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Big Black River near Bovina

Highest listed crest 40.77 ftFlood stage 28.0 ft119 crests since 1936

The Big Black River near Bovina crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 119 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1936 to 2021. The highest, 40.77 ft on May 24, 1983, was major flooding, 12.77 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Big Black River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
40.77 ft
May 24, 1983; 92,300 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
28.0 ft
Major flooding from 40.0 ft
Crests at major
4
20th of 74 gauges in Mississippi
Most recent flood crest
June 18, 2021
37.77 ft, minor flooding
Location
Hinds County
Near Vicksburg (10.9 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Big Black River near Bovina
Action stage27.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)28.080Jun 18, 2021Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage38.035Jan 18, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage40.04Feb 16, 2020Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

119 crests from 1936 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Big Black River near Bovina, 1936 to 2021 2530354045ft Flood stage 28.0 ftMajor 40.0 ft Feb 10, 1936: 36.23 ft, minor flooding; 16,100 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1937: 38.14 ft, moderate flooding; 17,100 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1938: 37.04 ft, minor flooding; 15,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1939: 32.96 ft, minor flooding; 9,600 cubic feet per secondJul 14, 1940: 38.25 ft, moderate flooding; 26,000 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 1940: 34.12 ft, minor flooding; 15,500 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1942: 30.44 ft, minor flooding; 12,100 cubic feet per secondJan 3, 1943: 32.81 ft, minor flooding; 13,400 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1944: 39.04 ft, moderate flooding; 44,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 1945: 36.47 ft, minor flooding; 19,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1946: 39.09 ft, moderate flooding; 46,000 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 1947: 38.00 ft, moderate flooding; 29,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1948: 38.32 ft, moderate flooding; 35,000 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 1949: 39.22 ft, moderate flooding; 46,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1950: 37.22 ft, minor flooding; 26,100 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1951: 39.65 ft, moderate flooding; 58,600 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1953: 37.07 ft, minor flooding; 25,500 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1954: 32.67 ft, minor flooding; 15,200 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1955: 36.75 ft, minor flooding; 23,900 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1956: 37.32 ft, minor flooding; 26,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 1957: 32.72 ft, minor flooding; 13,300 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 1958: 39.74 ft, moderate flooding; 52,700 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1960: 36.33 ft, minor flooding; 20,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1961: 34.52 ft, minor flooding; 17,100 cubic feet per secondDec 20, 1961: 40.53 ft, major flooding; 63,500 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1964: 35.88 ft, minor flooding; 19,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1965: 38.31 ft, moderate flooding; 27,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1966: 38.40 ft, moderate flooding; 28,300 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1967: 31.99 ft, minor flooding; 14,100 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 1967: 38.70 ft, moderate flooding; 32,300 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1969: 39.09 ft, moderate flooding; 37,200 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1970: 36.39 ft, minor flooding; 21,000 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1971: 38.23 ft, moderate flooding; 27,900 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 1972: 38.84 ft, moderate flooding; 38,100 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1973: 39.29 ft, moderate flooding; 46,800 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 1974: 38.56 ft, moderate flooding; 33,400 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1975: 38.32 ft, moderate flooding; 30,600 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1976: 38.35 ft, moderate flooding; 30,900 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1977: 37.97 ft, minor flooding; 27,800 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 1978: 38.14 ft, moderate flooding; 33,700 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1979: 40.56 ft, major flooding; 83,300 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1980: 38.94 ft, moderate flooding; 49,100 