Rivers in Virginia
Rivanna River at Palmyra
Below flood stage
2.29ftStage
Observed Tue, Sep 22, 11:20 AM EDT
- Flood stage
- 17.00 ft
- Forecast crest
- 4.00 ftWed, Sep 23, 8:00 PM EDT
- Record crest
- 39.85 ft1969
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 32.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 25.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 17.00 ft |
| Action | 15.00 ft |
- 44.50 ftRiver stage sensor operating limit
- 22.00 ftFarmland flooded downstream, including a section of Carysbrook Road.
- 18.00 ftRiver out of banks at Palmyra with flooding of town boat launch and upstream at Crofton Boat Ramp.
- 17.00 ftBankfull and flood stage. Overflow begins on right bank, affecting adjacent farmland and floodplain
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 8% |
| 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
138 crests on NOAA’s list since 1934.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 20, 1969 | 39.85 ft |
| 2 | June 22, 1972 | 37.34 ft |
| 3 | October 16, 1942 | 36.50 ft |
| 4 | April 26, 1937 | 33.35 ft |
| 5 | September 7, 1996 | 31.54 ft |
| 6 | October 6, 1972 | 31.07 ft |
| 7 | September 19, 1944 | 30.50 ft |
| 8 | March 18, 1936 | 29.26 ft |
| 9 | August 19, 1955 | 29.00 ft |
| 10 | December 4, 1948 | 26.78 ft |
| 11 | September 9, 1987 | 26.65 ft |
| 12 | November 5, 1985 | 26.53 ft |
| 13 | March 20, 1975 | 26.38 ft |
| 14 | May 6, 1989 | 26.33 ft |
| 15 | September 6, 1935 | 26.27 ft |
| 16 | March 5, 1993 | 26.25 ft |
| 17 | September 19, 2003 | 25.91 ft |
| 18 | April 17, 1987 | 25.59 ft |
| 19 | May 31, 2018 | 25.51 ft |
| 20 | September 6, 1979 | 25.50 ft |
| 21 | January 20, 1996 | 24.80 ft |
| 22 | September 17, 1934 | 24.75 ft |
| 23 | May 16, 2014 | 24.72 ft |
| 24 | September 22, 1979 | 24.45 ft |
| 25 | February 15, 1984 | 24.42 ft |
Most recent crests
- May 14, 2025: 22.06 ft
- October 1, 2024: 23.29 ft
- September 26, 2024: 19.76 ft
- January 10, 2024: 23.67 ft
- December 25, 2020: 20.94 ft
- November 12, 2020: 22.88 ft
- April 14, 2020: 17.37 ft
- March 22, 2019: 17.20 ft
- December 21, 2018: 19.57 ft
- December 16, 2018: 16.30 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
- UpstreamNorth Fork Rivanna River at Earlysville
- DownstreamJames River (VA) at Cartersville
- James River (VA) at Bremo Bluff
- Hardware River at BRIERY RUN NR SCOTTSVILLE
- Slate River at Arvonia
- James River (VA) at Scottsville
- South Fork Rivanna River at Hollymead near Charlottesville
- Preddy Creek At Watts Passage
What this means
Forecasts by the Middle Atlantic 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 72 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time. Stage may be affected by ice.
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.