TornadoLiveMap

Blackwater River (VA) above Franklin — water level right now

Southampton County, Virginia · NWS gauge FKNV2
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
10.8
minor flood stage
 
25.11
record crest
set 1999-09-18
–
flood status
official NWS category
Official NOAA forecast → USGS data → Full US flood map →

Flood stages at this gauge

Where the water stands right now against the four official thresholds:

action · 6.8
minor · 10.8
moderate · 14.8
major · 18.8
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage18.8extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage14.8some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage10.8low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage6.8water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
125.111999-09-18+14.31 above
221.612006-10-10+10.81 above
320.841940-08-19+10.04 above
416.111944-03-10+5.31 above
515.981960-09-14+5.18 above
615.632003-09-21+4.83 above
715.512016-10-10+4.71 above
814.491943-02-09+3.69 above
914.492020-09-20+3.69 above
1014.452006-09-04+3.65 above
1114.111998-02-07+3.31 above
1213.811963-06-06+3.01 above

Historic crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service — the 12 highest on file.

Where this gauge is

The marker is this gauge; nearby gauges load live and are clickable.

Nearby river gauges

Blackwater River (VA) near FRANKLIN 6 mi away · loading… Blackwater River (VA) near ZUNI 11 mi away · loading… Nottoway River near Sebrell 15 mi away · loading… Blackwater River (VA) at Dendron 18 mi away · loading… Nansemond River at Suffolk (IN MLLW) 18 mi away · loading… Nansemond River at Sleepy Hole Park (IN MLLW) 22 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDFKNV2
USGS site02049500
CountySouthampton
StateVirginia
NWS forecast officeWakefield
River forecast centerSoutheast River Forecast Center
Coordinates36.763, -76.899
Time zoneEST5EDT
Turn Around, Don't Drown. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet and twelve inches can float a car. Never drive around barricades or into water of unknown depth — most flood deaths happen in vehicles.

Questions about Blackwater River (VA) above Franklin

Is Blackwater River (VA) above Franklin flooding right now?

The live reading at the top of this page answers that: the gauge is compared against its official NWS flood stages every 15 minutes. Minor flooding at this gauge begins at 10.8 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Blackwater River (VA) above Franklin?

major flood stage 18.8 ft, moderate flood stage 14.8 ft, minor flood stage 10.8 ft, action stage 6.8 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Blackwater River (VA) above Franklin?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 25.11 ft, reached on 1999-09-18 — that is 14.31 ft above minor flood stage. The full list of the highest crests is in the table on this page.

Where does this data come from?

From the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, the official U.S. river gauge network — a U.S. government work in the public domain. Live stage is refreshed every 15 minutes; flood thresholds and historic crests are refreshed monthly. For life-safety decisions follow NWS Wakefield and local emergency management.