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Alabama River at Montgomery

Highest listed crest 59.70 ftFlood stage 35.0 ft60 crests since 1886

The Alabama River at Montgomery crested at major flood stage 8 times among the 60 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1886 to 2025. The highest, 59.70 ft on April 1, 1886, was major flooding, 24.70 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Alabama River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
59.70 ft
April 1, 1886
Flood stage
35.0 ft
Major flooding from 53.0 ft
Crests at major
8
6th of 89 gauges in Alabama
Most recent flood crest
April 10, 2025
36.73 ft, minor flooding
Location
Montgomery County
Near Montgomery (4.1 mi), Millbrook (8.3 mi), Prattville (8.7 mi)

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Alabama River at Montgomery
Action stage26.010Dec 26, 2019The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)35.035Apr 10, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage45.07Apr 16, 1979Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage53.08Mar 19, 1990Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

60 crests from 1886 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Alabama River at Montgomery, 1886 to 2025 2030405060ft Flood stage 35.0 ftMajor 53.0 ft Apr 1, 1886: 59.70 ft, major floodingMar 22, 1906: 50.20 ft, moderate floodingJul 12, 1916: 51.70 ft, moderate floodingDec 11, 1919: 57.10 ft, major floodingJan 20, 1925: 53.40 ft, major floodingMar 17, 1929: 56.90 ft, major floodingMar 25, 1929: 49.60 ft, moderate floodingApr 11, 1938: 54.20 ft, major flooding; 267,000 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1943: 51.00 ft, moderate flooding; 238,000 cubic feet per secondNov 30, 1948: 56.00 ft, major flooding; 285,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1961: 58.10 ft, major flooding; 307,200 cubic feet per secondDec 20, 1961: 48.40 ft, moderate flooding; 217,200 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1964: 52.40 ft, moderate flooding; 249,200 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1970: 40.60 ft, minor flooding; 154,800 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1971: 44.40 ft, minor flooding; 185,200 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1973: 39.60 ft, minor flooding; 146,800 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1975: 38.40 ft, minor flooding; 137,200 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1976: 42.50 ft, minor flooding; 170,000 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1977: 41.80 ft, minor flooding; 164,400 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1979: 51.80 ft, moderate flooding; 254,000 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1980: 42.50 ft, minor floodingApr 10, 1983: 42.10 ft, minor flooding; 167,600 cubic feet per secondDec 7, 1983: 39.31 ft, minor flooding; 144,500 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1989: 43.29 ft, minor floodingFeb 21, 1990: 43.50 ft, minor flooding; 178,000 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1990: 54.75 ft, major flooding; 273,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1995: 32.13 ft, action stageMar 8, 1995: 39.37 ft, minor floodingOct 6, 1995: 40.01 ft, minor floodingNov 11, 1995: 31.74 ft, action stageDec 18, 1995: 33.22 ft, action stageJan 28, 1996: 37.00 ft, minor floodingFeb 4, 1996: 40.12 ft, minor floodingMar 9, 1996: 40.39 ft, minor floodingMar 2, 1997: 35.55 ft, minor floodingFeb 5, 1998: 36.55 ft, minor floodingMar 11, 1998: 42.94 ft, minor floodingMar 22, 2001: 38.00 ft, minor floodingApr 6, 2001: 36.54 ft, minor floodingJan 26, 2002: 30.28 ft, action stageMay 12, 2003: 41.01 ft, minor floodingMay 23, 2003: 36.24 ft, minor floodingJul 4, 2003: 38.38 ft, minor floodingSep 17, 2004: 31.08 ft, action stageApr 3, 2005: 42.28 ft, minor floodingNov 13, 2009: 37.73 ft, minor floodingFeb 6, 2010: 35.65 