Rivers in Tennessee
Clinch River above Tazewell
Below flood stage
1.53ftStage
Observed Wed, Sep 23, 2:15 PM EDT
- Flood stage
- 12.00 ft
- Forecast crest
- 1.60 ftWed, Sep 23, 8:00 PM EDT
- Record crest
- 29.32 ft1977
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 21.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 16.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 12.00 ft |
| Action | 10.00 ft |
- 21.00 ftA few structures along the river flood. Backwater moving upstream begins to affect the town of Sneedville, Hancock County, Tennessee. The city of Tazewell, Tennessee is not affected by flooding of the Clinch River.
- 18.90 ftBy the time the river reaches Hwy 25E, it may be interacting with the pool of Norris Lake. For example, a stage of 18.9 at the stream gage on 02/17/2025 left flood debris on low spots of Riverside Road downstream from Hwy 25E. Thus the stage there is affected by the river and the lake pools.
- 16.00 ftExtensive flooding of pasture land around Grissom Island occurs. Flooding likely of portions of roads such as River Bend Road, Grissom Island Lane, Pawpaw Road, and Porter Johns Road.
- 13.00 ftThe road within a quarter mile of the gage begins to flood.
- 12.00 ftFlooding of pasture land near Grissom Island begins. The city of Tazewell, Tennessee is not affected by flooding of the Clinch River.
- 10.00 ftAction stage.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | Under 5% |
| Moderate flooding | Under 5% |
| Major flooding | Under 5% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 16, 2026.
Crest history
69 crests on NOAA’s list since 1924.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 5, 1977 | 29.32 ft |
| 2 | February 1, 1962 | 24.00 ft |
| 3 | March 13, 1963 | 22.27 ft |
| 4 | March 19, 2002 | 21.37 ft |
| 5 | March 17, 1973 | 21.02 ft |
| 6 | January 31, 1957 | 21.00 ft |
| 7 | December 31, 1969 | 20.57 ft |
| 8 | December 23, 1926 | 20.00 ft |
| 9 | February 7, 2020 | 19.32 ft |
| 10 | February 17, 2025 | 18.89 ft |
| 11 | February 12, 2018 | 18.60 ft |
| 12 | March 6, 2015 | 18.60 ft |
| 13 | March 29, 1994 | 18.46 ft |
| 14 | May 8, 1984 | 18.30 ft |
| 15 | February 17, 2003 | 18.01 ft |
| 16 | February 25, 2019 | 17.98 ft |
| 17 | March 31, 1975 | 17.92 ft |
| 18 | May 7, 1958 | 17.70 ft |
| 19 | January 8, 1946 | 17.55 ft |
| 20 | February 2, 1950 | 17.45 ft |
| 21 | March 8, 1967 | 17.42 ft |
| 22 | April 25, 2017 | 17.27 ft |
| 23 | January 12, 1974 | 17.18 ft |
| 24 | May 8, 1971 | 17.17 ft |
| 25 | February 19, 1944 | 16.78 ft |
Most recent crests
- February 17, 2025: 18.89 ft
- February 14, 2025: 12.18 ft
- February 2, 2025: 12.85 ft
- February 18, 2023: 15.41 ft
- February 25, 2022: 12.68 ft
- March 29, 2021: 15.90 ft
- March 2, 2021: 13.75 ft
- April 14, 2020: 15.35 ft
- February 7, 2020: 19.32 ft
- February 25, 2019: 17.98 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
- UpstreamClinch River at Looneys Gap 16ENE
- DownstreamClinch River at Norris Dam
- Powell River at Arthur
- Holston River at Cherokee Dam
- Holston River at Cherokee Dam
- Crockett Creek at Rogersville
- Meldrum
- Powell River at Jonesville
- Nolichucky River at Lowland
- Holston River at John Sevier Detention Resrvr near Rogersville
What this means
Forecasts by the Lower Mississippi 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 24 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time.
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.