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Oconee River at Highway 280 near Mount Vernon

Highest listed crest 25.30 ftFlood stage 16.0 ft63 crests since 1936

The Oconee River at Highway 280 near Mount Vernon crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 63 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1936 to 2024. The highest, 25.30 ft on April 14, 1936, was major flooding, 9.30 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Oconee River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
25.30 ft
April 14, 1936; 94,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
16.0 ft
Major flooding from 23.0 ft
Crests at major
3
39th of 271 gauges in Georgia
Most recent flood crest
March 14, 2024
17.20 ft, minor flooding
Location
Wheeler County
Near Vidalia (13.6 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Oconee River at Highway 280 near Mount Vernon
Action stage14.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)16.042Mar 14, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage20.018Feb 13, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage23.03Mar 14, 1998Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

63 crests from 1936 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Oconee River at Highway 280 near Mount Vernon, 1936 to 2024 161820222426ft Flood stage 16.0 ftMajor 23.0 ft Apr 14, 1936: 25.30 ft, major flooding; 94,000 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1939: 20.40 ft, moderate flooding; 48,300 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1942: 20.70 ft, moderate flooding; 49,765 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1943: 19.30 ft, minor flooding; 39,335 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1944: 21.80 ft, moderate flooding; 59,320 cubic feet per secondDec 5, 1948: 22.60 ft, moderate flooding; 66,640 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1952: 20.00 ft, moderate flooding; 44,550 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1960: 19.80 ft, minor flooding; 42,800 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1961: 21.80 ft, moderate flooding; 49,320 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1964: 20.80 ft, moderate flooding; 50,400 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1966: 20.30 ft, moderate flooding; 46,500 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1971: 23.00 ft, major flooding; 70,000 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1972: 20.20 ft, moderate flooding; 45,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1974: 18.10 ft, minor flooding; 31,655 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1975: 20.40 ft, moderate flooding; 47,530 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1977: 17.80 ft, minor flooding; 29,840 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 1978: 20.30 ft, moderate flooding; 46,500 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1979: 20.80 ft, moderate flooding; 50,510 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1980: 20.70 ft, moderate flooding; 49,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1985: 17.00 ft, minor flooding; 25,000 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1987: 17.50 ft, minor flooding; 37,500 cubic feet per secondOct 8, 1989: 19.75 ft, minor flooding; 42,400 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1990: 19.65 ft, minor flooding; 41,943 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 1992: 18.10 ft, minor flooding; 31,655 cubic feet per secondOct 20, 1994: 16.60 ft, minor flooding; 22,620 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1995: 20.80 ft, moderate flooding; 50,510 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 1996: 18.80 ft, minor flooding; 35,890 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1997: 16.40 ft, minor flooding; 22,240 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1997: 16.10 ft, minor flooding; 20,860 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1997: 20.00 ft, moderate floodingFeb 9, 1998: 22.60 ft, moderate flooding; 65,500 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1998: 23.03 ft, major flooding; 70,700 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1998: 16.00 ft, minor floodingMar 14, 2003: 17.00 ft, minor floodingMar 27, 2003: 18.60 ft, minor floodingMay 30, 2003: 16.60 ft, minor floodingApr 8, 2009: 19.69 ft, minor flooding; 41,749 cubic feet per secondNov 18, 2009: 17.87 ft, minor flooding; 29,827 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 2009: 16.37 ft, minor flooding; 22,013 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 2009: 17.43 ft, minor flooding; 27,302 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 2010: 16.54 ft, minor flooding; 22,789 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 2010: 17.54 ft, minor flooding; 27,918 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 2010: 17.23 ft, minor flooding; 26,206 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 2013: 16.15 ft, minor flooding; 25,030 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 2013: 16.18 ft, minor flooding; 25,149 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 2014: 16.79 ft, minor flooding; 27,881 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 2014: 16.01 ft, minor flooding; 24,432 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 2015: 21.12 ft, moderate flooding; 53,163 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2016: 17.44 ft, minor flooding; 31,176 cubic feet per secondNov 22, 2018: 16.00 ft, minor flooding; 24,387 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2018: 16.72 ft, minor flooding; 27,540 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 2019: 18.10 ft, minor flooding; 34,309 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 2020: 16.41 ft, minor flooding; 25,764 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 2020: 20.07 ft, moderate flooding; 45,748 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2020: 19.87 ft, minor flooding; 44,487 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2020: 17.20 ft, minor flooding; 29,562 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 2021: 16.01 ft, minor flooding; 23,628 cubic feet per secondOct 14, 2021: 17.14 ft, minor flooding; 29,103 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2022: 18.80 ft, minor flooding; 38,126 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 2023: 19.04 ft, minor flooding; 39,266 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 2024: 17.33 ft, minor flooding; 30,412 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 2024: 18.83 ft, minor flooding; 38,296 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2024: 17.20 ft, minor flooding; 29,380 cubic feet per second Highest, 25.30 ft, Apr 14, 1936 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Oconee River at Highway 280 near Mount Vernon 1930s: 2 1940s: 4 1950s: 1 1960s: 4 1970s: 7 1980s: 4 1990s: 11 2000s: 7 2010s: 12 12 2020s: 11 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 63 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Oconee River at Highway 280 near Mount Vernon
1Apr 14, 193625.30+9.30Major94,000
2Mar 14, 199823.03+7.03Major70,700
3Mar 9, 197123.00+7.00Major70,000
4Dec 5, 194822.60+6.60Moderate66,640
5Feb 9, 199822.60+6.60Moderate65,500
6Mar 28, 194421.80+5.80Moderate59,320
7Mar 3, 196121.80+5.80Moderate49,320
8Dec 30, 201521.12+5.12Moderate53,163
9Apr 14, 196420.80+4.80Moderate50,400
10Mar 3, 197920.80+4.80Moderate50,510
11Feb 20, 199520.80+4.80Moderate50,510
12May 28, 194220.70+4.70Moderate49,765
13Mar 18, 198020.70+4.70Moderate49,600
14Mar 6, 193920.40+4.40Moderate48,300
15Mar 22, 197520.40+4.40Moderate47,530
16Mar 7, 196620.30+4.30Moderate46,500
17Feb 1, 197820.30+4.30Moderate46,500
18Jan 19, 197220.20+4.20Moderate45,400
19Feb 13, 202020.07+4.07Moderate45,748
20Mar 11, 195220.00+4.00Moderate44,550
21Dec 31, 199720.00+4.00Moderate—
22Feb 25, 202019.87+3.87Minor44,487
23Apr 7, 196019.80+3.80Minor42,800
24Oct 8, 198919.75+3.75Minor42,400
25Apr 8, 200919.69+3.69Minor41,749
26Mar 24, 199019.65+3.65Minor41,943
27Mar 27, 194319.30+3.30Minor39,335
28Apr 2, 202319.04+3.04Minor39,266
29Feb 19, 202418.83+2.83Minor38,296
30Feb 9, 199618.80+2.80Minor35,890
31Apr 13, 202218.80+2.80Minor38,126
32Mar 27, 200318.60+2.60Minor—
33Feb 24, 197418.10+2.10Minor31,655
34Dec 3, 199218.10+2.10Minor31,655
35Jan 11, 201918.10+2.10Minor34,309
36Nov 18, 200917.87+1.87Minor29,827
37Mar 28, 197717.80+1.80Minor29,840
38Feb 1, 201017.54+1.54Minor27,918
39Jan 28, 198717.50+1.50Minor37,500
40Apr 8, 201617.44+1.44Minor31,176
41Dec 26, 200917.43+1.43Minor27,302
42Jan 17, 202417.33+1.33Minor30,412
43Feb 13, 201017.23+1.23Minor26,206
44Apr 27, 202017.20+1.20Minor29,562
45Mar 14, 202417.20+1.20Minor29,380
46Oct 14, 202117.14+1.14Minor29,103
47Feb 13, 198517.00+1.00Minor25,000
48Mar 14, 200317.00+1.00Minor—
49Jan 5, 201416.79+0.79Minor27,881
50Dec 18, 201816.72+0.72Minor27,540

