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Coosa River at Gadsden

Highest listed crest 525.10 ftFlood stage 511.0 ft28 crests since 1886

The Coosa River at Gadsden crested at major flood stage 6 times among the 28 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1886 to 2019. The highest, 525.10 ft on April 6, 1886, was major flooding, 14.10 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Coosa River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
525.10 ft
April 6, 1886
Flood stage
511.0 ft
Major flooding from 517.0 ft
Crests at major
6
11th of 89 gauges in Alabama
Most recent flood crest
March 4, 2019
512.44 ft, minor flooding
Location
Etowah County
Near Gadsden (1.1 mi), Rainbow City (7.5 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 Gadsden
Action stage511.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)511.012Mar 4, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage514.05Feb 17, 1990Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage517.06Feb 26, 1961Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

28 crests from 1886 to 2019. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Coosa River at Gadsden, 1886 to 2019 505510515520525530ft Flood stage 511.0 ftMajor 517.0 ft Apr 6, 1886: 525.10 ft, major floodingJul 15, 1916: 519.90 ft, major floodingJan 2, 1933: 517.50 ft, major floodingApr 11, 1936: 518.70 ft, major floodingFeb 16, 1946: 517.20 ft, major floodingJan 7, 1949: 515.00 ft, moderate floodingMar 31, 1951: 516.10 ft, moderate floodingFeb 26, 1961: 517.80 ft, major flooding; 74,800 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1977: 514.40 ft, moderate floodingApr 14, 1979: 514.65 ft, moderate floodingMar 28, 1980: 513.30 ft, minor floodingJun 21, 1989: 511.26 ft, minor floodingFeb 17, 1990: 515.43 ft, moderate floodingMar 21, 1990: 512.69 ft, minor floodingOct 4, 1995: 512.68 ft, minor floodingMar 8, 1996: 510.60 ft, below flood stageOct 27, 1997: 511.48 ft, minor floodingOct 26, 1998: 511.03 ft, minor floodingMar 31, 2002: 510.71 ft, below flood stageMay 8, 2003: 511.38 ft, minor floodingMay 19, 2003: 511.33 ft, minor floodingJan 26, 2004: 509.16 ft, below flood stageSep 17, 2004: 509.16 ft, below flood stageNov 24, 2005: 511.77 ft, minor floodingJan 24, 2006: 508.09 ft, below flood stageMay 6, 2013: 511.33 ft, minor floodingFeb 24, 2016: 511.00 ft, minor floodingMar 4, 2019: 512.44 ft, minor flooding Highest, 525.10 ft, Apr 6, 1886 1900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Coosa River at Gadsden 1880s: 1 1890s: 0 1900s: 0 1910s: 1 1920s: 0 1930s: 2 1940s: 2 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 2 1980s: 2 1990s: 5 5 2000s: 3 2010s: 3 1880s1890s1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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 Gadsden
1Apr 6, 1886525.10+14.10Major—
2Jul 15, 1916519.90+8.90Major—
3Apr 11, 1936518.70+7.70Major—
4Feb 26, 1961517.80+6.80Major74,800
5Jan 2, 1933517.50+6.50Major—
6Feb 16, 1946517.20+6.20Major—
7Mar 31, 1951516.10+5.10Moderate—
8Feb 17, 1990515.43+4.43Moderate—
9Jan 7, 1949515.00+4.00Moderate—
10Apr 14, 1979514.65+3.65Moderate—
11Apr 5, 1977514.40+3.40Moderate—
12Mar 28, 1980513.30+2.30Minor—
13Mar 21, 1990512.69+1.69Minor—
14Oct 4, 1995512.68+1.68Minor—
15Mar 4, 2019512.44+1.44Minor—
16Nov 24, 2005511.77+0.77Minor—
17Oct 27, 1997511.48+0.48Minor—
18May 8, 2003511.38+0.38Minor—
19May 19, 2003511.33+0.33Minor—
20May 6, 2013511.33+0.33Minor—
21Jun 21, 1989511.26+0.26Minor—
22Oct 26, 1998511.03+0.03Minor—
23Feb 24, 2016511.000.00Minor—
24Mar 31, 2002510.71−0.29Below flood stage—
25Mar 8, 1996510.60−0.40Below flood stage—
26Jan 26, 2004509.16−1.84Below flood stage—
27Sep 17, 2004509.16−1.84Below flood stage—
28Jan 24, 2006508.09−2.91Below flood stage—

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.

April 6, 1886: 525.10 ft here, major flooding

April 11, 1936: 518.70 ft here, major flooding

February 26, 1961: 517.80 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
ChildersburgAL402.0412.86 ft, Feb 23, 19616
Gadsden this gaugeAL511.0525.10 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

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge GAPA1, 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.