Rivers in Virginia
Dan River at South Boston
Below flood stage
4.47ftStage
Observed Tue, Sep 22, 6:00 AM EDT
- Flood stage
- 22.00 ft
- Forecast crest
- 8.30 ftWed, Sep 23, 8:00 PM EDT
- Record crest
- 33.37 ft1972
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 34.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 29.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 22.00 ft |
| Action | 18.00 ft |
- 29.00 ftFlooding from the Dan River inundates the intersection of Highway 501 and Route 58.
- 25.00 ftHighway 501 between Route 58 and the Dan River is closed as it is covered by up to 2 feet of water.
- 23.00 ftWater approaches Highway 501 between Route 58 and the Dan River.
- 19.00 ftFlooding begins in low-lying agricultural land and woods.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 27% |
| Moderate flooding | 5% |
| Major flooding | Under 5% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 15, 2026.
Crest history
153 crests on NOAA’s list since 1901.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | June 24, 1972 | 33.37 ft |
| 2 | September 8, 1996 | 33.22 ft |
| 3 | April 18, 1987 | 32.57 ft |
| 4 | August 16, 1940 | 31.80 ft |
| 5 | April 28, 1978 | 31.47 ft |
| 6 | October 13, 2018 | 31.40 ft |
| 7 | September 24, 1979 | 30.67 ft |
| 8 | February 9, 2020 | 30.56 ft |
| 9 | September 20, 1945 | 30.50 ft |
| 10 | March 23, 2003 | 30.34 ft |
| 11 | April 27, 2017 | 30.25 ft |
| 12 | May 24, 2020 | 30.11 ft |
| 13 | March 31, 1975 | 29.77 ft |
| 14 | November 15, 2020 | 29.44 ft |
| 15 | March 6, 1993 | 28.80 ft |
| 16 | January 21, 1936 | 28.50 ft |
| 17 | October 23, 1990 | 28.27 ft |
| 18 | April 30, 1994 | 28.26 ft |
| 19 | October 22, 1937 | 28.25 ft |
| 20 | June 30, 1995 | 28.24 ft |
| 21 | November 14, 2009 | 27.50 ft |
| 22 | April 13, 2003 | 27.36 ft |
| 23 | January 30, 1998 | 27.34 ft |
| 24 | October 4, 1989 | 27.33 ft |
| 25 | February 26, 2019 | 27.32 ft |
Most recent crests
- July 7, 2025: 22.07 ft
- February 15, 2025: 23.39 ft
- September 29, 2024: 20.47 ft
- September 19, 2024: 21.44 ft
- August 10, 2024: 23.31 ft
- May 18, 2024: 20.87 ft
- March 11, 2024: 19.01 ft
- January 30, 2024: 24.53 ft
- January 12, 2024: 26.89 ft
- December 28, 2023: 19.13 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. 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.
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.