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Chattooga River above Gaylesville

Highest listed crest 24.25 ftFlood stage 13.0 ft71 crests since 1951

The Chattooga River above Gaylesville crested at major flood stage 6 times among the 71 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1951 to 2026. The highest, 24.25 ft on February 17, 1990, was major flooding, 11.25 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Chattooga River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
24.25 ft
February 17, 1990; 23,300 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
13.0 ft
Major flooding from 22.0 ft
Crests at major
6
11th of 89 gauges in Alabama
Most recent flood crest
January 10, 2026
13.52 ft, minor flooding
Location
Cherokee County
Alabama

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Chattooga River above Gaylesville
Flood stage (minor)13.059Jan 10, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage21.01Dec 27, 2015Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage22.06Sep 5, 2022Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

71 crests from 1951 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Chattooga River above Gaylesville, 1951 to 2026 510152025ft Flood stage 13.0 ftMajor 22.0 ft Mar 30, 1951: 23.48 ft, major flooding; 32,900 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1960: 13.93 ft, minor flooding; 4,050 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 1961: 20.56 ft, minor flooding; 12,000 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1962: 20.34 ft, minor flooding; 11,500 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1963: 20.95 ft, minor flooding; 13,600 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1964: 20.85 ft, minor flooding; 13,300 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1965: 18.94 ft, minor flooding; 10,100 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1966: 22.03 ft, major flooding; 16,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1967: 14.60 ft, minor flooding; 4,460 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1970: 16.35 ft, minor flooding; 5,620 cubic feet per secondFeb 5, 1971: 16.36 ft, minor flooding; 5,620 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 1972: 18.96 ft, minor flooding; 9,820 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1973: 20.25 ft, minor flooding; 12,500 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1974: 17.56 ft, minor flooding; 7,200 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 1975: 18.60 ft, minor flooding; 9,100 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1976: 14.97 ft, minor flooding; 4,680 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1977: 20.42 ft, minor flooding; 12,800 cubic feet per secondNov 7, 1977: 18.43 ft, minor flooding; 8,720 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1979: 22.17 ft, major flooding; 16,800 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1980: 19.38 ft, minor flooding; 10,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 1981: 13.79 ft, minor flooding; 4,450 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 1982: 22.23 ft, major flooding; 17,000 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 1982: 19.77 ft, minor flooding; 11,400 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1984: 18.12 ft, minor flooding; 8,120 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1985: 17.94 ft, minor flooding; 7,840 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1986: 10.88 ft, below flood stage; 3,180 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1987: 17.76 ft, minor flooding; 7,330 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1988: 17.15 ft, minor flooding; 6,660 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1989: 16.65 ft, minor flooding; 6,230 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1990: 24.25 ft, major flooding; 23,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1991: 18.04 ft, minor flooding; 7,860 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1992: 16.95 ft, minor flooding; 6,710 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 1993: 14.71 ft, minor flooding; 5,320 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1994: 20.55 ft, minor flooding; 12,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1995: 18.83 ft, minor flooding; 9,110 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1996: 20.14 ft, minor flooding; 11,600 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1997: 17.12 ft, minor flooding; 6,870 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1998: 17.08 ft, minor flooding; 6,830 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 1999: 14.17 ft, minor flooding; 4,980 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2000: 17.91 ft, minor flooding; 7,700 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2001: 16.84 ft, minor flooding; 6,630 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2002: 