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Rappahannock River above Fredericksburg, VA

River level and flood forecast · Spotsylvania County

Normal5.8 ftas of Mon 3 PM

The river is 7.2 ft below flood stage (13 ft).

Forecast to fall to 3.1 ft by Thu, Oct 15, 2 PM.

Flow: 9,960 cubic feet per second (USGS).

The last 7 days and the forecast

05101520TueThuSatMonWedAction 10 ftFlood 13 ftModerate 16 ftNowObserved (ft)NWS forecast

NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 3 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.

Flood stages

Major flood stage23 ft
Moderate flood stage16 ft
Flood stage13 ft
Action stage10 ft
Record crest (October 16, 1942)25.9 ft

What floods at each level

From the National Weather Service, highest first.

  • 23 ftWater covers significant sections of River Road. Multiple structures upstream of Fredericksburg area also affected. Downstream, significant flooding is likely in the city of Fredericksburg.
  • 20 ftWater is above the top of the first floor at a riverside wedding venue upstream of Fredericksburg.
  • 16 ftWater begins to cover River Road upstream of the city of Fredericksburg. Structures near the Motts Run boat landing are flooded.
  • 13 ftWater covers the Riverside Trail off River Road upstream of Fredericksburg. Water also enters a building at a riverside wedding venue, and begins to cover the parking lot at the Motts Run boat landing.
  • 12 ftWater begins to cover grassy areas near the mouth of Motts Run.
  • 10 ftWater exceeds bankfull upstream of the tidal interface, but no property is affected.
  • 3.2 ftThe Friends of the Rappahannock recommend that river levels greater than this are unsafe to recreation.

Highest crests on record

  1. 25.9 ft — October 16, 1942
  2. 25.14 ft — April 26, 1937
  3. 22.56 ft — June 22, 1972
  4. 17.97 ft — September 7, 1996
  5. 17.55 ft — June 23, 2018

Recent crests: 13.04 ft (January 10, 2024) · 17.55 ft (June 23, 2018) · 13.32 ft (May 17, 2014) · 15.43 ft (May 1, 2014) · 11.27 ft (April 18, 2011)

Up and down the river, and nearby

See it on the live map →Radar & warnings for Spotsylvania CountyNWS gauge pageUSGS gauge 01668000

Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (FDBV2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.