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Tallapoosa River at Wadley

Highest listed crest 37.30 ftFlood stage 13.0 ft67 crests since 1928

The Tallapoosa River at Wadley crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 67 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1928 to 2025. The highest, 37.30 ft on May 8, 2003, was major flooding, 24.30 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Tallapoosa River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
37.30 ft
May 8, 2003; 125,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
13.0 ft
Major flooding from 30.0 ft
Crests at major
2
27th of 89 gauges in Alabama
Most recent flood crest
March 16, 2025
13.08 ft, minor flooding
Location
Randolph 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 Wadley
Action stage13.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)13.049Mar 16, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage20.014May 18, 2013Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage30.02May 8, 2003Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

67 crests from 1928 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Tallapoosa River at Wadley, 1928 to 2025 10203040ft Flood stage 13.0 ftMajor 30.0 ft Apr 23, 1928: 14.60 ft, minor flooding; 22,400 cubic feet per secondNov 12, 1929: 18.90 ft, minor flooding; 31,400 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 1931: 17.60 ft, minor flooding; 28,700 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1933: 19.80 ft, minor flooding; 33,300 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1934: 17.50 ft, minor flooding; 27,400 cubic feet per secondOct 7, 1934: 17.40 ft, minor flooding; 27,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 5, 1936: 27.90 ft, moderate flooding; 52,800 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1937: 16.90 ft, minor flooding; 24,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1939: 17.04 ft, minor flooding; 23,800 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1940: 15.76 ft, minor flooding; 21,100 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1944: 17.90 ft, minor flooding; 26,400 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1945: 19.00 ft, minor flooding; 28,800 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 1946: 24.30 ft, moderate flooding; 40,300 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1951: 18.00 ft, minor flooding; 26,700 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1953: 18.10 ft, minor flooding; 27,700 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1955: 15.40 ft, minor flooding; 21,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 1958: 17.00 ft, minor flooding; 24,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1961: 25.35 ft, moderate flooding; 45,500 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 1963: 25.83 ft, moderate flooding; 46,600 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1964: 21.50 ft, moderate flooding; 35,300 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1968: 21.80 ft, moderate flooding; 36,100 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1970: 24.00 ft, moderate flooding; 50,200 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1971: 22.00 ft, moderate flooding; 43,500 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1974: 20.20 ft, moderate flooding; 37,800 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1976: 26.54 ft, moderate flooding; 66,900 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1977: 25.62 ft, moderate flooding; 61,900 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1979: 30.57 ft, major flooding; 89,100 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1980: 18.78 ft, minor flooding; 33,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 1981: 17.17 ft, minor flooding; 29,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1982: 23.52 ft, moderate flooding; 51,300 cubic feet per secondDec 7, 1983: 19.36 ft, minor flooding; 37,300 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 1988: 18.41 ft, minor flooding; 34,000 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1989: 14.04 ft, minor flooding; 23,000 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1990: 14.92 ft, minor flooding; 25,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1990: 16.40 ft, minor flooding; 28,700 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1990: 26.72 ft, moderate flooding; 67,600 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1994: 12.32 ft, below flood stageApr 15, 1994: 13.50 ft, minor flooding; 20,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 1995: 13.40 ft, minor floodingOct 5, 1995: 18.50 ft, minor flooding; 32,700 cubic feet per