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Chattahoochee River near Whitesburg

Highest listed crest 29.74 ftFlood stage 17.0 ft88 crests since 1919

The Chattahoochee River near Whitesburg crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 88 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1919 to 2025. The highest, 29.74 ft on September 23, 2009, was major flooding, 12.74 feet above flood stage. 10 other gauges on the Chattahoochee River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 5 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
29.74 ft
September 23, 2009; 60,600 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
17.0 ft
Major flooding from 26.0 ft
Crests at major
3
39th of 271 gauges in Georgia
Most recent flood crest
February 14, 2025
18.59 ft, minor flooding
Location
Carroll County
Near Newnan (10.0 mi), Carrollton (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, Chattahoochee River near Whitesburg
Action stage15.022Jan 12, 2014The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)17.049Feb 14, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage21.014Sep 28, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage26.03Sep 23, 2009Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

88 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 near Whitesburg, 1919 to 2025 15202530ft Flood stage 17.0 ftMajor 26.0 ft Dec 11, 1919: 29.11 ft, major flooding; 55,000 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1938: 16.40 ft, action stage; 25,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1939: 15.70 ft, action stage; 23,300 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1942: 19.60 ft, minor flooding; 33,900 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1943: 18.20 ft, minor flooding; 30,000 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1944: 17.60 ft, minor flooding; 26,900 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1945: 15.70 ft, action stage; 22,900 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 1946: 25.10 ft, moderate flooding; 59,000 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 1947: 20.20 ft, minor flooding; 33,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 1948: 17.20 ft, minor flooding; 25,800 cubic feet per secondNov 29, 1948: 25.00 ft, moderate flooding; 46,000 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1949: 18.40 ft, minor flooding; 28,400 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 1951: 17.30 ft, minor flooding; 29,600 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1952: 20.50 ft, minor flooding; 32,400 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 1953: 15.40 ft, action stage; 21,200 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1953: 15.40 ft, action stage; 21,200 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1954: 17.80 ft, minor flooding; 26,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1961: 27.50 ft, major flooding; 50,000 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1965: 16.70 ft, action stage; 23,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1966: 18.85 ft, minor flooding; 28,500 cubic feet per secondAug 25, 1967: 17.58 ft, minor flooding; 24,100 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1969: 18.79 ft, minor flooding; 28,300 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1970: 20.89 ft, minor flooding; 33,200 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1971: 18.73 ft, minor flooding; 28,200 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 1972: 21.84 ft, moderate flooding; 37,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 1973: 17.24 ft, minor flooding; 26,400 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1974: 18.82 ft, minor flooding; 29,200 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1975: 21.48 ft, moderate flooding; 36,400 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1976: 23.90 ft, moderate flooding; 43,700 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1977: 19.56 ft, minor flooding; 31,100 cubic feet per secondNov 5, 1978: 21.87 ft, moderate flooding; 37,600 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1979: 23.79 ft, moderate flooding; 42,600 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1980: 17.69 ft, minor flooding; 26,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 1981: 16.61 ft, action stage; 23,500 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1981: 15.40 ft, action stageFeb 4, 1982: 21.89 ft, moderate flooding; 36,900 cubic feet per secondNov 5, 1982: 15.90 ft, action stageApr 9, 1983: 18.89 ft, minor flooding; 29,400 cubic feet per secondDec 7, 1983: 16.46 ft, action stage; 23,000 cubic feet per secondOct 6, 1985: 20.50 ft, minor floodingJan 19, 1987: 18.65 ft, minor flooding; 28,400 cubic feet per secondSep 25, 1987: 15.07 ft, action stage; 20,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 1990: 17.20 ft, minor flooding; 23,900 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1990: 25.90 ft, moderate flooding; 48,700 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1991: 15.29 ft, action stage; 20,300 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 1992: 19.47 ft, minor flooding; 30,600 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 1993: 15.30 ft, action stage; 21,200 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 1993: 19.48 ft, minor flooding; 33,700 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 1994: 17.91 ft, minor flooding; 26,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 1995: 17.10 ft, minor flooding; 26,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1995: 17.07 ft, minor flooding; 24,500 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1995: 17.00 ft, minor flooding; 26,000 cubic feet per secondOct 6, 1995: 20.50 ft, minor flooding; 32,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1996: 