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Tallapoosa River at Milstead

Highest listed crest 54.00 ftFlood stage 40.0 ft39 crests since 1912

The Tallapoosa River at Milstead crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 39 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1912 to 2023. The highest, 54.00 ft on December 10, 1919, was major flooding, 14.00 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
54.00 ft
December 10, 1919
Flood stage
40.0 ft
Major flooding from 53.0 ft
Crests at major
1
35th of 89 gauges in Alabama
Most recent flood crest
March 28, 2023
45.97 ft, minor flooding
Location
Macon County
Alabama

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Tallapoosa River at Milstead
Action stage15.014Apr 20, 2019The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)40.08Mar 28, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage46.012May 9, 2003Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage53.01Dec 10, 1919Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

39 crests from 1912 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Tallapoosa River at Milstead, 1912 to 2023 102030405060ft Flood stage 40.0 ftMajor 53.0 ft Mar 16, 1912: 48.20 ft, moderate floodingDec 30, 1915: 47.20 ft, moderate floodingDec 10, 1919: 54.00 ft, major floodingJan 19, 1925: 47.00 ft, moderate floodingMar 15, 1929: 50.90 ft, moderate floodingNov 28, 1943: 49.00 ft, moderate floodingApr 28, 1944: 46.10 ft, moderate floodingNov 29, 1948: 48.50 ft, moderate floodingApr 6, 1957: 43.30 ft, minor floodingFeb 26, 1961: 47.80 ft, moderate floodingApr 23, 1962: 40.50 ft, minor floodingApr 8, 1964: 47.90 ft, moderate floodingApr 1, 1977: 42.40 ft, minor floodingApr 14, 1979: 48.89 ft, moderate floodingJun 21, 1989: 44.75 ft, minor floodingMar 17, 1990: 49.85 ft, moderate floodingFeb 27, 1995: 15.93 ft, action stageMar 10, 1998: 41.58 ft, minor floodingApr 5, 2000: 16.50 ft, action stageMay 9, 2003: 46.27 ft, moderate floodingJul 2, 2003: 43.34 ft, minor floodingFeb 14, 2004: 14.12 ft, below flood stageApr 1, 2005: 40.55 ft, minor floodingMar 21, 2006: 19.56 ft, action stageJan 8, 2007: 15.63 ft, action stageApr 6, 2008: 14.25 ft, below flood stage; 14,900 cubic feet per secondDec 13, 2008: 15.03 ft, action stageMar 29, 2009: 31.50 ft, action stageMay 4, 2010: 30.49 ft, action stageMar 7, 2011: 13.63 ft, below flood stageJan 24, 2012: 14.97 ft, below flood stageMay 20, 2013: 32.26 ft, action stageApr 8, 2014: 37.52 ft, action stageDec 25, 2015: 36.54 ft, action stageApr 2, 2016: 25.62 ft, action stageJul 1, 2017: 28.66 ft, action stageDec 30, 2018: 25.65 ft, action stageApr 20, 2019: 34.04 ft, action stageMar 28, 2023: 45.97 ft, minor flooding; 90,367 cubic feet per second Highest, 54.00 ft, Dec 10, 1919 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Tallapoosa River at Milstead 1910s: 3 3 1920s: 2 1930s: 0 1940s: 3 1950s: 1 1960s: 3 1970s: 2 1980s: 1 1990s: 2 2000s: 3 2010s: 0 2020s: 1 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Tallapoosa River at Milstead
1Dec 10, 191954.00+14.00Major—
2Mar 15, 192950.90+10.90Moderate—
3Mar 17, 199049.85+9.85Moderate—
4Nov 28, 194349.00+9.00Moderate—
5Apr 14, 197948.89+8.89Moderate—
6Nov 29, 194848.50+8.50Moderate—
7Mar 16, 191248.20+8.20Moderate—
8Apr 8, 196447.90+7.90Moderate—
9Feb 26, 196147.80+7.80Moderate—
10Dec 30, 191547.20+7.20Moderate—
11Jan 19, 192547.00+7.00Moderate—
12May 9, 200346.27+6.27Moderate—
13Apr 28, 194446.10+6.10Moderate—
14Mar 28, 202345.97+5.97Minor90,367
15Jun 21, 198944.75+4.75Minor—
16Jul 2, 200343.34+3.34Minor—
17Apr 6, 195743.30+3.30Minor—
18Apr 1, 197742.40+2.40Minor—
19Mar 10, 199841.58+1.58Minor—
20Apr 1, 200540.55+0.55Minor—
21Apr 23, 196240.50+0.50Minor—
22Apr 8, 201437.52−2.48Action—
23Dec 25, 201536.54−3.46Action—
24Apr 20, 201934.04−5.96Action—
25May 20, 201332.26−7.74Action—
26Mar 29, 200931.50−8.50Action—
27May 4, 201030.49−9.51Action—
28Jul 1, 201728.66−11.34Action—
29Dec 30, 201825.65−14.35Action—
30Apr 2, 201625.62−14.38Action—
31Mar 21, 200619.56−20.44Action—
32Apr 5, 200016.50−23.50Action—
33Feb 27, 199515.93−24.07Action—
34Jan 8, 200715.63−24.37Action—
35Dec 13, 200815.03−24.97Action—
36Jan 24, 201214.97−25.03Below flood stage—
37Apr 6, 200814.25−25.75Below flood stage14,900
38Feb 14, 200414.12−25.88Below flood stage—
39Mar 7, 201113.63−26.37Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Tallapoosa River

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

March 17, 1990: 49.85 ft here, moderate flooding

April 14, 1979: 48.89 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Tallapoosa River

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

Flood gauges on the Tallapoosa River
Horseshoe BendAL14.023.59 ft, May 9, 20230
Milstead this gaugeAL40.054.00 ft, Dec 10, 19191
Tallapoosa Water PlantAL25.042.13 ft, Mar 18, 19901
US 78 near TallapoosaGA16.019.96 ft, Mar 16, 20250
WadleyAL13.037.30 ft, May 8, 20032
HeflinAL13.014.49 ft, Aug 3, 20250

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MILA1, 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.