16.17 ft, minor flooding; 6,130 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2003: 19.65 ft, minor flooding; 10,600 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2004: 16.64 ft, minor flooding; 7,110 cubic feet per secondNov 25, 2004: 18.44 ft, minor flooding; 9,020 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 2006: 8.21 ft, below flood stage; 1,910 cubic feet per secondNov 16, 2006: 12.04 ft, below flood stage; 4,020 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2008: 12.14 ft, below flood stage; 4,070 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 2009: 20.78 ft, minor flooding; 13,000 cubic feet per secondDec 10, 2009: 18.96 ft, minor flooding; 9,650 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2011: 18.41 ft, minor flooding; 8,980 cubic feet per secondNov 30, 2011: 14.55 ft, minor flooding; 5,480 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 2013: 18.25 ft, minor flooding; 8,790 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 2014: 16.70 ft, minor flooding; 7,160 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 2015: 12.35 ft, below flood stage; 4,170 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 2015: 21.57 ft, moderate flooding; 13,900 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2017: 14.69 ft, minor flooding; 5,440 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 2018: 15.51 ft, minor flooding; 5,970 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 2019: 19.04 ft, minor flooding; 10,200 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 2021: 19.99 ft, minor flooding; 11,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 2022: 13.82 ft, minor floodingFeb 24, 2022: 16.06 ft, minor floodingMar 24, 2022: 13.91 ft, minor floodingSep 5, 2022: 22.98 ft, major floodingDec 7, 2022: 14.57 ft, minor floodingJan 10, 2024: 16.65 ft, minor floodingFeb 13, 2024: 13.92 ft, minor floodingMar 9, 2024: 13.66 ft, minor floodingFeb 14, 2025: 15.22 ft, minor floodingApr 7, 2025: 15.52 ft, minor floodingJan 10, 2026: 13.52 ft, minor flooding Highest, 24.25 ft, Feb 17, 1990 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Chattooga River above Gaylesville 1950s: 1 1960s: 8 1970s: 10 1980s: 9 1990s: 10 2000s: 8 2010s: 8 2020s: 12 12 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Chattooga River above Gaylesville
1Feb 17, 199024.25+11.25Major23,300
2Mar 30, 195123.48+10.48Major32,900
3Sep 5, 202222.98+9.98Major—
4Jan 4, 198222.23+9.23Major17,000
5Apr 13, 197922.17+9.17Major16,800
6Mar 5, 196622.03+9.03Major16,500
7Dec 27, 201521.57+8.57Moderate13,900
8Apr 30, 196320.95+7.95Minor13,600
9Mar 26, 196420.85+7.85Minor13,300
10Sep 22, 200920.78+7.78Minor13,000
11Feb 23, 196120.56+7.56Minor12,000
12Mar 29, 199420.55+7.55Minor12,500
13Apr 5, 197720.42+7.42Minor12,800
14Jan 28, 196220.34+7.34Minor11,500
15Mar 18, 197320.25+7.25Minor12,500
16Jan 27, 199620.14+7.14Minor11,600
17Mar 26, 202119.99+6.99Minor11,400
18Dec 2, 198219.77+6.77Minor11,400
19May 7, 200319.65+6.65Minor10,600
20Mar 22, 198019.38+6.38Minor10,600
21Feb 23, 201919.04+6.04Minor10,200
22May 15, 197218.96+5.96Minor9,820
23Dec 10, 200918.96+5.96Minor9,650
24Mar 27, 196518.94+5.94Minor10,100
25Feb 18, 199518.83+5.83Minor9,110
26Sep 24, 197518.60+5.60Minor9,100
27Nov 25, 200418.44+5.44Minor9,020
28Nov 7, 197718.43+5.43Minor8,720
29Mar 11, 201118.41+5.41Minor8,980
30Jan 16, 201318.25+5.25Minor8,790
31Apr 4, 198418.12+5.12Minor8,120
32Feb 21, 199118.04+5.04Minor7,860
33Feb 2, 198517.94+4.94Minor7,840
34Apr 5, 200017.91+4.91Minor7,700
35Mar 1, 198717.76+4.76Minor7,330
36Apr 5, 197417.56+4.56Minor7,200
37Jan 21, 198817.15+4.15Minor6,660
38Mar 1, 199717.12+4.12Minor6,870
39Apr 17, 199817.08+4.08Minor6,830
40Feb 26, 199216.95+3.95Minor6,710
41Mar 21, 200116.84+3.84Minor6,630
42Apr 7, 201416.70+3.70Minor7,160
43Feb 28, 198916.65+3.65Minor6,230
44Jan 10, 202416.65+3.65Minor—
45Jan 26, 200416.64+3.64Minor7,110
46Feb 5, 197116.36+3.36Minor5,620
47Apr 27, 197016.35+3.35Minor5,620
48Jan 25, 200216.17+3.17Minor6,130
49Feb 24, 202216.06+3.06Minor—
50Apr 7, 202515.52+2.52Minor—

The worst floods along the Chattooga River

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

February 17, 1990: 24.25 ft here, major flooding

  • SummervilleGA · Feb 16, 1990 · 22.63 ft · Major · its highest

March 30, 1951: 23.48 ft here, major flooding

September 5, 2022: 22.98 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Chattooga River

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

Flood gauges on the Chattooga River
SummervilleGA14.022.63 ft, Feb 16, 19906
Gaylesville this gaugeAL13.024.25 ft, Feb 17, 19906

Other gauges in Cherokee County

Flood gauges in Cherokee County
State Line, AL/GA16.519.86 ft, Dec 30, 20150
Weiss Dam567.0571.02 ft, Feb 25, 20190
BLUE POND13.016.98 ft, Jul 24, 19850
Ellisville12.019.82 ft, Mar 4, 19790

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge GAYA1, 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.