Kanawha River at Kanawha Falls, WV
River level and flood forecast · Fayette County
The river is 22.3 ft below flood stage (27 ft).
Forecast to rise to 7.2 ft Wed 2 AM, below the 27 ft flood stage.
Flow: 8,090 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 10:36 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 35 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 30 ft |
| Flood stage | 27 ft |
| Action stage | 25 ft |
| Record crest (April 4, 1977) | 27.37 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 41 ftRailroad tracks upstream and downstream of County Route 13 bridge floods.
- 35 ftMost areas next to river are flooded.
- 30 ftHomes, just above county route 13 bridge and along Hairdo Lane are flooded. Several houses in Charlton Heights approximatly 2 miles downstream from the County Route 13 bridge start to flood.
- 27 ftThe park, near the water falls, is flooded. Homes, just upstream from the County Route 13 bridge, start to flood. Several houses in Charlton Heights approximatly 2 miles downstream from the County Route 13 bridge begin to be affected by water.
- 25 ftLow lying areas near the river in Kanawha Falls and Glen Ferris start to have water problems.
Highest crests on record
- 27.37 ft — April 4, 1977
- 21.6 ft — January 29, 1957
- 20.63 ft — January 19, 1996
- 20.62 ft — February 26, 1972
- 19.41 ft — April 5, 1977
Recent crests: 15.28 ft (May 17, 2014) · 19.01 ft (February 1, 2013) · 20.63 ft (January 19, 1996) · 18.3 ft (March 24, 1993) · 15.43 ft (April 23, 1992)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (KANW2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.