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Pea River near Ariton (US 231)

Highest listed crest 25.39 ftFlood stage 14.0 ft68 crests since 1929

The Pea River near Ariton (US 231) crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 68 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1929 to 2024. The highest, 25.39 ft on December 25, 2015, was major flooding, 11.39 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Pea River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
25.39 ft
December 25, 2015; 50,112 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
14.0 ft
Major flooding from 25.0 ft
Crests at major
2
27th of 89 gauges in Alabama
Most recent flood crest
March 11, 2024
15.72 ft, minor flooding
Location
Dale County
Near Ozark (12.8 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Pea River near Ariton (US 231)
Action stage8.08Jan 16, 2020The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)14.025Mar 11, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage17.033Sep 18, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage25.02Dec 25, 2015Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

68 crests from 1929 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Pea River near Ariton (US 231), 1929 to 2024 51015202530ft Flood stage 14.0 ftMajor 25.0 ft Mar 15, 1929: 25.00 ft, major flooding; 50,000 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1939: 18.36 ft, moderate flooding; 13,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1940: 16.26 ft, minor flooding; 7,290 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1942: 13.92 ft, action stage; 4,541 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1943: 19.98 ft, moderate flooding; 19,100 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1944: 19.80 ft, moderate flooding; 18,600 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1946: 17.57 ft, moderate flooding; 9,160 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1947: 18.80 ft, moderate flooding; 13,700 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1948: 16.10 ft, minor flooding; 7,170 cubic feet per secondNov 29, 1948: 18.80 ft, moderate flooding; 13,700 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1952: 18.32 ft, moderate flooding; 11,600 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 1953: 17.52 ft, moderate flooding; 9,680 cubic feet per secondDec 7, 1953: 17.12 ft, moderate flooding; 9,030 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 1956: 16.60 ft, minor flooding; 8,240 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 1956: 17.20 ft, moderate flooding; 9,190 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1959: 15.94 ft, minor flooding; 7,190 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1961: 16.33 ft, minor flooding; 7,840 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1964: 15.54 ft, minor flooding; 7,110 cubic feet per secondOct 6, 1964: 17.98 ft, moderate flooding; 10,600 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1966: 18.14 ft, moderate flooding; 10,900 cubic feet per secondJan 3, 1967: 14.88 ft, minor floodingJun 5, 1970: 15.86 ft, minor flooding; 7,130 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 1971: 17.22 ft, moderate flooding; 9,220 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1972: 17.91 ft, moderate flooding; 10,400 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1973: 19.57 ft, moderate flooding; 17,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1975: 24.38 ft, moderate flooding; 47,600 cubic feet per secondOct 19, 1975: 16.16 ft, minor flooding; 7,580 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1978: 19.88 ft, moderate flooding; 18,000 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1979: 16.60 ft, minor flooding; 8,240 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1980: 16.14 ft, minor flooding; 7,550 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 1981: 17.62 ft, moderate flooding; 9,910 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 1982: 15.26 ft, minor flooding; 6,380 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1983: 14.75 ft, minor flooding; 5,850 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1986: 18.04 ft, moderate flooding; 10,700 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1990: 24.87 ft, moderate flooding; 47,700 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1991: 14.97 ft, minor flooding; 6,530 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1992: 15.82 ft, minor flooding; 7,430 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1992: 15.55 ft, minor flooding; 7,110 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 1994: 19.53 ft, moderate flooding; 17,100 cubic feet per secondOct 7, 1995: 17.05 ft, moderate flooding; 9,420 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1998: 20.43 ft, moderate flooding; 20,900 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 1998: 14.67 ft, minor flooding; 5,880 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2001: 19.70 ft, moderate flooding; 17,800 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2005: 18.17 ft, moderate