — June 18, 2020
- 25.88 ft — September 12, 1996
- 25.76 ft — April 26, 2017
Recent crests: 24.43 ft (August 12, 2024) · 21.01 ft (February 20, 2021) · 21 ft (February 20, 2021) · 21 ft (February 20, 2021) · 27.25 ft (June 18, 2020)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- UpstreamTar River at Louisburg, NC
- DownstreamTar River at Tarboro, NC
- Tar River near Langley Crossroads, NC
- Fishing Creek near Enfield, NC
- Little Fishing Creek near Ringwood, NC
- Tar River at NC581 Nr Spring Hope, NC
- Contentnea Creek near Black Creek, NC
- Contentnea Creek near Lucama, NC
- Roanoke River at Halifax, NC
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (ROKN7); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.