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Oconaluftee River below Contesky Dr, in Birdtown — water level right now

Swain County, North Carolina · NWS gauge BIRN7
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
10
minor flood stage
 
18
record crest
set 1906-11-19
–
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 · 8
minor · 10
moderate · 12
major · 13
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage13extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage12some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage10low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage8water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
1181906-11-19+8 above
214.51913-03-27+4.5 above
312.461969-12-30+2.46 above
412.291973-03-16+2.29 above
5121946-01-07+2 above
611.91963-03-06+1.9 above
711.471965-03-26+1.47 above
810.711990-03-17+0.71 above
910.691959-01-21+0.69 above
1010.671966-02-13+0.67 above
1110.621994-03-28+0.62 above
1210.531963-03-12+0.53 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

Deep Creek (NC) at Deep Creek road near Bryson City 5 mi away · loading… Tuckasegee River at Barkers creek nr Dillsboro 6 mi away · loading… Tuckasegee River below Everett St, in Bryson City 6 mi away · loading… Tuckasegee River near Scott's Creek inflow 9 mi away · loading… Scotts Creek near Beta 10 mi away · loading… Little Tennessee River near NEEDMORE 13 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDBIRN7
USGS site03512000
CountySwain
StateNorth Carolina
NWS forecast officeGreer
River forecast centerLower Mississippi River Forecast Center
Coordinates35.461, -83.354
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 Oconaluftee River below Contesky Dr, in Birdtown

Is Oconaluftee River below Contesky Dr, in Birdtown 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 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Oconaluftee River below Contesky Dr, in Birdtown?

major flood stage 13 ft, moderate flood stage 12 ft, minor flood stage 10 ft, action stage 8 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Oconaluftee River below Contesky Dr, in Birdtown?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 18 ft, reached on 1906-11-19 — that is 8 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 Greer and local emergency management.