secondNov 10, 1995: 13.07 ft, minor floodingJan 27, 1996: 12.77 ft, below flood stageFeb 3, 1996: 16.13 ft, minor floodingMar 7, 1996: 15.10 ft, minor floodingMar 2, 1997: 17.08 ft, minor flooding; 29,100 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1998: 17.15 ft, minor flooding; 29,300 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 2001: 14.15 ft, minor floodingApr 3, 2001: 15.42 ft, minor flooding; 25,000 cubic feet per secondDec 24, 2002: 13.96 ft, minor floodingMay 8, 2003: 37.30 ft, major flooding; 125,000 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2003: 18.78 ft, minor floodingJul 1, 2003: 18.46 ft, minor floodingMay 16, 2009: 13.91 ft, minor flooding; 21,400 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 2010: 15.81 ft, minor flooding; 25,600 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 2012: 14.23 ft, minor flooding; 22,100 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2013: 24.13 ft, moderate flooding; 54,500 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 2013: 13.64 ft, minor flooding; 20,800 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 2014: 16.55 ft, minor flooding; 27,200 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 2015: 14.24 ft, minor flooding; 22,100 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 2019: 14.09 ft, minor flooding; 21,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 2022: 13.67 ft, minor flooding; 20,849 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2022: 13.57 ft, minor flooding; 20,616 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 2023: 13.88 ft, minor flooding; 21,330 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 2024: 13.60 ft, minor flooding; 20,686 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 2024: 15.21 ft, minor flooding; 24,289 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 2025: 14.17 ft, minor flooding; 21,963 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2025: 13.08 ft, minor flooding; 19,489 cubic feet per second Highest, 37.30 ft, May 8, 2003 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Tallapoosa River at Wadley 1920s: 2 1930s: 7 1940s: 4 1950s: 4 1960s: 4 1970s: 6 1980s: 6 1990s: 11 11 2000s: 7 2010s: 7 2020s: 7 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 67 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Tallapoosa River at Wadley
1May 8, 200337.30+24.30Major125,000
2Apr 14, 197930.57+17.57Major89,100
3Feb 5, 193627.90+14.90Moderate52,800
4Mar 17, 199026.72+13.72Moderate67,600
5Mar 16, 197626.54+13.54Moderate66,900
6May 1, 196325.83+12.83Moderate46,600
7Mar 30, 197725.62+12.62Moderate61,900
8Feb 25, 196125.35+12.35Moderate45,500
9Jan 7, 194624.30+11.30Moderate40,300
10May 18, 201324.13+11.13Moderate54,500
11Mar 20, 197024.00+11.00Moderate50,200
12Feb 3, 198223.52+10.52Moderate51,300
13Mar 3, 197122.00+9.00Moderate43,500
14May 17, 196821.80+8.80Moderate36,100
15Apr 7, 196421.50+8.50Moderate35,300
16Jan 1, 197420.20+7.20Moderate37,800
17Mar 20, 193319.80+6.80Minor33,300
18Dec 7, 198319.36+6.36Minor37,300
19Apr 25, 194519.00+6.00Minor28,800
20Nov 12, 192918.90+5.90Minor31,400
21Apr 14, 198018.78+5.78Minor33,700
22May 18, 200318.78+5.78Minor—
23Oct 5, 199518.50+5.50Minor32,700
24Jul 1, 200318.46+5.46Minor—
25Sep 17, 198818.41+5.41Minor34,000
26Jan 9, 195318.10+5.10Minor27,700
27Mar 30, 195118.00+5.00Minor26,700
28Apr 12, 194417.90+4.90Minor26,400
29Dec 22, 193117.60+4.60Minor28,700
30Mar 4, 193417.50+4.50Minor27,400
31Oct 7, 193417.40+4.40Minor27,200
32Feb 11, 198117.17+4.17Minor29,400
33Mar 10, 199817.15+4.15Minor29,300
34Mar 2, 199717.08+4.08Minor29,100
35Feb 28, 193917.04+4.04Minor23,800
36Feb 6, 195817.00+4.00Minor24,800
37Apr 9, 193716.90+3.90Minor24,000
38Apr 7, 201416.55+3.55Minor27,200
39Feb 16, 199016.40+3.40Minor28,700
40Feb 3, 199616.13+3.13Minor—
41May 3, 201015.81+2.81Minor25,600
42Mar 14, 194015.76+2.76Minor21,100
43Apr 3, 200115.42+2.42Minor25,000
44Apr 14, 195515.40+2.40Minor21,100
45Mar 9, 202415.21+2.21Minor24,289
46Mar 7, 199615.10+2.10Minor—
47Jan 25, 199014.92+1.92Minor25,200
48Apr 23, 192814.60+1.60Minor22,400
49Dec 29, 201514.24+1.24Minor22,100
50Jan 23, 201214.23+1.23Minor22,100

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.

May 8, 2003: 37.30 ft here, major flooding

April 14, 1979: 30.57 ft here, major flooding

March 17, 1990: 26.72 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
MilsteadAL40.054.00 ft, Dec 10, 19191
Tallapoosa Water PlantAL25.042.13 ft, Mar 18, 19901
US 78 near TallapoosaGA16.019.96 ft, Mar 16, 20250
Wadley this gaugeAL13.037.30 ft, May 8, 20032
HeflinAL13.014.49 ft, Aug 3, 20250

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WDLA1, 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.