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Alabama River at Selma

Highest listed crest 57.97 ftFlood stage 45.0 ft71 crests since 1886

The Alabama River at Selma crested at major flood stage 11 times among the 71 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1886 to 2020. The highest, 57.97 ft on March 1, 1961, was major flooding, 12.97 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Alabama River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
57.97 ft
March 1, 1961; 284,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
45.0 ft
Major flooding from 52.0 ft
Crests at major
11
4th of 89 gauges in Alabama
Most recent flood crest
March 8, 2020
50.00 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Dallas County
Near Selma (1.3 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 Selma
Action stage30.027Dec 31, 2018The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)45.06Apr 10, 2014Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage48.027Mar 8, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage52.011Mar 21, 1990Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

71 crests from 1886 to 2020. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Alabama River at Selma, 1886 to 2020 30405060ft Flood stage 45.0 ftMajor 52.0 ft Apr 8, 1886: 57.00 ft, major flooding; 248,000 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1891: 48.00 ft, moderate flooding; 136,000 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1892: 54.00 ft, major flooding; 179,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1893: 44.60 ft, action stage; 123,000 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1895: 42.60 ft, action stage; 117,000 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1897: 41.50 ft, action stage; 113,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1900: 48.00 ft, moderate flooding; 128,000 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 1901: 40.00 ft, action stage; 107,000 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1902: 50.70 ft, moderate flooding; 136,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 1903: 50.60 ft, moderate flooding; 136,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1905: 42.00 ft, action stage; 113,000 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1906: 50.40 ft, moderate flooding; 138,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1908: 43.00 ft, action stage; 116,000 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1909: 52.90 ft, major flooding; 146,000 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1912: 48.60 ft, moderate flooding; 133,000 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1913: 49.40 ft, moderate flooding; 135,000 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1917: 50.10 ft, moderate flooding; 148,000 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1920: 48.80 ft, moderate flooding; 145,000 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1922: 49.60 ft, moderate flooding; 150,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1923: 43.50 ft, action stage; 120,000 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1929: 56.00 ft, major floodingNov 20, 1929: 50.42 ft, moderate flooding; 161,000 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1933: 50.76 ft, moderate flooding; 164,000 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1934: 41.29 ft, action stage; 108,000 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1937: 42.32 ft, action stage; 117,000 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1942: 44.24 ft, action stage; 123,000 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1943: 52.40 ft, major flooding; 165,000 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1944: 49.80 ft, moderate flooding; 153,000 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 1946: 46.80 ft, minor flooding; 139,000 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 1947: 49.90 ft, moderate flooding; 153,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 1948: 40.70 ft, action stage; 111,000 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 1948: 56.00 ft, major flooding; 230,000 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1953: 40.20 ft, action stage; 112,000 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1955: 42.80 ft, action stage; 123,000 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1956: 43.00 ft, action stage; 129,000 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1961: 57.97 ft, major flooding; 284,000 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 1961: 51.40 ft, moderate flooding; 158,000 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 1963: 35.35 ft, action stage; 105,000 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1964: 53.39 ft, major flooding; 199,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1965: 33.60 ft, action stage; 