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1981: 33.77 ft, minor flooding; 19,000 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1982: 31.91 ft, minor flooding; 17,400 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1983: 40.77 ft, major flooding; 92,300 cubic feet per secondDec 11, 1983: 37.32 ft, minor flooding; 34,500 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1984: 34.04 ft, minor flooding; 20,100 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1985: 31.51 ft, minor flooding; 16,800 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1987: 36.97 ft, minor flooding; 38,200 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1987: 34.20 ft, minor flooding; 23,600 cubic feet per secondNov 16, 1987: 30.55 ft, minor flooding; 16,300 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1989: 37.75 ft, minor flooding; 33,800 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1989: 35.21 ft, minor flooding; 21,600 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1989: 34.12 ft, minor flooding; 18,800 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1990: 35.89 ft, minor flooding; 27,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 1990: 34.86 ft, minor flooding; 23,600 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1990: 32.12 ft, minor flooding; 17,200 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1990: 32.97 ft, minor flooding; 18,900 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 1990: 36.80 ft, minor flooding; 32,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1991: 38.16 ft, moderate flooding; 42,570 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1991: 38.15 ft, moderate flooding; 38,400 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1991: 37.62 ft, minor flooding; 35,000 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 1991: 39.21 ft, moderate flooding; 56,200 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1991: 30.30 ft, minor flooding; 14,200 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 1991: 31.39 ft, minor flooding; 16,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 1993: 30.00 ft, minor flooding; 14,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1994: 34.04 ft, minor flooding; 21,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1994: 36.72 ft, minor flooding; 31,600 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1994: 32.01 ft, minor flooding; 17,000 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1995: 38.34 ft, moderate flooding; 41,700 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1995: 34.47 ft, minor flooding; 22,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1997: 30.79 ft, minor flooding; 15,500 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1997: 35.86 ft, minor flooding; 27,000 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 1997: 30.35 ft, minor flooding; 14,900 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1997: 31.71 ft, minor flooding; 16,600 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 1997: 30.22 ft, minor flooding; 14,800 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 1998: 30.01 ft, minor flooding; 15,500 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1998: 33.45 ft, minor flooding; 19,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1999: 38.40 ft, moderate flooding; 45,300 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2000: 39.05 ft, moderate flooding; 41,900 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 2001: 36.64 ft, minor flooding; 31,100 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 2001: 36.11 ft, minor flooding; 24,100 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 2001: 33.69 ft, minor flooding; 18,100 cubic feet per secondDec 24, 2001: 35.33 ft, minor flooding; 25,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2002: 32.52 ft, minor flooding; 18,000 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2002: 30.79 ft, minor flooding; 15,500 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 2002: 31.04 ft, minor flooding; 15,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 2003: 37.51 ft, minor flooding; 36,600 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 2003: 39.14 ft, moderate flooding; 56,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 2004: 31.15 ft, minor flooding; 15,900 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 2004: 31.80 ft, minor flooding; 16,700 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 2004: 32.18 ft, minor flooding; 17,300 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 2004: 33.60 ft, minor flooding; 20,200 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2005: 33.56 ft, minor flooding; 23,400 cubic feet per secondSep 25, 2005: 33.40 ft, minor flooding; 19,700 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 2006: 36.03 ft, minor flooding; 27,700 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 2007: 32.68 ft, minor flooding; 18,300 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 2008: 36.62 ft, minor flooding; 24,300 cubic feet per secondOct 20, 2009: 38.25 ft, moderate flooding; 