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Chattahoochee River at Atlanta

Highest listed crest 29.00 ftFlood stage 14.0 ft74 crests since 1919

The Chattahoochee River at Atlanta crested at major flood stage 13 times among the 74 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1919 to 2025. The highest, 29.00 ft on December 10, 1919, was major flooding, 15.00 feet above flood stage. 6 other gauges on the Chattahoochee River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
29.00 ft
December 10, 1919; 64,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
14.0 ft
Major flooding from 20.0 ft
Crests at major
13
7th of 271 gauges in Georgia
Most recent flood crest
February 13, 2025
15.94 ft, minor flooding
Location
Fulton County
Near Smyrna (3.6 mi), Brookhaven (6.7 mi), Atlanta (6.9 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Chattahoochee River at Atlanta
Action stage12.01Jan 19, 1987The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)14.045Feb 13, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage18.013Oct 11, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage20.013Sep 27, 2024Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

74 crests from 1919 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Chattahoochee River at Atlanta, 1919 to 2025 51015202530ft Flood stage 14.0 ftMajor 20.0 ft Dec 10, 1919: 29.00 ft, major flooding; 64,000 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 1929: 18.80 ft, moderate flooding; 28,700 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 1937: 18.10 ft, moderate flooding; 25,300 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 1938: 14.10 ft, minor flooding; 18,300 cubic feet per secondAug 15, 1940: 17.52 ft, minor flooding; 24,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1942: 16.30 ft, minor flooding; 22,100 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1942: 14.60 ft, minor flooding; 19,200 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1944: 17.60 ft, minor flooding; 23,400 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1946: 28.00 ft, major flooding; 59,000 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1947: 20.20 ft, major flooding; 29,800 cubic feet per secondAug 6, 1948: 14.50 ft, minor flooding; 18,200 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1948: 21.70 ft, major flooding; 34,400 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1952: 21.70 ft, major flooding; 34,400 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 1953: 14.30 ft, minor flooding; 18,000 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 1954: 19.30 ft, moderate flooding; 27,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 1955: 14.30 ft, minor flooding; 18,000 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1957: 15.80 ft, minor flooding; 20,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1961: 18.30 ft, moderate flooding; 24,900 cubic feet per secondDec 12, 1961: 15.20 ft, minor flooding; 19,200 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1963: 18.19 ft, moderate flooding; 17,000 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1964: 19.38 ft, moderate flooding; 26,000 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1966: 18.24 ft, moderate flooding; 24,800 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1969: 15.06 ft, minor flooding; 11,000 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 1972: 17.74 ft, minor flooding; 17,500 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1973: 16.43 ft, minor flooding; 16,800 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1974: 15.51 ft, minor flooding; 14,100 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1975: 17.36 ft, minor flooding; 18,300 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1976: 18.17 ft, moderate flooding; 19,200 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1977: 20.57 ft, major flooding; 28,900 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1978: 15.84 ft, minor flooding; 15,200 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1979: 22.29 ft, major flooding; 26,700 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1980: 15.03 ft, minor flooding; 15,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1982: 20.66 ft, major flooding; 24,100 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1983: 15.82 ft, minor flooding; 15,400 cubic feet per secondDec 6, 1983: 16.99 ft, minor flooding; 18,100 cubic feet per secondAug 1, 1986: 7.33 ft, below flood stage; 6,870 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1987: 13.72 ft, action stage; 17,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 1988: 9.48 ft, below flood stage; 9,920 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1990: 14.90 ft, minor flooding; 19,700 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1990: 23.03 ft, major flooding; 25,100 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 1992: 16.00 ft, minor flooding; 20,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1995: 15.82 ft, minor flooding; 17,200 cubic feet per secondOct 5, 1995: 20.32 ft, major flooding; 20,800 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1996: 19.20 ft, moderate flooding; 28,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1996: 16.80 ft, minor flooding; 20,500 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1996: 15.60 ft, minor flooding; 20,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1997: 14.44 ft, minor flooding; 19,500 cubic feet per secondSep 25, 1997: 17.34 ft, minor flooding; 19,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 5, 1998: 16.30 ft, minor floodingMar 8, 1998: 19.55 ft, moderate flooding; 18,700 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1998: 14.85 ft, minor floodingMar 6, 2003: 16.20 ft, minor floodingMay 6, 2003: 16.30 ft, minor floodingJun 17, 2003: 15.55 ft, minor flooding; 17,100 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 2003: 14.30 ft, minor floodingSep 17, 2004: 22.60 ft, major floodingSep 22, 2009: 28.12 ft, major flooding; 59,534 cubic feet per secondNov 11, 2009: 19.07 ft, moderate flooding; 26,784 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 2010: 14.17 ft, minor flooding; 17,821 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 2013: 14.29 ft, minor flooding; 17,987 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 2014: 14.86 ft, minor flooding; 18,772 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 2016: 14.12 ft, minor flooding; 17,743 cubic feet per secondNov 13, 2018: 14.84 ft, minor flooding; 18,699 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2018: 18.76 ft, moderate flooding; 26,036 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2019: 17.98 ft, minor flooding; 24,230 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2020: 15.33 ft, minor flooding; 19,393 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 2020: 16.60 ft, minor flooding; 21,476 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 2020: 19.95 ft, moderate flooding; 29,150 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 2021: 16.38 ft, minor flooding; 21,083 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 2023: 16.13 ft, minor flooding; 14,500 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 2024: 14.23 ft, minor flooding; 17,899 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 2024: 15.04 ft, minor flooding; 18,982 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 2024: 23.75 ft, major flooding; 41,611 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 2025: 15.94 ft, minor flooding; 21,034 cubic feet per second Highest, 29.00 ft, Dec 10, 1919 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Chattahoochee River at Atlanta 1910s: 1 1920s: 1 1930s: 2 1940s: 8 1950s: 5 1960s: 6 1970s: 8 1980s: 4 1990s: 13 13 2000s: 7 2010s: 7 2020s: 9 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

