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Alabama River near Claiborne Dam

Highest listed crest 56.60 ftFlood stage 42.0 ft67 crests since 1972

The Alabama River near Claiborne Dam crested at major flood stage 8 times among the 67 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1972 to 2025. The highest, 56.60 ft on March 25, 1990, was major flooding, 14.60 feet above flood stage. 4 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
56.60 ft
March 25, 1990
Flood stage
42.0 ft
Major flooding from 52.0 ft
Crests at major
8
6th of 89 gauges in Alabama
Most recent flood crest
June 1, 2025
42.31 ft, minor flooding
Location
Monroe County
Alabama

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Alabama River near Claiborne Dam
Action stage35.06Aug 29, 2008The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)42.037Jun 1, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage48.016Apr 26, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage52.08Mar 12, 2020Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

67 crests from 1972 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Alabama River near Claiborne Dam, 1972 to 2025 354045505560ft Flood stage 42.0 ftMajor 52.0 ft Jan 18, 1972: 50.20 ft, moderate floodingMar 12, 1979: 53.20 ft, major floodingApr 22, 1979: 55.45 ft, major flooding; 216,000 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1981: 46.70 ft, minor flooding; 130,000 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1983: 52.75 ft, major flooding; 160,000 cubic feet per secondDec 11, 1983: 49.43 ft, moderate flooding; 133,000 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1989: 51.00 ft, moderate floodingApr 12, 1989: 44.60 ft, minor floodingJan 29, 1990: 49.70 ft, moderate floodingFeb 25, 1990: 54.30 ft, major floodingMar 25, 1990: 56.60 ft, major floodingFeb 25, 1991: 44.32 ft, minor flooding; 117,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1992: 42.93 ft, minor flooding; 114,000 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 1992: 47.40 ft, minor flooding; 144,000 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1993: 46.80 ft, minor floodingDec 27, 1993: 48.80 ft, moderate floodingApr 20, 1994: 40.20 ft, action stageMar 13, 1995: 46.00 ft, minor floodingFeb 4, 1996: 49.30 ft, moderate flooding; 133,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 1996: 50.30 ft, moderate floodingMar 6, 1997: 45.60 ft, minor floodingMar 15, 1998: 51.78 ft, moderate flooding; 213,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 1999: 46.72 ft, minor floodingApr 9, 2000: 42.48 ft, minor floodingMar 8, 2001: 48.69 ft, moderate floodingJan 29, 2002: 38.45 ft, action stageJul 8, 2003: 47.59 ft, minor floodingSep 20, 2004: 41.53 ft, action stageFeb 28, 2006: 39.72 ft, action stageNov 28, 2006: 35.56 ft, action stageAug 29, 2008: 36.63 ft, action stageNov 16, 2009: 47.79 ft, minor floodingDec 22, 2009: 50.31 ft, moderate floodingJan 29, 2010: 47.27 ft, minor floodingFeb 10, 2010: 47.53 ft, minor floodingMar 16, 2010: 48.96 ft, moderate flooding; 174,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 2013: 51.36 ft, moderate floodingMar 1, 2013: 46.79 ft, minor floodingApr 13, 2014: 50.67 ft, moderate flooding; 171,000 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 2015: 42.84 ft, minor floodingJan 2, 2016: 53.69 ft, major floodingFeb 8, 2016: 42.06 ft, minor floodingFeb 28, 2016: 45.77 ft, minor flooding; 129,595 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2017: 48.81 ft, moderate flooding; 154,318 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 2018: 42.16 ft, minor flooding; 101,204 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 2019: 50.80 ft, moderate flooding; 173,427 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 2019: 46.33 ft, minor flooding; 124,805 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 2019: 46.91 ft, minor flooding; 117,000 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 