32,200 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 2013: 37.76 ft, minor flooding; 28,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 2013: 34.18 ft, minor floodingMay 11, 2013: 34.05 ft, minor flooding; 21,146 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2014: 38.50 ft, moderate flooding; 52,400 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 2015: 31.82 ft, minor flooding; 15,500 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2016: 38.88 ft, moderate flooding; 42,800 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2016: 35.93 ft, minor flooding; 17,400 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 2017: 38.07 ft, moderate flooding; 30,400 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 2017: 33.14 ft, minor flooding; 13,800 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2018: 34.06 ft, minor flooding; 14,900 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2018: 32.58 ft, minor flooding; 13,300 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 2019: 37.02 ft, minor flooding; 19,100 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 2019: 38.30 ft, moderate flooding; 33,400 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2019: 39.59 ft, moderate flooding; 53,400 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2019: 34.80 ft, minor flooding; 15,900 cubic feet per secondNov 15, 2019: 36.46 ft, minor flooding; 18,200 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 2020: 38.91 ft, moderate flooding; 43,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 2020: 40.20 ft, major flooding; 69,100 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2020: 37.23 ft, minor flooding; 21,000 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2021: 37.77 ft, minor flooding; 26,600 cubic feet per second Highest, 40.77 ft, May 24, 1983 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Big Black River near Bovina 1930s: 4 1940s: 10 1950s: 8 1960s: 9 1970s: 10 1980s: 13 1990s: 25 25 2000s: 20 2010s: 16 2020s: 4 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 119 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Big Black River near Bovina
1May 24, 198340.77+12.77Major92,300
2Apr 16, 197940.56+12.56Major83,300
3Dec 20, 196140.53+12.53Major63,500
4Feb 16, 202040.20+12.20Major69,100
5May 5, 195839.74+11.74Moderate52,700
6Apr 1, 195139.65+11.65Moderate58,600
7Apr 18, 201939.59+11.59Moderate53,400
8Mar 21, 197339.29+11.29Moderate46,800
9Jan 11, 194939.22+11.22Moderate46,400
10May 5, 199139.21+11.21Moderate56,200
11Apr 7, 200339.14+11.14Moderate56,700
12Feb 14, 194639.09+11.09Moderate46,000
13Apr 20, 196939.09+11.09Moderate37,200
14Apr 9, 200039.05+11.05Moderate41,900
15Apr 1, 194439.04+11.04Moderate44,400
16Apr 1, 198038.94+10.94Moderate49,100
17Jan 18, 202038.91+10.91Moderate43,300
18Mar 15, 201638.88+10.88Moderate42,800
19Jan 14, 197238.84+10.84Moderate38,100
20Dec 23, 196738.70+10.70Moderate32,300
21Jan 11, 197438.56+10.56Moderate33,400
22Apr 17, 201438.50+10.50Moderate52,400
23Feb 18, 196638.40+10.40Moderate28,300
24Feb 3, 199938.40+10.40Moderate45,300
25Apr 2, 197638.35+10.35Moderate30,900
26Apr 28, 199538.34+10.34Moderate41,700
27Feb 19, 194838.32+10.32Moderate35,000
28Mar 21, 197538.32+10.32Moderate30,600
29Feb 19, 196538.31+10.31Moderate27,000
30Mar 2, 201938.30+10.30Moderate33,400
31Jul 14, 194038.25+10.25Moderate26,000
32Oct 20, 200938.25+10.25Moderate32,200
33Mar 4, 197138.23+10.23Moderate27,900
34Feb 2, 199138.16+10.16Moderate42,570
35Feb 26, 199138.15+10.15Moderate38,400
36Jan 28, 193738.14+10.14Moderate17,100
37May 15, 197838.14+10.14Moderate33,700
38Apr 7, 201738.07+10.07Moderate30,400
39Jan 13, 194738.00+10.00Moderate29,500
40Mar 12, 197737.97+9.97Minor27,800
41Jun 18, 202137.77+9.77Minor26,600
42Jan 21, 201337.76+9.76Minor28,000
43Jan 19, 198937.75+9.75Minor33,800
44Apr 22, 199137.62+9.62Minor35,000
45Feb 27, 200337.51+9.51Minor36,600
46Apr 10, 195637.32+9.32Minor26,700
47Dec 11, 198337.32+9.32Minor34,500
48Apr 29, 202037.23+9.23Minor21,000
49Feb 18, 195037.22+9.22Minor26,100
50May 7, 195337.07+9.07Minor25,500

The worst floods along the Big Black River

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

May 24, 1983: 40.77 ft here, major flooding

  • BentoniaMS · May 23, 1983 · 32.48 ft · Major · its highest
  • WestMS · May 21, 1983 · 26.08 ft · Major · its highest

April 16, 1979: 40.56 ft here, major flooding

  • BentoniaMS · Apr 15, 1979 · 31.81 ft · Major
  • WestMS · Apr 13, 1979 · 24.27 ft · Moderate

December 20, 1961: 40.53 ft here, major flooding

  • BentoniaMS · Dec 19, 1961 · 31.35 ft · Major
  • WestMS · Dec 19, 1961 · 24.03 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Big Black River

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

Flood gauges on the Big Black River
WestMS15.026.08 ft, May 21, 19836
BentoniaMS22.032.48 ft, May 23, 198313
Bovina this gaugeMS28.040.77 ft, May 24, 19834

Hinds County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Mississippi

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BOVM6, 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.