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Coosa River at Childersburg

Highest listed crest 412.86 ftFlood stage 402.0 ft28 crests since 1936

The Coosa River at Childersburg crested at major flood stage 6 times among the 28 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1936 to 2022. The highest, 412.86 ft on February 23, 1961, was major flooding, 10.86 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Coosa River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
412.86 ft
February 23, 1961; 140,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
402.0 ft
Major flooding from 410.0 ft
Crests at major
6
11th of 89 gauges in Alabama
Most recent flood crest
March 24, 2022
402.35 ft, minor flooding
Location
Shelby County
Near Sylacauga (8.8 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Coosa River at Childersburg
Action stage402.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)402.017Mar 24, 2022Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage407.03May 9, 2003Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage410.06Apr 14, 1979Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

28 crests from 1936 to 2022. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Coosa River at Childersburg, 1936 to 2022 395400405410415ft Flood stage 402.0 ftMajor 410.0 ft Feb 5, 1936: 410.95 ft, major flooding; 130,000 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1938: 412.48 ft, major flooding; 136,000 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1942: 403.65 ft, minor floodingJan 21, 1947: 409.40 ft, moderate flooding; 127,000 cubic feet per secondNov 30, 1948: 410.75 ft, major flooding; 136,000 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1951: 412.55 ft, major flooding; 146,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 1961: 412.86 ft, major flooding; 140,000 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 1962: 405.62 ft, minor flooding; 98,500 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1979: 411.44 ft, major flooding; 150,000 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1980: 405.37 ft, minor floodingMay 21, 1983: 403.72 ft, minor flooding; 81,000 cubic feet per secondDec 6, 1983: 404.27 ft, minor flooding; 85,900 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1989: 403.98 ft, minor flooding; 84,600 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1990: 407.07 ft, moderate flooding; 110,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1996: 404.91 ft, minor floodingMar 8, 1996: 403.77 ft, minor floodingMar 3, 1997: 402.16 ft, minor floodingMay 9, 2003: 407.41 ft, moderate floodingMar 11, 2010: 403.80 ft, minor floodingMar 11, 2011: 403.80 ft, minor floodingMar 12, 2012: 398.86 ft, below flood stage; 42,100 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2013: 402.37 ft, minor flooding; 78,000 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2014: 403.19 ft, minor floodingDec 26, 2015: 405.49 ft, minor flooding; 65,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2016: 402.00 ft, minor floodingApr 6, 2017: 400.20 ft, below flood stage; 38,500 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 2018: 402.79 ft, minor floodingMar 24, 2022: 402.35 ft, minor flooding; 66,740 cubic feet per second Highest, 412.86 ft, Feb 23, 1961 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Coosa River at Childersburg 1930s: 2 1940s: 3 1950s: 1 1960s: 2 1970s: 1 1980s: 4 1990s: 4 2000s: 1 2010s: 7 7 2020s: 1 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Coosa River at Childersburg
1Feb 23, 1961412.86+10.86Major140,000
2Mar 30, 1951412.55+10.55Major146,000
3Apr 9, 1938412.48+10.48Major136,000
4Apr 14, 1979411.44+9.44Major150,000
5Feb 5, 1936410.95+8.95Major130,000
6Nov 30, 1948410.75+8.75Major136,000
7Jan 21, 1947409.40+7.40Moderate127,000
8May 9, 2003407.41+5.41Moderate—
9Mar 17, 1990407.07+5.07Moderate110,000
10Dec 19, 1962405.62+3.62Minor98,500
11Dec 26, 2015405.49+3.49Minor65,000
12Mar 21, 1980405.37+3.37Minor—
13Feb 3, 1996404.91+2.91Minor—
14Dec 6, 1983404.27+2.27Minor85,900
15Jun 22, 1989403.98+1.98Minor84,600
16Mar 11, 2010403.80+1.80Minor—
17Mar 11, 2011403.80+1.80Minor—
18Mar 8, 1996403.77+1.77Minor—
19May 21, 1983403.72+1.72Minor81,000
20Mar 22, 1942403.65+1.65Minor—
21Apr 8, 2014403.19+1.19Minor—
22Dec 29, 2018402.79+0.79Minor—
23May 19, 2013402.37+0.37Minor78,000
24Mar 24, 2022402.35+0.35Minor66,740
25Mar 3, 1997402.16+0.16Minor—
26Feb 25, 2016402.000.00Minor—
27Apr 6, 2017400.20−1.80Below flood stage38,500
28Mar 12, 2012398.86−3.14Below flood stage42,100

The worst floods along the Coosa River

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

February 23, 1961: 412.86 ft here, major flooding

March 30, 1951: 412.55 ft here, major flooding

April 9, 1938: 412.48 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Coosa River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Coosa River
Childersburg this gaugeAL402.0412.86 ft, Feb 23, 19616
GadsdenAL511.0525.10 ft, Apr 6, 18866
Logan Martin DamAL467.0475.31 ft, Apr 6, 19771
Mayos Bar Lock and Dam near RomeGA24.043.00 ft, Apr 1, 188611
State Line, AL/GAAL16.519.86 ft, Dec 30, 20150
Weiss DamAL567.0571.02 ft, Feb 25, 20190
WetumpkaAL45.057.90 ft, Apr 8, 19386

Other gauges in Shelby County

Flood gauges in Shelby County
Cahaba Heights14.028.86 ft, Apr 13, 19793
Indian Trail Road8.012.28 ft, Oct 6, 20210
Pelham8.018.18 ft, Oct 6, 20211

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CHLA1, 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.