Rivers in Virginia
Appomattox River at Matoaca
Below flood stage
1.50ftStage
Observed Sun, Sep 20, 10:45 AM EDT
- Flood stage
- 10.00 ft
- Forecast crest
- 1.60 ftSat, Sep 19, 8:00 PM EDT
- Record crest
- 18.39 ft1972
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 15.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 13.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 10.00 ft |
| Action | 8.00 ft |
- 36.08 ftElevation of the Pickett Avenue Bridge floor on southern end. Northern end of bridge is under water.
- 33.32 ftHeight of the bottom of Pickett Avenue Bridge floor support beam on southern end. Northern end of bridge is under water.
- 26.20 ftRiver stage sensor operating limit
- 22.78 ftElevation of Pickett Avenue Bridge...State Route 600...bridge floor on northern end of bridge.
- 18.86 ftHeight of the bottom of the bridge support beam on northern end of Pickett Avenue Bridge...State Route 600.
- 17.00 ftNear flood of record. Residential areas flooded.
- 15.00 ftMajor flooding begins. Secondary roads begin to flood. Some residential areas are threatened.
- 13.00 ftModerate flooding begins. Portions of Old Town Petersburg begin to flood.
- 10.00 ftMinor flooding begins. Canal begins to overflow along the right bank.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 10% |
| Moderate flooding | Under 5% |
| Major flooding | Under 5% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued August 28, 2026.
Crest history
69 crests on NOAA’s list since 1971.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 7, 1972 | 18.39 ft |
| 2 | May 26, 2003 | 14.61 ft |
| 3 | June 27, 1972 | 14.60 ft |
| 4 | February 26, 1979 | 14.37 ft |
| 5 | October 25, 1971 | 14.10 ft |
| 6 | October 14, 2018 | 13.86 ft |
| 7 | August 31, 2004 | 13.57 ft |
| 8 | October 3, 1979 | 13.09 ft |
| 9 | September 20, 2003 | 12.86 ft |
| 10 | February 16, 1984 | 12.63 ft |
| 11 | March 19, 1975 | 12.31 ft |
| 12 | November 6, 1985 | 12.07 ft |
| 13 | April 18, 1987 | 12.04 ft |
| 14 | March 12, 1978 | 11.98 ft |
| 15 | March 21, 1998 | 11.97 ft |
| 16 | September 24, 1979 | 11.80 ft |
| 17 | September 16, 1999 | 11.58 ft |
| 18 | May 2, 1978 | 11.40 ft |
| 19 | December 26, 2015 | 11.34 ft |
| 20 | March 6, 1993 | 11.32 ft |
| 21 | September 12, 1996 | 11.17 ft |
| 22 | March 4, 1994 | 11.10 ft |
| 23 | August 3, 2004 | 10.96 ft |
| 24 | October 9, 2006 | 10.73 ft |
| 25 | May 31, 1971 | 10.70 ft |
Most recent crests
- February 18, 2025: 10.62 ft
- January 15, 2024: 9.95 ft
- January 13, 2024: 10.52 ft
- January 12, 2024: 10.52 ft
- November 17, 2020: 10.58 ft
- March 23, 2019: 7.96 ft
- February 25, 2019: 8.55 ft
- November 18, 2018: 8.83 ft
- October 14, 2018: 13.86 ft
- September 20, 2018: 9.85 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
What this means
Forecasts by the Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued routinely year-round. Gauge reading affected by reservoir operations. 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.
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.