ft, minor floodingMar 11, 2011: 34.90 ft, action stageMar 4, 2012: 28.80 ft, action stageFeb 13, 2013: 34.07 ft, action stageApr 9, 2014: 39.37 ft, minor floodingDec 27, 2015: 44.60 ft, minor floodingFeb 14, 2018: 30.63 ft, action stageDec 31, 2018: 37.33 ft, minor floodingDec 26, 2019: 34.98 ft, action stageMar 7, 2020: 42.89 ft, minor floodingFeb 7, 2022: 35.27 ft, minor flooding; 126,588 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 2023: 36.50 ft, minor flooding; 133,920 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2024: 37.63 ft, minor flooding; 140,855 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 2025: 36.73 ft, minor flooding Highest, 59.70 ft, Apr 1, 1886 1900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Alabama River at Montgomery 1880s: 1 1890s: 0 1900s: 1 1910s: 2 1920s: 3 1930s: 1 1940s: 2 1950s: 0 1960s: 3 1970s: 7 1980s: 4 1990s: 10 10 2000s: 7 2010s: 4 2020s: 5 1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 60 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Alabama River at Montgomery
1Apr 1, 188659.70+24.70Major—
2Feb 26, 196158.10+23.10Major307,200
3Dec 11, 191957.10+22.10Major—
4Mar 17, 192956.90+21.90Major—
5Nov 30, 194856.00+21.00Major285,000
6Mar 19, 199054.75+19.75Major273,500
7Apr 11, 193854.20+19.20Major267,000
8Jan 20, 192553.40+18.40Major—
9Apr 10, 196452.40+17.40Moderate249,200
10Apr 16, 197951.80+16.80Moderate254,000
11Jul 12, 191651.70+16.70Moderate—
12Mar 23, 194351.00+16.00Moderate238,000
13Mar 22, 190650.20+15.20Moderate—
14Mar 25, 192949.60+14.60Moderate—
15Dec 20, 196148.40+13.40Moderate217,200
16Dec 27, 201544.60+9.60Minor—
17Mar 5, 197144.40+9.40Minor185,200
18Feb 21, 199043.50+8.50Minor178,000
19Jun 23, 198943.29+8.29Minor—
20Mar 11, 199842.94+7.94Minor—
21Mar 7, 202042.89+7.89Minor—
22Apr 2, 197642.50+7.50Minor170,000
23Apr 1, 198042.50+7.50Minor—
24Apr 3, 200542.28+7.28Minor—
25Apr 10, 198342.10+7.10Minor167,600
26Apr 1, 197741.80+6.80Minor164,400
27May 12, 200341.01+6.01Minor—
28Mar 24, 197040.60+5.60Minor154,800
29Mar 9, 199640.39+5.39Minor—
30Feb 4, 199640.12+5.12Minor—
31Oct 6, 199540.01+5.01Minor—
32Apr 3, 197339.60+4.60Minor146,800
33Mar 8, 199539.37+4.37Minor—
34Apr 9, 201439.37+4.37Minor—
35Dec 7, 198339.31+4.31Minor144,500
36Mar 20, 197538.40+3.40Minor137,200
37Jul 4, 200338.38+3.38Minor—
38Mar 22, 200138.00+3.00Minor—
39Nov 13, 200937.73+2.73Minor—
40Feb 14, 202437.63+2.63Minor140,855
41Dec 31, 201837.33+2.33Minor—
42Jan 28, 199637.00+2.00Minor—
43Apr 10, 202536.73+1.73Minor—
44Feb 5, 199836.55+1.55Minor—
45Apr 6, 200136.54+1.54Minor—
46Mar 28, 202336.50+1.50Minor133,920
47May 23, 200336.24+1.24Minor—
48Feb 6, 201035.65+0.65Minor—
49Mar 2, 199735.55+0.55Minor—
50Feb 7, 202235.27+0.27Minor126,588

The worst floods along the Alabama River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Alabama River that crested above flood stage within a week.

April 1, 1886: 59.70 ft here, major flooding

  • SelmaAL · Apr 8, 1886 · 57.00 ft · Major

February 26, 1961: 58.10 ft here, major flooding

  • Miller's FerryAL · Mar 3, 1961 · 86.00 ft · Major · its highest
  • SelmaAL · Mar 1, 1961 · 57.97 ft · Major · its highest

March 17, 1929: 56.90 ft here, major flooding

  • SelmaAL · Mar 19, 1929 · 56.00 ft · Major

Gauges on the Alabama River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Alabama River
Montgomery this gaugeAL35.059.70 ft, Apr 1, 18868
Henry Lock and DamAL122.0135.40 ft, Mar 20, 19901
SelmaAL45.057.97 ft, Mar 1, 196111
Miller's FerryAL66.086.00 ft, Mar 3, 19611
Claiborne DamAL42.056.60 ft, Mar 25, 19908

Other gauges in Montgomery County

Flood gauges in Montgomery County
Montgomery20.029.78 ft, Mar 17, 19903
Tallapoosa Water Plant25.042.13 ft, Mar 18, 19901

Montgomery County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Alabama

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MGMA1, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.