Rivers in North Carolina

Yadkin River at Wilkesboro

Wilkes County, North CarolinaNWS WKSN7USGS 02112000Blacksburg office

Below flood stage
2.33ftStage

Observed Mon, Sep 28, 1:45 PM EDT

Flood stage
14.00 ft
Forecast crest
2.40 ftMon, Sep 28, 8:00 PM EDT
Record crest
37.60 ft1940

Open the live map with the river flood outlook

Flood stages and impacts

CategoryStage
Major flood22.00 ft
Moderate flood17.00 ft
Minor flood14.00 ft
Action12.00 ft
  1. 35.00 ftWilkesboro, Ekin and other small towns downstream may be flooded.
  2. 32.50 ftThe western approaches into north wilkesboro are flooded
  3. 28.00 ftFlood waters cut off the eastern approaches to north wilkesboro
  4. 25.00 ftThe area between the river and the railroad tracks is flooded
  5. 22.00 ftOverflow of the right bank begins and flood waters affect the south approach to North Wilkesboro.
  6. 20.00 ftA few cottages and recreational camps are flooded
  7. 18.00 ftExtensive flooding of agricultural lands and the ball park
  8. 17.00 ftLow-lying secondary streets in Wilkesboro are affected and flooding begins at the old airfield.
  9. 16.00 ftWater continues to overflow the left bank covering local agricultural land and reaching the end of Wilkesboro Avenue.
  10. 14.00 ftLowland flooding begins and water affects a portion of Wilkesboro Avenue in North Wilkesboro.

Flood outlook

Chance of flooding, September to November

CategoryChance
Minor flooding7%
Moderate flooding7%
Major floodingUnder 5%

The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 15, 2026.

Crest history

43 crests on NOAA’s list since 1940.

#DateStage
1August 14, 194037.60 ft
2September 18, 194522.45 ft
3April 5, 195718.50 ft
4September 30, 195918.30 ft
5June 14, 194717.55 ft
6September 27, 202417.50 ft
7March 11, 195217.12 ft
8December 7, 195016.77 ft
9April 10, 198316.22 ft
10September 6, 194216.04 ft
11October 29, 202015.86 ft
12August 10, 197015.66 ft
13December 29, 195815.61 ft
14August 17, 199415.52 ft
15November 6, 197715.52 ft
16January 22, 195415.49 ft
17February 5, 196015.48 ft
18October 17, 197515.40 ft
19February 21, 195315.10 ft
20September 30, 194414.77 ft
21February 21, 195414.24 ft
22March 14, 195514.20 ft
23January 9, 202414.12 ft
24October 11, 201814.05 ft
25April 17, 199813.26 ft

Most recent crests

  • September 27, 2024: 17.50 ft
  • January 9, 2024: 14.12 ft
  • November 12, 2020: 12.70 ft
  • October 29, 2020: 15.86 ft
  • October 11, 2018: 14.05 ft
  • April 24, 2017: 10.04 ft
  • February 3, 2016: 11.11 ft
  • April 19, 2015: 7.63 ft
  • July 5, 2013: 8.75 ft
  • May 14, 2012: 9.11 ft

Nearby

Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.

What this means

Forecasts by the Southeast River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued as needed during times of high water, but are not routinely available. River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 72 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.