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Leaf River at Hattiesburg

Highest listed crest 34.03 ftFlood stage 22.0 ft33 crests since 1940

The Leaf River at Hattiesburg crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 33 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1940 to 2018. The highest, 34.03 ft on April 15, 1974, was major flooding, 12.03 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Leaf River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
34.03 ft
April 15, 1974; 121,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
22.0 ft
Major flooding from 29.3 ft
Crests at major
2
31st of 74 gauges in Mississippi
Most recent flood crest
December 29, 2018
24.27 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Forrest County
Near Petal (2.7 mi), Hattiesburg (3.3 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Leaf River at Hattiesburg
Action stage16.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)22.010Apr 1, 2005Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage24.021Dec 29, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage29.32Apr 15, 1974Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

33 crests from 1940 to 2018. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Leaf River at Hattiesburg, 1940 to 2018 2025303540ft Flood stage 22.0 ftMajor 29.3 ft May 3, 1940: 24.88 ft, moderate flooding; 32,500 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1943: 28.91 ft, moderate flooding; 71,300 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1944: 28.91 ft, moderate flooding; 71,300 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1944: 22.83 ft, minor flooding; 26,000 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1947: 26.66 ft, moderate flooding; 40,600 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1948: 24.98 ft, moderate flooding; 32,900 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1949: 25.72 ft, moderate flooding; 35,700 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 1950: 27.42 ft, moderate flooding; 47,300 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1951: 22.11 ft, minor flooding; 23,600 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1953: 24.00 ft, moderate flooding; 30,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 1961: 31.53 ft, major flooding; 72,200 cubic feet per secondDec 20, 1961: 25.92 ft, moderate flooding; 36,800 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1964: 23.80 ft, minor flooding; 29,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1966: 25.24 ft, moderate flooding; 34,300 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1973: 23.72 ft, minor flooding; 29,400 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1974: 34.03 ft, major flooding; 121,000 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1976: 23.57 ft, minor flooding; 30,900 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1979: 24.32 ft, moderate flooding; 34,400 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1980: 27.44 ft, moderate floodingApr 14, 1980: 29.13 ft, moderate flooding; 58,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1983: 22.33 ft, minor flooding; 27,700 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1983: 29.19 ft, moderate flooding; 59,000 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 1987: 24.85 ft, moderate flooding; 42,200 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1990: 24.80 ft, moderate flooding; 42,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1990: 27.09 ft, moderate flooding; 54,900 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1990: 27.31 ft, moderate flooding; 56,300 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 1991: 22.44 ft, minor flooding; 33,100 cubic feet per secondJan 30, 1994: 22.37 ft, minor flooding; 32,900 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2001: 25.13 ft, moderate flooding; 45,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2003: 22.18 ft, minor flooding; 33,900 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 2005: 22.63 ft, minor flooding; 35,500 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2016: 27.51 ft, moderate flooding; 52,800 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 2018: 24.27 ft, moderate flooding; 40,200 cubic feet per second Highest, 34.03 ft, Apr 15, 1974 19401950196019701980199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Leaf River at Hattiesburg 1940s: 7 7 1950s: 3 1960s: 4 1970s: 4 1980s: 5 1990s: 5 2000s: 3 2010s: 2 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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

Highest listed crests, Leaf River at Hattiesburg
1Apr 15, 197434.03+12.03Major121,000
2Feb 23, 196131.53+9.53Major72,200
3Apr 9, 198329.19+7.19Moderate59,000
4Apr 14, 198029.13+7.13Moderate58,700
5Mar 22, 194328.91+6.91Moderate71,300
6Mar 22, 194428.91+6.91Moderate71,300
7Mar 12, 201627.51+5.51Moderate52,800
8Mar 31, 198027.44+5.44Moderate—
9Jan 10, 195027.42+5.42Moderate47,300
10May 14, 199027.31+5.31Moderate56,300
11Feb 19, 199027.09+5.09Moderate54,900
12Jan 22, 194726.66+4.66Moderate40,600
13Dec 20, 196125.92+3.92Moderate36,800
14Apr 3, 194925.72+3.72Moderate35,700
15Feb 18, 196625.24+3.24Moderate34,300
16Mar 5, 200125.13+3.13Moderate45,600
17Mar 7, 194824.98+2.98Moderate32,900
18May 3, 194024.88+2.88Moderate32,500
19Mar 2, 198724.85+2.85Moderate42,200
20Jan 27, 199024.80+2.80Moderate42,000
21Mar 7, 197924.32+2.32Moderate34,400
22Dec 29, 201824.27+2.27Moderate40,200
23May 6, 195324.00+2.00Moderate30,000
24Apr 10, 196423.80+1.80Minor29,500
25Mar 27, 197323.72+1.72Minor29,400
26Apr 2, 197623.57+1.57Minor30,900
27Apr 28, 194422.83+0.83Minor26,000
28Apr 1, 200522.63+0.63Minor35,500
29May 2, 199122.44+0.44Minor33,100
30Jan 30, 199422.37+0.37Minor32,900
31Feb 3, 198322.33+0.33Minor27,700
32Feb 25, 200322.18+0.18Minor33,900
33Apr 1, 195122.11+0.11Minor23,600

The worst floods along the Leaf River

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

April 15, 1974: 34.03 ft here, major flooding

  • New AugustaMS · Apr 16, 1974 · 36.80 ft · Major · its highest
  • McLainMS · Apr 18, 1974 · 30.38 ft · Major
  • CollinsMS · Apr 14, 1974 · 32.60 ft · Moderate · its highest

February 23, 1961: 31.53 ft here, major flooding

  • New AugustaMS · Feb 24, 1961 · 35.20 ft · Major
  • McLainMS · Feb 26, 1961 · 31.64 ft · Major
  • CollinsMS · Feb 23, 1961 · 31.65 ft · Moderate

April 9, 1983: 29.19 ft here, moderate flooding

  • CollinsMS · Apr 8, 1983 · 28.11 ft · Moderate
  • McLainMS · Apr 10, 1983 · 27.34 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Leaf River

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

Flood gauges on the Leaf River
CollinsMS25.032.60 ft, Apr 14, 19740
Hattiesburg this gaugeMS22.034.03 ft, Apr 15, 19742
New AugustaMS27.036.80 ft, Apr 16, 19742
McLainMS18.031.80 ft, Apr 1, 19006

Other gauges in Forrest County

Flood gauges in Forrest County
Brooklyn20.029.96 ft, Apr 7, 19831
Hattiesburg18.033.50 ft, Apr 1, 19002

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge HATM6, 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.