The 50 highest of 74 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Chattahoochee River at Atlanta
1Dec 10, 191929.00+15.00Major64,000
2Sep 22, 200928.12+14.12Major59,534
3Jan 9, 194628.00+14.00Major59,000
4Sep 27, 202423.75+9.75Major41,611
5Mar 17, 199023.03+9.03Major25,100
6Sep 17, 200422.60+8.60Major—
7Apr 13, 197922.29+8.29Major26,700
8Nov 28, 194821.70+7.70Major34,400
9Mar 13, 195221.70+7.70Major34,400
10Feb 3, 198220.66+6.66Major24,100
11Mar 30, 197720.57+6.57Major28,900
12Oct 5, 199520.32+6.32Major20,800
13Jan 22, 194720.20+6.20Major29,800
14Oct 11, 202019.95+5.95Moderate29,150
15Mar 8, 199819.55+5.55Moderate18,700
16Apr 6, 196419.38+5.38Moderate26,000
17Jan 13, 195419.30+5.30Moderate27,400
18Jan 27, 199619.20+5.20Moderate28,300
19Nov 11, 200919.07+5.07Moderate26,784
20Sep 28, 192918.80+4.80Moderate28,700
21Dec 28, 201818.76+4.76Moderate26,036
22Feb 25, 196118.30+4.30Moderate24,900
23Mar 4, 196618.24+4.24Moderate24,800
24Apr 30, 196318.19+4.19Moderate17,000
25Mar 16, 197618.17+4.17Moderate19,200
26Jan 4, 193718.10+4.10Moderate25,300
27Apr 19, 201917.98+3.98Minor24,230
28Jan 11, 197217.74+3.74Minor17,500
29Mar 31, 194417.60+3.60Minor23,400
30Aug 15, 194017.52+3.52Minor24,200
31Mar 13, 197517.36+3.36Minor18,300
32Sep 25, 199717.34+3.34Minor19,900
33Dec 6, 198316.99+2.99Minor18,100
34Feb 2, 199616.80+2.80Minor20,500
35Sep 17, 202016.60+2.60Minor21,476
36Mar 17, 197316.43+2.43Minor16,800
37Sep 8, 202116.38+2.38Minor21,083
38Feb 19, 194216.30+2.30Minor22,100
39Feb 5, 199816.30+2.30Minor—
40May 6, 200316.30+2.30Minor—
41Mar 6, 200316.20+2.20Minor—
42Jan 4, 202316.13+2.13Minor14,500
43Dec 17, 199216.00+2.00Minor20,500
44Feb 13, 202515.94+1.94Minor21,034
45Jan 26, 197815.84+1.84Minor15,200
46Apr 8, 198315.82+1.82Minor15,400
47Feb 16, 199515.82+1.82Minor17,200
48Apr 5, 195715.80+1.80Minor20,100
49Mar 7, 199615.60+1.60Minor20,200
50Jun 17, 200315.55+1.55Minor17,100

The worst floods along the Chattahoochee River

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

December 10, 1919: 29.00 ft here, major flooding

September 22, 2009: 28.12 ft here, major flooding

January 9, 1946: 28.00 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Chattahoochee River

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

Flood gauges on the Chattahoochee River
HelenGA6.012.00 ft, Aug 23, 19672
CorneliaGA14.020.63 ft, Oct 11, 20200
Highway 141 near NorcrossGA12.027.70 ft, Jan 8, 194613
RoswellGA9.011.96 ft, Sep 21, 20090
Morgan Falls Dam near RoswellGA821.0827.01 ft, Sep 22, 20091
US 41 at AtlantaGA14.028.59 ft, Sep 22, 20095
Atlanta this gaugeGA14.029.00 ft, Dec 10, 191913
GA 280 near AtlantaGA24.035.98 ft, Sep 22, 20093
FairburnGA20.031.60 ft, Dec 10, 19192
WhitesburgGA17.029.74 ft, Sep 23, 20093
GA 100 at FranklinGA23.030.55 ft, Sep 24, 20091
West PointGA17.029.25 ft, Dec 10, 191914
14th Street at ColumbusAL27.055.20 ft, Mar 15, 19294
W.F. George Lock and DamAL134.0158.50 ft, Mar 17, 19290
George W. Andrews Lock and Dam (USACE)GA106.0128.28 ft, Mar 18, 19291

Other gauges in Fulton County

Flood gauges in Fulton County
Hog Wallow at Roswell10.015.41 ft, Sep 22, 20090
Alpharetta7.013.05 ft, Feb 3, 19821
Roswell9.011.96 ft, Sep 21, 20090
GA 280 near Atlanta24.035.98 ft, Sep 22, 20093
Highway 141 near Norcross12.027.70 ft, Jan 8, 194613
Morgan Falls Dam near Roswell821.0827.01 ft, Sep 22, 20091
Rickenbacker Drive at Atlanta11.015.50 ft, Dec 1, 19738
West Wesley Road at Atlanta12.025.46 ft, Sep 22, 20093
Atlanta17.025.80 ft, Dec 9, 19199
Jackson Parkway at Atlanta13.018.03 ft, Mar 13, 19750
Atlanta12.015.95 ft, Mar 13, 20190
Forrest Park Road at Atlanta15.016.62 ft, Sep 19, 20090
Great Southwest Parkway near Atlanta18.027.89 ft, Sep 22, 20091
Defoors Ferry Road at Atlanta15.023.61 ft, Sep 22, 20091

Fulton County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Georgia

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge VING1, 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.