Rivers in North Carolina
Neuse River at Smithfield
Below flood stage
4.71ftStage
Observed Tue, Sep 22, 5:15 PM EDT
- Flood stage
- 15.00 ft
- Forecast crest
- 9.10 ftThu, Sep 24, 2:00 PM EDT
- Record crest
- 29.09 ft2016
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 20.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 18.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 15.00 ft |
| Action | 14.00 ft |
- 40.00 ftWater reaches the railing of the US70 bridge.
- 36.00 ftThe US70 bridge is inundated.
- 30.00 ftHouses on the river side of Front Street flood.
- 28.50 ftThe water treatment plant will be flooded. Jaycee Park and North Front Street are flooded.
- 27.50 ftWater begins to flow over the dike at the water treatment plant. Flooding threatens the plant's main operations building.
- 23.00 ftHospital and Buffalo Roads are flooded.
- 20.00 ftMajor flooding begins. Flooding cuts off the water treatment plants access to the reservoir.
- 18.00 ftModerate flooding begins. The Smithfield town park and the Neuse Riverwalk at the US70 bridge are flooded.
- 15.00 ftMinor flooding begins. Flooding begins along the Neuse Riverwalk. Water nears the base of the holding tank at the water treatment plant.
- 14.00 ftAction Stage. The Neuse River begins to overflow on the left bank.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 31% |
| Moderate flooding | 15% |
| Major flooding | 7% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 15, 2026.
Crest history
56 crests on NOAA’s list since 1908.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 10, 2016 | 29.09 ft |
| 2 | September 8, 1996 | 27.40 ft |
| 3 | August 1, 1908 | 27.10 ft |
| 4 | July 24, 1919 | 26.80 ft |
| 5 | September 18, 1999 | 26.72 ft |
| 6 | October 3, 1929 | 26.40 ft |
| 7 | September 20, 1945 | 25.90 ft |
| 8 | April 27, 2017 | 25.36 ft |
| 9 | October 1, 1924 | 24.40 ft |
| 10 | February 5, 1973 | 23.65 ft |
| 11 | March 21, 1975 | 23.65 ft |
| 12 | June 16, 2006 | 22.95 ft |
| 13 | September 21, 1928 | 22.90 ft |
| 14 | January 24, 1954 | 22.80 ft |
| 15 | September 5, 1955 | 22.70 ft |
| 16 | March 7, 1952 | 22.40 ft |
| 17 | December 2, 1934 | 22.40 ft |
| 18 | July 20, 1975 | 21.92 ft |
| 19 | February 8, 2020 | 21.26 ft |
| 20 | February 8, 2020 | 21.26 ft |
| 21 | March 2, 1987 | 20.58 ft |
| 22 | November 15, 2018 | 19.89 ft |
| 23 | March 25, 1989 | 19.54 ft |
| 24 | August 10, 2024 | 19.47 ft |
| 25 | May 16, 2014 | 19.20 ft |
Most recent crests
- July 25, 2026: 15.05 ft
- March 18, 2025: 17.48 ft
- September 26, 2024: 17.74 ft
- September 23, 2024: 15.00 ft
- September 23, 2024: 15.00 ft
- September 18, 2024: 17.50 ft
- September 3, 2024: 15.65 ft
- August 20, 2024: 15.62 ft
- August 10, 2024: 19.47 ft
- May 1, 2023: 15.07 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
What this means
Forecasts by the Southeast River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued routinely year-round.
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.