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Buttahatchee River Below Hamilton

Highest listed crest 35.49 ftFlood stage 20.0 ft33 crests since 1951

The Buttahatchee River Below Hamilton crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 33 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1951 to 2019. The highest, 35.49 ft on March 16, 1973, was major flooding, 15.49 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
35.49 ft
March 16, 1973; 49,500 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
20.0 ft
Major flooding from 28.0 ft
Crests at major
5
18th of 89 gauges in Alabama
Most recent flood crest
February 20, 2019
23.08 ft, minor flooding
Location
Marion County
Alabama

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Buttahatchee River Below Hamilton
Action stage13.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)20.021Feb 20, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage26.07Nov 24, 2004Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage28.05Dec 25, 2015Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

33 crests from 1951 to 2019. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Buttahatchee River Below Hamilton, 1951 to 2019 2025303540ft Flood stage 20.0 ftMajor 28.0 ft Mar 29, 1951: 26.30 ft, moderate flooding; 24,200 cubic feet per secondDec 8, 1951: 23.46 ft, minor flooding; 18,900 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1955: 22.10 ft, minor flooding; 17,200 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1962: 26.75 ft, moderate flooding; 23,000 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1963: 25.90 ft, minor flooding; 21,900 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 1967: 28.33 ft, major flooding; 27,900 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 1969: 26.13 ft, moderate flooding; 23,300 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1973: 35.49 ft, major flooding; 49,500 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1975: 26.95 ft, moderate flooding; 24,000 cubic feet per secondOct 17, 1975: 22.92 ft, minor flooding; 16,200 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1977: 28.23 ft, major flooding; 27,700 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1978: 21.39 ft, minor flooding; 14,500 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1980: 23.39 ft, minor flooding; 19,000 cubic feet per secondJan 3, 1982: 22.32 ft, minor flooding; 17,600 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1983: 26.56 ft, moderate flooding; 23,500 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 1983: 24.10 ft, minor flooding; 19,900 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 1985: 25.10 ft, minor flooding; 21,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1989: 21.99 ft, minor flooding; 15,300 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 1990: 28.87 ft, major flooding; 29,000 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 1991: 26.24 ft, moderate flooding; 22,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 1994: 25.27 ft, minor flooding; 20,600 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 1997: 25.92 ft, minor flooding; 22,000 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 1998: 22.54 ft, minor flooding; 15,900 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 1999: 21.97 ft, minor flooding; 15,300 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2001: 23.40 ft, minor flooding; 17,500 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 2002: 24.38 ft, minor flooding; 19,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 2003: 22.06 ft, minor flooding; 15,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 2004: 24.93 ft, minor flooding; 19,900 cubic feet per secondNov 24, 2004: 26.95 ft, moderate flooding; 24,300 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2009: 21.53 ft, minor flooding; 14,700 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 2011: 22.57 ft, minor flooding; 16,000 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 2015: 32.73 ft, major flooding; 40,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 2019: 23.08 ft, minor flooding; 16,500 cubic feet per second Highest, 35.49 ft, Mar 16, 1973 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Buttahatchee River Below Hamilton 1950s: 3 1960s: 4 1970s: 5 1980s: 6 6 1990s: 6 2000s: 6 2010s: 3 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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

Highest listed crests, Buttahatchee River Below Hamilton
1Mar 16, 197335.49+15.49Major49,500
2Dec 25, 201532.73+12.73Major40,100
3Dec 23, 199028.87+8.87Major29,000
4Dec 18, 196728.33+8.33Major27,900
5Mar 4, 197728.23+8.23Major27,700
6Mar 13, 197526.95+6.95Moderate24,000
7Nov 24, 200426.95+6.95Moderate24,300
8Apr 11, 196226.75+6.75Moderate23,000
9May 19, 198326.56+6.56Moderate23,500
10Mar 29, 195126.30+6.30Moderate24,200
11Dec 2, 199126.24+6.24Moderate22,700
12Dec 30, 196926.13+6.13Moderate23,300
13May 3, 199725.92+5.92Minor22,000
14May 26, 196325.90+5.90Minor21,900
15Feb 11, 199425.27+5.27Minor20,600
16May 2, 198525.10+5.10Minor21,600
17Feb 6, 200424.93+4.93Minor19,900
18May 3, 200224.38+4.38Minor19,000
19Dec 3, 198324.10+4.10Minor19,900
20Dec 8, 195123.46+3.46Minor18,900
21Apr 4, 200123.40+3.40Minor17,500
22Mar 17, 198023.39+3.39Minor19,000
23Feb 20, 201923.08+3.08Minor16,500
24Oct 17, 197522.92+2.92Minor16,200
25Jan 1, 201122.57+2.57Minor16,000
26Jan 7, 199822.54+2.54Minor15,900
27Jan 3, 198222.32+2.32Minor17,600
28Mar 21, 195522.10+2.10Minor17,200
29Feb 22, 200322.06+2.06Minor15,400
30Feb 28, 198921.99+1.99Minor15,300
31Jan 23, 199921.97+1.97Minor15,300
32May 6, 200921.53+1.53Minor14,700
33May 8, 197821.39+1.39Minor14,500

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge HMTA1, 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.