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Cahaba River near Cahaba Heights

Highest listed crest 28.86 ftFlood stage 14.0 ft41 crests since 1976

The Cahaba River near Cahaba Heights crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 41 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1976 to 2021. The highest, 28.86 ft on April 13, 1979, was major flooding, 14.86 feet above flood stage. 4 other gauges on the Cahaba River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
28.86 ft
April 13, 1979; 23,400 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
14.0 ft
Major flooding from 24.0 ft
Crests at major
3
23rd of 89 gauges in Alabama
Most recent flood crest
October 7, 2021
17.13 ft, minor flooding
Location
Shelby County
Near Vestavia Hills (3.2 mi), Hoover (4.9 mi), Homewood (5.0 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Cahaba River near Cahaba Heights
Action stage14.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)14.028Oct 7, 2021Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage22.05Apr 7, 2014Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage24.03May 8, 2003Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

41 crests from 1976 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Cahaba River near Cahaba Heights, 1976 to 2021 1015202530ft Flood stage 14.0 ftMajor 24.0 ft Mar 16, 1976: 20.70 ft, minor flooding; 12,400 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1976: 18.04 ft, minor flooding; 7,930 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1977: 21.67 ft, minor flooding; 14,400 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1979: 21.92 ft, minor flooding; 13,400 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1979: 28.86 ft, major flooding; 23,400 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1980: 15.98 ft, minor flooding; 6,770 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1980: 14.92 ft, minor flooding; 5,860 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1980: 17.89 ft, minor flooding; 8,590 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1982: 13.54 ft, below flood stage; 5,010 cubic feet per secondDec 1, 1982: 21.50 ft, minor flooding; 12,500 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 1983: 19.34 ft, minor flooding; 10,100 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1983: 16.21 ft, minor flooding; 6,950 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 1983: 20.33 ft, minor flooding; 11,200 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 1983: 15.27 ft, minor flooding; 6,180 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1997: 15.86 ft, minor flooding; 6,620 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 1998: 22.02 ft, moderate flooding; 13,200 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 1999: 24.00 ft, major flooding; 15,800 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2000: 22.28 ft, moderate flooding; 13,500 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2001: 21.88 ft, minor floodingSep 4, 2001: 18.30 ft, minor floodingSep 22, 2002: 15.11 ft, minor floodingMar 6, 2003: 11.13 ft, below flood stageMay 8, 2003: 27.91 ft, major floodingMay 19, 2003: 19.29 ft, minor floodingFeb 6, 2004: 18.97 ft, minor flooding; 9,660 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 2004: 23.95 ft, moderate flooding; 15,800 cubic feet per secondNov 24, 2004: 23.24 ft, moderate flooding; 14,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2006: 16.32 ft, minor floodingAug 26, 2008: 12.81 ft, below flood stage; 4,720 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 2011: 18.31 ft, minor floodingJan 27, 2012: 12.62 ft, below flood stage; 4,640 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2013: 19.28 ft, minor flooding; 9,990 cubic feet per secondAug 1, 2013: 14.78 ft, minor flooding; 5,830 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 2014: 23.58 ft, moderate flooding; 15,300 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 2015: 15.28 ft, minor flooding; 6,190 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 2015: 17.07 ft, minor flooding; 7,750 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 2016: 14.14 ft, minor flooding; 5,440 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2017: 12.45 ft, below flood stage; 4,570 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2018: 15.23 ft, minor flooding; 6,150 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2018: 19.65 ft, minor flooding; 10,400 cubic feet per secondOct 7, 2021: 17.13 ft, minor flooding; 7,432 cubic feet per second Highest, 28.86 ft, Apr 13, 1979 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Cahaba River near Cahaba Heights 1970s: 5 1980s: 8 1990s: 3 2000s: 10 10 2010s: 9 2020s: 1 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

Highest listed crests, Cahaba River near Cahaba Heights
1Apr 13, 197928.86+14.86Major23,400
2May 8, 200327.91+13.91Major—
3Jun 29, 199924.00+10.00Major15,800
4Sep 17, 200423.95+9.95Moderate15,800
5Apr 7, 201423.58+9.58Moderate15,300
6Nov 24, 200423.24+9.24Moderate14,800
7Apr 4, 200022.28+8.28Moderate13,500
8Jan 8, 199822.02+8.02Moderate13,200
9Mar 4, 197921.92+7.92Minor13,400
10Apr 4, 200121.88+7.88Minor—
11Apr 5, 197721.67+7.67Minor14,400
12Dec 1, 198221.50+7.50Minor12,500
13Mar 16, 197620.70+6.70Minor12,400
14Dec 3, 198320.33+6.33Minor11,200
15Dec 28, 201819.65+5.65Minor10,400
16May 20, 198319.34+5.34Minor10,100
17May 19, 200319.29+5.29Minor—
18May 18, 201319.28+5.28Minor9,990
19Feb 6, 200418.97+4.97Minor9,660
20Mar 9, 201118.31+4.31Minor—
21Sep 4, 200118.30+4.30Minor—
22Mar 31, 197618.04+4.04Minor7,930
23Mar 27, 198017.89+3.89Minor8,590
24Oct 7, 202117.13+3.13Minor7,432
25Dec 26, 201517.07+3.07Minor7,750
26Feb 7, 200616.32+2.32Minor—
27Nov 28, 198316.21+2.21Minor6,950
28Mar 13, 198015.98+1.98Minor6,770
29Jun 15, 199715.86+1.86Minor6,620
30Jan 4, 201515.28+1.28Minor6,190
31Dec 28, 198315.27+1.27Minor6,180
32Apr 15, 201815.23+1.23Minor6,150
33Sep 22, 200215.11+1.11Minor—
34Mar 21, 198014.92+0.92Minor5,860
35Aug 1, 201314.78+0.78Minor5,830
36Feb 3, 201614.14+0.14Minor5,440
37Jun 4, 198213.54−0.46Below flood stage5,010
38Aug 26, 200812.81−1.19Below flood stage4,720
39Jan 27, 201212.62−1.38Below flood stage4,640
40Apr 3, 201712.45−1.55Below flood stage4,570
41Mar 6, 200311.13−2.87Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Cahaba River

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

April 13, 1979: 28.86 ft here, major flooding

September 17, 2004: 23.95 ft here, moderate flooding

April 7, 2014: 23.58 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Cahaba River

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

Flood gauges on the Cahaba River
Cahaba Heights this gaugeAL14.028.86 ft, Apr 13, 19793
West BloctonAL13.019.97 ft, Apr 13, 19790
CentrevilleAL23.036.70 ft, Mar 28, 19020
SuttleAL32.044.00 ft, Feb 25, 19610
Marion JunctionAL36.043.80 ft, Feb 24, 19611

Other gauges in Shelby County

Flood gauges in Shelby County
Indian Trail Road8.012.28 ft, Oct 6, 20210
Pelham8.018.18 ft, Oct 6, 20211
Childersburg402.0412.86 ft, Feb 23, 19616

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CHGA1, 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.