20.50 ft, minor flooding; 32,800 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1996: 21.96 ft, moderate flooding; 37,300 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1997: 20.79 ft, minor flooding; 34,100 cubic feet per secondSep 26, 1997: 15.07 ft, action stageMar 9, 1998: 23.81 ft, moderate flooding; 42,500 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2001: 15.67 ft, action stage; 21,400 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 2003: 17.40 ft, minor floodingMay 8, 2003: 20.50 ft, minor floodingJun 18, 2003: 22.06 ft, moderate flooding; 37,500 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 2003: 17.10 ft, minor floodingSep 18, 2004: 19.38 ft, minor floodingMar 28, 2005: 17.93 ft, minor flooding; 26,596 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 2005: 17.22 ft, minor flooding; 24,843 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 2005: 24.53 ft, moderate flooding; 44,612 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 2009: 29.74 ft, major flooding; 60,600 cubic feet per secondOct 13, 2009: 17.48 ft, minor flooding; 25,641 cubic feet per secondNov 12, 2009: 20.78 ft, minor flooding; 34,067 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 2009: 15.27 ft, action stage; 20,910 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 2009: 17.22 ft, minor flooding; 25,020 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 2009: 15.01 ft, action stage; 20,388 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2010: 15.83 ft, action stage; 22,050 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 2010: 17.08 ft, minor flooding; 24,688 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2010: 15.83 ft, action stage; 22,028 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 2012: 15.41 ft, action stage; 21,199 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2013: 16.20 ft, action stage; 22,815 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 2014: 15.41 ft, action stage; 21,199 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2014: 17.85 ft, minor flooding; 26,558 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 2015: 20.16 ft, minor flooding; 32,391 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2017: 17.99 ft, minor flooding; 26,858 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 2018: 20.26 ft, minor flooding; 32,679 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2020: 17.63 ft, minor flooding; 26,010 cubic feet per secondOct 12, 2020: 17.07 ft, minor flooding; 24,674 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 2021: 17.55 ft, minor flooding; 25,816 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 2024: 21.45 ft, moderate flooding; 37,291 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2025: 18.59 ft, minor flooding; 30,351 cubic feet per second Highest, 29.74 ft, Sep 23, 2009 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Chattahoochee River near Whitesburg 1910s: 1 1920s: 0 1930s: 0 1940s: 8 1950s: 3 1960s: 4 1970s: 10 1980s: 5 1990s: 13 13 2000s: 12 2010s: 5 2020s: 5 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 88 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Chattahoochee River near Whitesburg
1Sep 23, 200929.74+12.74Major60,600
2Dec 11, 191929.11+12.11Major55,000
3Feb 25, 196127.50+10.50Major50,000
4Mar 18, 199025.90+8.90Moderate48,700
5Jan 10, 194625.10+8.10Moderate59,000
6Nov 29, 194825.00+8.00Moderate46,000
7Jul 12, 200524.53+7.53Moderate44,612
8Mar 16, 197623.90+6.90Moderate43,700
9Mar 9, 199823.81+6.81Moderate42,500
10Apr 14, 197923.79+6.79Moderate42,600
11Jun 18, 200322.06+5.06Moderate37,500
12Mar 8, 199621.96+4.96Moderate37,300
13Feb 4, 198221.89+4.89Moderate36,900
14Nov 5, 197821.87+4.87Moderate37,600
15Jan 12, 197221.84+4.84Moderate37,500
16Mar 14, 197521.48+4.48Moderate36,400
17Sep 28, 202421.45+4.45Moderate37,291
18Mar 20, 197020.89+3.89Minor33,200
19Mar 1, 199720.79+3.79Minor34,100
20Nov 12, 200920.78+3.78Minor34,067
21Mar 14, 195220.50+3.50Minor32,400
22Oct 6, 198520.50+3.50Minor—
23Oct 6, 199520.50+3.50Minor32,800
24Feb 3, 199620.50+3.50Minor32,800
25May 8, 200320.50+3.50Minor—
26Dec 29, 201820.26+3.26Minor32,679
27Jan 23, 194720.20+3.20Minor33,500
28Dec 25, 201520.16+3.16Minor32,391
29Mar 21, 194219.60+2.60Minor33,900
30Mar 31, 197719.56+2.56Minor31,100
31Dec 18, 199319.48+2.48Minor33,700
32Dec 18, 199219.47+2.47Minor30,600
33Sep 18, 200419.38+2.38Minor—
34Apr 9, 198318.89+1.89Minor29,400
35Feb 14, 196618.85+1.85Minor28,500
36Jan 1, 197418.82+1.82Minor29,200
37Apr 19, 196918.79+1.79Minor28,300
38Mar 3, 197118.73+1.73Minor28,200
39Jan 19, 198718.65+1.65Minor28,400
40Feb 14, 202518.59+1.59Minor30,351
41Jan 9, 194918.40+1.40Minor28,400
42Mar 21, 194318.20+1.20Minor30,000
43Apr 6, 201717.99+0.99Minor26,858
44Mar 28, 200517.93+0.93Minor26,596
45Jul 5, 199417.91+0.91Minor26,500
46Apr 8, 201417.85+0.85Minor26,558
47Jan 19, 195417.80+0.80Minor26,300
48Mar 9, 198017.69+0.69Minor26,400
49Feb 7, 202017.63+0.63Minor26,010
50Apr 1, 194417.60+0.60Minor26,900

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.

September 23, 2009: 29.74 ft here, major flooding

December 11, 1919: 29.11 ft here, major flooding

February 25, 1961: 27.50 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
AtlantaGA14.029.00 ft, Dec 10, 191913
GA 280 near AtlantaGA24.035.98 ft, Sep 22, 20093
FairburnGA20.031.60 ft, Dec 10, 19192
Whitesburg this gaugeGA17.029.74 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 Carroll County

Flood gauges in Carroll County
GA 100 near Bowdon17.018.48 ft, Sep 22, 20090
US 27 at Carrollton18.019.30 ft, Nov 29, 19480
Snake Creek downstream Snake Creek Reservoir near Whitesburg13.016.99 ft, Sep 21, 20090
Whitesburg12.017.30 ft, Sep 21, 20091

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WHTG1, 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.