The worst floods along the Oconee River

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

April 14, 1936: 25.30 ft here, major flooding

  • DublinGA · Apr 12, 1936 · 33.00 ft · Major · its highest
  • MilledgevilleGA · Apr 10, 1936 · 36.80 ft · Moderate
  • PenfieldGA · Apr 9, 1936 · 26.70 ft · Moderate

March 14, 1998: 23.03 ft here, major flooding

  • MilledgevilleGA · Mar 9, 1998 · 41.10 ft · Major
  • DublinGA · Mar 12, 1998 · 32.00 ft · Major
  • OconeeGA · Mar 10, 1998 · 29.90 ft · Major · its highest
  • PenfieldGA · Mar 9, 1998 · 20.13 ft · Moderate
  • Lake SinclairGA · Mar 9, 1998 · 341.50 ft · Minor · its highest

March 9, 1971: 23.00 ft here, major flooding

  • MilledgevilleGA · Mar 3, 1971 · 39.35 ft · Major
  • DublinGA · Mar 6, 1971 · 30.21 ft · Major
  • PenfieldGA · Mar 3, 1971 · 21.78 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Oconee River

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

Flood gauges on the Oconee River
Avant Mine near OconeeGA18.020.67 ft, Apr 15, 19980
DublinGA21.033.00 ft, Apr 12, 19364
Highway 280 near Mount Vernon this gaugeGA16.025.30 ft, Apr 14, 19363
Lake OconeeGA435.5436.00 ft, Feb 5, 19980
Lake SinclairGA340.5341.50 ft, Mar 9, 19980
MilledgevilleGA22.042.90 ft, Feb 25, 19615
OconeeGA17.029.90 ft, Mar 10, 19986
PenfieldGA13.026.90 ft, Dec 19, 19190

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MTVG1, 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.