Elk River at Clay, WV
River level and flood forecast · Clay County
Normal5.4 ftas of Mon 3 PM
The river is 12.6 ft below flood stage (18 ft).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Fri, Sep 25, 9:41 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 29 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 20 ft |
| Flood stage | 18 ft |
| Action stage | 16 ft |
| Record crest (March 14, 1918) | 32.4 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 30 ftMost business and buildings in Clay next to the river are flooded. Major flooding occurring.
- 29 ftRoute 16 in Clay starts to flood. Some business in town are flooded. Several sections of Elkhurst/Elk River Road and some camps near the river are flooded.
- 25 ftThe low end of the vacant car dealership, hardware store, more homes in Pisgah section, and in the northern end of Clay are flooded. Sections of Elkhurst/Elk River Road and some camps near the river are flooded.
- 20 ftHomes in the Pisgah section of Clay, and a few homes on the north side of Clay are flooded between 20 and 22 feet. Sections of Elkhurst/Elk River Road are flooded.
- 18 ftWater floods some basements near and downstream from the Pisgah Pridge. Sections of Elkhurst/Elk River Road start to flood.
Highest crests on record
- 32.4 ft — March 14, 1918
- 31 ft — January 1, 1861
- 30.3 ft — June 24, 2016
- 26.6 ft — February 5, 1932
- 26.5 ft — July 4, 1932
Recent crests: 17.76 ft (February 6, 2025) · 19.63 ft (March 1, 2021) · 30.3 ft (June 24, 2016) · 16.71 ft (March 5, 2015) · 19.45 ft (December 7, 2013)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (CLYW2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.