Rivers in South Carolina
Congaree River at Columbia
Below flood stage
2.87ftStage
Observed Thu, Sep 24, 5:00 AM EDT
- Flood stage
- 19.00 ft
- Forecast crest
- 2.80 ftThu, Sep 24, 8:00 AM EDT
- Record crest
- 39.80 ft1908
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 30.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 24.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 19.00 ft |
| Action | 10.00 ft |
- 30.00 ftThe Enclave Apartments along the Broad River and I-20 become flooded.
- 28.00 ftFlooding begins in low lying areas of the Riverland Park subdivision in Cayce.
- 24.00 ftFlooding also occurs in the Cayce Quarry.
- 21.00 ftExtensive swampland and large areas of farmland and pasture land downstream from Columbia are flooded.
- 19.00 ftExtensive swampland and large areas of farmland and pasture land downstream from Columbia become flooded.
- 16.00 ftOld State Road, SC 66, below Cayce becomes flooded.
- 14.00 ftRoads in low lying areas and swampland downstream from Columbia become flooded. Most of the Cayce and West Columbia river walk is flooded.
- 13.00 ftFlooding occurs in flood prone areas near and downstream from Columbia. Flooding also occurs over much of the Cayce and West Columbia river walk.
- 10.00 ftFlooding occurs in flood prone areas near and downstream from Columbia. Flooding also occurs on parts of the Cayce and West Columbia river walk.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 6% |
| Moderate flooding | Under 5% |
| Major flooding | Under 5% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 15, 2026.
Crest history
216 crests on NOAA’s list since 1892.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 27, 1908 | 39.80 ft |
| 2 | July 17, 1916 | 35.50 ft |
| 3 | August 18, 1928 | 33.50 ft |
| 4 | April 8, 1936 | 33.34 ft |
| 5 | October 3, 1929 | 33.10 ft |
| 6 | October 4, 2015 | 31.81 ft |
| 7 | June 17, 1916 | 31.50 ft |
| 8 | March 17, 1912 | 30.70 ft |
| 9 | September 30, 2024 | 30.58 ft |
| 10 | October 11, 1976 | 29.74 ft |
| 11 | February 9, 2020 | 29.19 ft |
| 12 | January 20, 1892 | 28.60 ft |
| 13 | April 10, 1964 | 28.60 ft |
| 14 | October 15, 1990 | 27.94 ft |
| 15 | February 12, 1921 | 27.60 ft |
| 16 | June 9, 1903 | 27.20 ft |
| 17 | April 3, 1901 | 27.00 ft |
| 18 | March 3, 1987 | 26.67 ft |
| 19 | March 16, 1975 | 26.47 ft |
| 20 | October 18, 1964 | 26.18 ft |
| 21 | August 16, 1940 | 26.14 ft |
| 22 | January 1, 2016 | 26.01 ft |
| 23 | June 25, 1909 | 26.00 ft |
| 24 | March 2, 1902 | 26.00 ft |
| 25 | April 22, 1900 | 26.00 ft |
Most recent crests
- February 15, 2025: 13.55 ft
- December 13, 2024: 11.46 ft
- September 30, 2024: 30.58 ft
- August 10, 2024: 13.24 ft
- March 3, 2024: 12.60 ft
- January 29, 2024: 12.79 ft
- January 12, 2024: 25.66 ft
- October 19, 2023: 2.52 ft
- October 9, 2023: 2.52 ft
- June 24, 2023: 13.79 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
- UpstreamBroad River in NC/SC at Alston
- DownstreamCongaree River at Carolina Eastman
- Rocky Branch (SC) at Whaley Street
- Rocky Branch (SC) at Pickens Street Columbia
- Smith Branch (SC) at North Main St Columbia
- Saluda River at Riverbanks Zoo
- Broad River in NC/SC at Columbia
- Pen Branch at Columbia
- Gills Creek at Columbia
- Congaree River at Cayce SC
What this means
Forecasts by the Southeast River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued routinely year-round. River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 48 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time. Gauge reading affected by reservoir operations.
Sources
Stage, flood stages, impacts and crest history from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service. Streamflow and the daily record from the U.S. Geological Survey.