97,000 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1971: 49.08 ft, moderate flooding; 167,000 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1975: 44.43 ft, action stage; 126,000 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1976: 49.83 ft, moderate flooding; 178,000 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1977: 48.19 ft, moderate flooding; 157,000 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1979: 55.02 ft, major flooding; 250,000 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1980: 50.72 ft, moderate floodingApr 1, 1980: 49.38 ft, moderate flooding; 174,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 5, 1982: 46.28 ft, minor flooding; 137,000 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1983: 49.22 ft, moderate flooding; 170,000 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1986: 57.00 ft, major flooding; 248,000 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1989: 48.00 ft, moderate flooding; 155,000 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1990: 45.27 ft, minor floodingFeb 21, 1990: 51.27 ft, moderate floodingMar 21, 1990: 56.80 ft, major flooding; 280,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1995: 37.87 ft, action stageMar 1, 1995: 33.50 ft, action stageMar 10, 1995: 40.76 ft, action stageJan 29, 1996: 42.99 ft, action stageFeb 5, 1996: 45.50 ft, minor floodingMar 11, 1998: 48.64 ft, moderate floodingMar 23, 2001: 43.46 ft, action stageApr 6, 2001: 42.82 ft, action stageMar 9, 2003: 37.30 ft, action stageMay 12, 2003: 44.42 ft, action stageSep 18, 2004: 34.95 ft, action stageApr 3, 2005: 48.97 ft, moderate floodingMar 14, 2010: 45.99 ft, minor floodingApr 10, 2014: 46.80 ft, minor floodingDec 28, 2015: 49.58 ft, moderate floodingDec 31, 2018: 44.87 ft, action stageMar 8, 2020: 50.00 ft, moderate flooding Highest, 57.97 ft, Mar 1, 1961 1900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Alabama River at Selma 1880s: 1 1890s: 2 1900s: 5 1910s: 3 1920s: 4 1930s: 1 1940s: 5 1950s: 0 1960s: 3 1970s: 4 1980s: 6 6 1990s: 5 2000s: 1 2010s: 3 2020s: 1 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 71 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Alabama River at Selma
1Mar 1, 196157.97+12.97Major284,000
2Apr 8, 188657.00+12.00Major248,000
3Apr 8, 198657.00+12.00Major248,000
4Mar 21, 199056.80+11.80Major280,000
5Mar 19, 192956.00+11.00Major—
6Dec 3, 194856.00+11.00Major230,000
7Apr 18, 197955.02+10.02Major250,000
8Jan 19, 189254.00+9.00Major179,000
9Apr 12, 196453.39+8.39Major199,000
10Mar 18, 190952.90+7.90Major146,000
11Mar 25, 194352.40+7.40Major165,000
12Dec 21, 196151.40+6.40Moderate158,000
13Feb 21, 199051.27+6.27Moderate—
14Jan 1, 193350.76+5.76Moderate164,000
15Mar 1, 198050.72+5.72Moderate—
16Apr 2, 190250.70+5.70Moderate136,000
17Feb 15, 190350.60+5.60Moderate136,000
18Nov 20, 192950.42+5.42Moderate161,000
19Mar 24, 190650.40+5.40Moderate138,000
20Mar 9, 191750.10+5.10Moderate148,000
21Mar 8, 202050.00+5.00Moderate—
22Jan 23, 194749.90+4.90Moderate153,000
23Apr 3, 197649.83+4.83Moderate178,000
24Apr 28, 194449.80+4.80Moderate153,000
25Mar 14, 192249.60+4.60Moderate150,000
26Dec 28, 201549.58+4.58Moderate—
27Mar 19, 191349.40+4.40Moderate135,000
28Apr 1, 198049.38+4.38Moderate174,000
29Apr 11, 198349.22+4.22Moderate170,000
30Mar 6, 197149.08+4.08Moderate167,000
31Apr 3, 200548.97+3.97Moderate—
32Apr 7, 192048.80+3.80Moderate145,000
33Mar 11, 199848.64+3.64Moderate—
34Apr 24, 191248.60+3.60Moderate133,000
35Apr 3, 197748.19+3.19Moderate157,000
36Mar 14, 189148.00+3.00Moderate136,000
37Feb 17, 190048.00+3.00Moderate128,000
38Jun 24, 198948.00+3.00Moderate155,000
39Jan 10, 194646.80+1.80Minor139,000
40Apr 10, 201446.80+1.80Minor—
41Feb 5, 198246.28+1.28Minor137,000
42Mar 14, 201045.99+0.99Minor—
43Feb 5, 199645.50+0.50Minor—
44Jan 27, 199045.27+0.27Minor—
45Dec 31, 201844.87−0.13Action—
46Feb 21, 189344.60−0.40Action123,000
47Mar 21, 197544.43−0.57Action126,000
48May 12, 200344.42−0.58Action—
49Mar 25, 194244.24−0.76Action123,000
50Feb 14, 192343.50−1.50Action120,000

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.

March 1, 1961: 57.97 ft here, major flooding

April 8, 1886: 57.00 ft here, major flooding

  • MontgomeryAL · Apr 1, 1886 · 59.70 ft · Major · its highest

March 21, 1990: 56.80 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Alabama River

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

Flood gauges on the Alabama River
MontgomeryAL35.059.70 ft, Apr 1, 18868
Henry Lock and DamAL122.0135.40 ft, Mar 20, 19901
Selma this gaugeAL45.057.97 ft, Mar 1, 196111
Miller's FerryAL66.086.00 ft, Mar 3, 19611
Claiborne DamAL42.056.60 ft, Mar 25, 19908

Other gauges in Dallas County

Flood gauges in Dallas County
Marion Junction36.043.80 ft, Feb 24, 19611

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SELA1, 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.