Rivers in West Virginia
Cheat River at Parsons
Below flood stage
6.19ftStage
Observed Tue, Sep 22, 12:00 AM EDT
- Flood stage
- 18.50 ft
- Forecast crest
- 9.70 ftTue, Sep 22, 8:00 PM EDT
- Record crest
- 24.30 ft1985
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 23.50 ft |
| Moderate flood | 21.50 ft |
| Minor flood | 18.50 ft |
| Action | 15.10 ft |
- 21.50 ftWater begins to flood low lying sections of Parsons along Walnut, 2nd, 3rd and Water Streets and in the south end of Parsons, Poplar and Missouri Streets. Flooding also occurs along areas near River Avenue, Currance Street and around the Parsons Nursery.
- 20.00 ftFlooding affects portions of Water Street, Walnut Street, 4th Street, River Avenue and Buchanan Street.
- 19.50 ftWater levels reach the flood levels of the flood of February 19, 2000.
- 18.50 ftWater floods areas of 4th Street, Water Street and Central Avenue.
- 17.50 ftWater covers much of Parsons City Park closest to Shavers Fork and back yards of homes on lower end of 4th Street.
- 16.90 ftWater rises to the level reached on July 29, 2017.
- 15.00 ftWater affects the low end of Parsons City Park closest to the Shavers Fork.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | Under 5% |
| Moderate flooding | Under 5% |
| Major flooding | Under 5% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 15, 2026.
Crest history
38 crests on NOAA’s list since 1888.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | November 5, 1985 | 24.30 ft |
| 2 | July 10, 1888 | 20.50 ft |
| 3 | January 19, 1996 | 19.80 ft |
| 4 | October 16, 1954 | 19.08 ft |
| 5 | February 9, 1994 | 18.97 ft |
| 6 | March 12, 1917 | 18.90 ft |
| 7 | June 30, 2019 | 17.58 ft |
| 8 | March 29, 1924 | 17.50 ft |
| 9 | February 4, 1932 | 17.20 ft |
| 10 | March 13, 1918 | 17.00 ft |
| 11 | July 29, 2017 | 16.90 ft |
| 12 | February 19, 2000 | 16.70 ft |
| 13 | March 1, 2021 | 16.25 ft |
| 14 | March 17, 1936 | 16.19 ft |
| 15 | March 19, 1963 | 16.18 ft |
| 16 | May 8, 1994 | 16.18 ft |
| 17 | March 7, 1967 | 15.00 ft |
| 18 | May 26, 1990 | 14.77 ft |
| 19 | March 20, 2002 | 14.70 ft |
| 20 | October 9, 1976 | 14.50 ft |
| 21 | January 26, 2010 | 13.80 ft |
| 22 | June 23, 1972 | 13.79 ft |
| 23 | December 22, 1970 | 13.78 ft |
| 24 | March 22, 1962 | 13.50 ft |
| 25 | March 5, 1964 | 13.50 ft |
Most recent crests
- March 1, 2021: 16.25 ft
- June 30, 2019: 17.58 ft
- February 8, 2019: 8.66 ft
- January 20, 2019: 10.82 ft
- September 28, 2018: 13.10 ft
- July 29, 2017: 16.90 ft
- March 5, 2015: 12.77 ft
- March 5, 2015: 11.79 ft
- May 16, 2014: 12.54 ft
- May 18, 2011: 11.35 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
What this means
Forecasts by the Ohio River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued routinely year-round. The above river forecast includes future rainfall/snowmelt. Forecast stages may be different if the actual rainfall/snowmelt is different than the forecast rainfall/snowmelt. 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.