Rapidan River near Culpeper, VA
River level and flood forecast · Culpeper County
Normal3.0 ftas of Mon 3:45 PM
The river is 10.0 ft below flood stage (13 ft).
Forecast to fall to 1.1 ft by Thu, Oct 15, 2 PM.
Flow: 1,740 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 3 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 21 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 17 ft |
| Flood stage | 13 ft |
| Action stage | 11 ft |
| Record crest (June 28, 1995) | 30.4 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 21 ftSignificant flooding of lowlands near the river will occur, including significant portions of roads near the river. Travel will be severely affected. Water is likely approaching structures.
- 17 ftWater begins to approach outbuildings on both sides of the river downstream of the route 522 bridge.
- 14 ftRiver Road on the Orange County side of the Rapidan River is flooded in a few spots, and pastureland is flooded on both sides of the river. Other low lying roads near the river are also beginning to flood, and access to homes may become limited. No structures are affected at this level.
- 13 ftFarmland near the river between Rapidan and Raccoon Ford begins to flood.
- 4 ftThe Friends of the Rappahannock recommend that levels greater than 4 feet at the Culpeper gage are unsafe for recreational use.
Highest crests on record
- 30.4 ft — June 28, 1995
- 30.3 ft — October 16, 1942
- 29.53 ft — June 22, 1972
- 28.03 ft — April 26, 1937
- 27.49 ft — September 7, 1996
Recent crests: 15.58 ft (May 14, 2025) · 15.12 ft (January 10, 2024) · 13.32 ft (August 4, 2018) · 23.56 ft (June 23, 2018) · 14.46 ft (June 4, 2018)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (CLPV2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.