flooding; 12,500 cubic feet per secondAug 26, 2008: 17.08 ft, moderate flooding; 9,510 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2009: 17.42 ft, moderate flooding; 10,500 cubic feet per secondDec 15, 2009: 18.96 ft, moderate flooding; 16,200 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 2010: 17.35 ft, moderate flooding; 8,770 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 2010: 10.74 ft, action stage; 3,910 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 2010: 12.34 ft, action stage; 4,640 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2010: 10.37 ft, action stage; 3,750 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2010: 14.61 ft, minor flooding; 5,650 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2013: 16.34 ft, minor flooding; 6,920 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 2013: 15.18 ft, minor flooding; 5,950 cubic feet per secondJul 27, 2013: 10.05 ft, action stage; 3,640 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 2014: 10.63 ft, action stage; 3,870 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2014: 17.95 ft, moderate floodingApr 21, 2014: 15.18 ft, minor floodingDec 25, 2015: 25.39 ft, major flooding; 50,112 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 2016: 18.56 ft, moderate flooding; 13,900 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2016: 8.81 ft, action stage; 3,076 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 2017: 14.12 ft, minor flooding; 5,425 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 2020: 10.00 ft, action stage; 3,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 2020: 14.60 ft, minor flooding; 5,661 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 2020: 15.57 ft, minor flooding; 6,237 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 2020: 19.41 ft, moderate flooding; 17,500 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 2020: 21.01 ft, moderate flooding; 25,000 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2024: 15.72 ft, minor flooding; 6,412 cubic feet per second Highest, 25.39 ft, Dec 25, 2015 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Pea River near Ariton (US 231) 1920s: 1 1930s: 1 1940s: 7 1950s: 6 1960s: 5 1970s: 8 1980s: 5 1990s: 8 2000s: 5 2010s: 9 9 2020s: 5 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 68 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Pea River near Ariton (US 231)
1Dec 25, 201525.39+11.39Major50,112
2Mar 15, 192925.00+11.00Major50,000
3Mar 17, 199024.87+10.87Moderate47,700
4Feb 18, 197524.38+10.38Moderate47,600
5Sep 18, 202021.01+7.01Moderate25,000
6Mar 10, 199820.43+6.43Moderate20,900
7Mar 22, 194319.98+5.98Moderate19,100
8Jan 27, 197819.88+5.88Moderate18,000
9Mar 24, 194419.80+5.80Moderate18,600
10Mar 5, 200119.70+5.70Moderate17,800
11Apr 2, 197319.57+5.57Moderate17,000
12Jul 8, 199419.53+5.53Moderate17,100
13Mar 9, 202019.41+5.41Moderate17,500
14Dec 15, 200918.96+4.96Moderate16,200
15Apr 3, 194718.80+4.80Moderate13,700
16Nov 29, 194818.80+4.80Moderate13,700
17Jan 1, 201618.56+4.56Moderate13,900
18Mar 1, 193918.36+4.36Moderate13,000
19Mar 26, 195218.32+4.32Moderate11,600
20Mar 29, 200518.17+4.17Moderate12,500
21Mar 5, 196618.14+4.14Moderate10,900
22Mar 14, 198618.04+4.04Moderate10,700
23Oct 6, 196417.98+3.98Moderate10,600
24Apr 9, 201417.95+3.95Moderate—
25Mar 4, 197217.91+3.91Moderate10,400
26Feb 12, 198117.62+3.62Moderate9,910
27May 22, 194617.57+3.57Moderate9,160
28Sep 28, 195317.52+3.52Moderate9,680
29Mar 17, 200917.42+3.42Moderate10,500
30Jan 23, 201017.35+3.35Moderate8,770
31Jan 7, 197117.22+3.22Moderate9,220
32Dec 25, 195617.20+3.20Moderate9,190
33Dec 7, 195317.12+3.12Moderate9,030
34Aug 26, 200817.08+3.08Moderate9,510
35Oct 7, 199517.05+3.05Moderate9,420
36Sep 27, 195616.60+2.60Minor8,240
37Apr 7, 197916.60+2.60Minor8,240
38Feb 14, 201316.34+2.34Minor6,920
39Apr 2, 196116.33+2.33Minor7,840
40Feb 20, 194016.26+2.26Minor7,290
41Oct 19, 197516.16+2.16Minor7,580
42Mar 31, 198016.14+2.14Minor7,550
43Mar 7, 194816.10+2.10Minor7,170
44Mar 29, 195915.94+1.94Minor7,190
45Jun 5, 197015.86+1.86Minor7,130
46Jan 16, 199215.82+1.82Minor7,430
47Mar 11, 202415.72+1.72Minor6,412
48Feb 23, 202015.57+1.57Minor6,237
49Nov 28, 199215.55+1.55Minor7,110
50Mar 5, 196415.54+1.54Minor7,110

The worst floods along the Pea River

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

December 25, 2015: 25.39 ft here, major flooding

March 15, 1929: 25.00 ft here, major flooding

  • Samson (CR 52)AL · Mar 15, 1929 · 45.30 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • Elba (US 84)AL · Mar 15, 1929 · 43.50 ft · Moderate · its highest

March 17, 1990: 24.87 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Pea River

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

Flood gauges on the Pea River
Ariton (US 231) this gaugeAL14.025.39 ft, Dec 25, 20152
Elba (US 84)AL30.043.50 ft, Mar 15, 19290
Samson (CR 52)AL35.045.30 ft, Mar 15, 19290

Other gauges in Dale County

Flood gauges in Dale County
Newton (SR 134)19.042.00 ft, Mar 15, 19296

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge ARTA1, 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.