2020: 43.86 ft, minor flooding; 109,796 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 2020: 53.66 ft, major flooding; 202,900 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2020: 52.68 ft, major floodingApr 26, 2020: 48.68 ft, moderate flooding; 152,000 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2021: 45.64 ft, minor flooding; 118,676 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 2021: 43.62 ft, minor flooding; 108,575 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 2022: 46.84 ft, minor flooding; 130,691 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2022: 43.48 ft, minor flooding; 101,000 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 2022: 43.62 ft, minor flooding; 109,032 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 2022: 44.92 ft, minor floodingApr 21, 2022: 42.52 ft, minor floodingApr 1, 2023: 45.98 ft, minor flooding; 120,833 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 2024: 43.81 ft, minor floodingJan 29, 2024: 42.57 ft, minor floodingFeb 18, 2024: 47.26 ft, minor flooding; 139,406 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2024: 46.09 ft, minor flooding; 131,721 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 2025: 42.79 ft, minor floodingApr 13, 2025: 46.96 ft, minor flooding; 138,853 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2025: 42.31 ft, minor flooding; 114,800 cubic feet per second Highest, 56.60 ft, Mar 25, 1990 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Alabama River near Claiborne Dam 1970s: 3 1980s: 5 1990s: 14 2000s: 5 2010s: 15 2020s: 19 19 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 67 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Alabama River near Claiborne Dam
1Mar 25, 199056.60+14.60Major—
2Apr 22, 197955.45+13.45Major216,000
3Feb 25, 199054.30+12.30Major—
4Jan 2, 201653.69+11.69Major—
5Feb 26, 202053.66+11.66Major202,900
6Mar 12, 197953.20+11.20Major—
7Apr 13, 198352.75+10.75Major160,000
8Mar 12, 202052.68+10.68Major—
9Mar 15, 199851.78+9.78Moderate213,000
10Feb 16, 201351.36+9.36Moderate—
11Mar 15, 198951.00+9.00Moderate—
12Jan 4, 201950.80+8.80Moderate173,427
13Apr 13, 201450.67+8.67Moderate171,000
14Dec 22, 200950.31+8.31Moderate—
15Feb 8, 199650.30+8.30Moderate—
16Jan 18, 197250.20+8.20Moderate—
17Jan 29, 199049.70+7.70Moderate—
18Dec 11, 198349.43+7.43Moderate133,000
19Feb 4, 199649.30+7.30Moderate133,000
20Mar 16, 201048.96+6.96Moderate174,000
21Jun 27, 201748.81+6.81Moderate154,318
22Dec 27, 199348.80+6.80Moderate—
23Mar 8, 200148.69+6.69Moderate—
24Apr 26, 202048.68+6.68Moderate152,000
25Nov 16, 200947.79+5.79Minor—
26Jul 8, 200347.59+5.59Minor—
27Feb 10, 201047.53+5.53Minor—
28Dec 21, 199247.40+5.40Minor144,000
29Jan 29, 201047.27+5.27Minor—
30Feb 18, 202447.26+5.26Minor139,406
31Apr 13, 202546.96+4.96Minor138,853
32Mar 2, 201946.91+4.91Minor117,000
33Feb 9, 202246.84+4.84Minor130,691
34Jan 25, 199346.80+4.80Minor—
35Mar 1, 201346.79+4.79Minor—
36Feb 4, 199946.72+4.72Minor—
37Apr 5, 198146.70+4.70Minor130,000
38Jan 28, 201946.33+4.33Minor124,805
39Mar 13, 202446.09+4.09Minor131,721
40Mar 13, 199546.00+4.00Minor—
41Apr 1, 202345.98+3.98Minor120,833
42Feb 28, 201645.77+3.77Minor129,595
43Apr 3, 202145.64+3.64Minor118,676
44Mar 6, 199745.60+3.60Minor—
45Apr 10, 202244.92+2.92Minor—
46Apr 12, 198944.60+2.60Minor—
47Feb 25, 199144.32+2.32Minor117,000
48Jan 19, 202043.86+1.86Minor109,796
49Jan 13, 202443.81+1.81Minor—
50May 11, 202143.62+1.62Minor108,575

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 25, 1990: 56.60 ft here, major flooding

April 22, 1979: 55.45 ft here, major flooding

February 25, 1990: 54.30 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
SelmaAL45.057.97 ft, Mar 1, 196111
Miller's FerryAL66.086.00 ft, Mar 3, 19611
Claiborne Dam this gaugeAL42.056.60 ft, Mar 25, 19908

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CLBA1, 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.