61
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$785K
Property damage
Flood in Watauga County, North Carolina: 61 recorded events between 1999 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #179 nationally and #2 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flood in Watauga County, North Carolina: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flood in Watauga County is the 2020s, when 34 of the county's 61 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Watauga County archive, flood makes up 17.7% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #179 for this hazard and #2 within North Carolina, putting it in the 93.9 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for flood in Watauga County with 14 recorded events, while Feb is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 13, 2025 | AHO | 0 | $0 |
| May 13, 2025 | BLOWING ROCK | 0 | $15K |
| May 13, 2025 | SANDS | 0 | $0 |
| May 13, 2025 | VALLE CRUCIS | 0 | $0 |
| May 13, 2025 | FOSCOE | 0 | $0 |
| Dec 29, 2024 | ROMINGER | 0 | $0 |
| Dec 29, 2024 | FOSCOE | 0 | $0 |
| Dec 29, 2024 | SHULLS MILLS | 0 | $15K |
| Dec 29, 2024 | FOSCOE | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 12, 2024 | ROMINGER | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Watauga County
- Flash Flood 85
- Hail 75
- Thunderstorm Wind 67
- Heavy Rain 40
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
There was significant flooding across parts of Watauga County with several roads closed. Substantial damage occurred to road and culvert infrastructure across parts of the county. Ar mudslide occurred on Route 421 near Mt. Zion Road.
Numerous roads were flooded across Watauga County with substantial damage to several roads and stabilization stone needed for up to eighteen gravel roads. The Watauga River at Sugar Grove (SGWN7) crested at 8.40 feet, above the flood stage of 6 feet, early on the 7th, covering several low water bridges and affecting roads along the river.
The Watauga River flooded along much of its course from Shulls Mill to Sugar Grove with several low water bridges flooded and other roads near the river. Several people were rescued from a car stranded in flood waters from the Watauga River in the Shulls Mill area. Several buildings in the Valle Crucis area received some flooding. The Watauga River at Sugar Grove (SGWN7) crested at 15.40 feet, just short of Moderate Flood Stage (16 feet) on the afternoon of the 9th, the highest level since the May 2018 flood and 2nd highest since 2004. According to USGS data it was approximately a 5-year recurrence interval (0.20 annual chance flood). The IFLOWS stream gage upstream near Foscoe (FOSN7) crested at 11.48 feet (Minor Flood Stage – 9 ft.), which was the 2nd highest in the fairly brief history at this gage (since about 2010).
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flood events are on record in Watauga County, North Carolina?
61 flood events are recorded in Watauga County between 1999 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flood recorded in Watauga County?
The strongest flood on record in Watauga County measured 0.
Where does the flood data for Watauga County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Flood in Watauga County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/watauga-county/flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.