Blackwater River (VA) above Franklin, VA
River level and flood forecast · Southampton County
The river is 9.6 ft below flood stage (10.8 ft).
Forecast to hold near 1.2 ft through Sat, Oct 17, 8 AM.
Flow: 32 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 11:02 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 18.8 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 14.8 ft |
| Flood stage | 10.8 ft |
| Action stage | 6.8 ft |
| Record crest (September 18, 1999) | 25.11 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 30 ftRiver stage sensor operating limit
- 25.11 ftFlood of record during Hurricane Floyd
- 20.8 ft2nd and Mechanic Streets flooded, Bowers Road residences flooded.
- 19.8 ftFlooded up to the corner of Main and 2nd Streets.
- 18.84 ftMajor flooding begins.
- 15.43 ftStage of the 25-year flood.
- 14.8 ftModerate flooding, access road to water treatment plant begins to floods.
- 12.3 ftA portion of State Route 611, Joyners Bridge Road, in Isle of Wight County is flooded.
- 11.8 ftA portion of State Route 611 in Southampton County, Joyners Bridge Road, is innundated. A portion of State Route 619, in Isle of Wight County, is flooded.
- 10.8 ftA portion of Barretts Landing River Walk is innundated in Downtown Franklin area.
Highest crests on record
- 25.11 ft — September 18, 1999
- 21.61 ft — October 10, 2006
- 20.84 ft — August 19, 1940
- 16.11 ft — March 10, 1944
- 15.98 ft — September 14, 1960
Recent crests: 10.78 ft (March 21, 2025) · 11.12 ft (March 10, 2024) · 8.52 ft (December 21, 2023) · 12.46 ft (February 20, 2021) · 13.49 ft (November 14, 2020)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (FKNV2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.