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Pearl River near Carthage

Highest listed crest 28.74 ftFlood stage 17.0 ft71 crests since 1900

The Pearl River near Carthage crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 71 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1900 to 2022. The highest, 28.74 ft on April 14, 1979, was major flooding, 11.74 feet above flood stage. 6 other gauges on the Pearl River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 6 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
28.74 ft
April 14, 1979; 102,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
17.0 ft
Major flooding from 27.0 ft
Crests at major
3
24th of 74 gauges in Mississippi
Most recent flood crest
August 25, 2022
23.77 ft, minor flooding
Location
Leake County
Mississippi

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Pearl River near Carthage
Action stage16.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)17.057Aug 25, 2022Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage24.011Feb 14, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage27.03May 22, 1983Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

71 crests from 1900 to 2022. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Pearl River near Carthage, 1900 to 2022 15202530ft Flood stage 17.0 ftMajor 27.0 ft Jan 1, 1900: 25.60 ft, moderate floodingJan 1, 1902: 27.00 ft, major flooding; 68,210 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1932: 24.30 ft, moderate flooding; 30,810 cubic feet per secondDec 20, 1961: 25.40 ft, moderate flooding; 43,270 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1964: 23.12 ft, minor flooding; 18,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1965: 22.27 ft, minor flooding; 14,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1966: 21.88 ft, minor flooding; 12,500 cubic feet per secondDec 20, 1967: 22.64 ft, minor flooding; 15,800 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1969: 24.02 ft, moderate flooding; 23,600 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1970: 21.53 ft, minor flooding; 11,500 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1971: 23.02 ft, minor flooding; 17,700 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 1972: 23.63 ft, minor flooding; 21,300 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1973: 23.14 ft, minor flooding; 18,300 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1974: 24.54 ft, moderate flooding; 29,400 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1975: 22.92 ft, minor flooding; 18,100 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1976: 24.02 ft, moderate flooding; 26,300 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 1977: 24.28 ft, moderate flooding; 29,900 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1978: 20.43 ft, minor flooding; 10,400 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1979: 28.74 ft, major flooding; 102,000 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1980: 24.09 ft, moderate flooding; 31,900 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1981: 22.14 ft, minor flooding; 16,600 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1982: 19.67 ft, minor flooding; 10,200 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1983: 27.07 ft, major flooding; 69,500 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1984: 19.90 ft, minor flooding; 10,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 1985: 19.82 ft, minor flooding; 10,400 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1987: 23.05 ft, minor flooding; 21,600 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 1989: 21.56 ft, minor flooding; 14,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1990: 23.87 ft, minor flooding; 28,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1991: 23.79 ft, minor flooding; 26,220 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 1991: 24.48 ft, moderate flooding; 32,900 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 1993: 19.33 ft, minor flooding; 11,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1994: 21.00 ft, minor flooding; 18,000 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1995: 21.76 ft, minor flooding; 16,100 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 1996: 23.18 ft, minor flooding; 22,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1997: 20.08 ft, minor flooding; 10,700 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 1998: 21.35 ft, minor flooding; 13,500 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1998: 19.17 ft, minor flooding; 9,080 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1999: 23.32 ft, minor flooding; 22,400 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2000: 23.26 ft, minor flooding; 19,900 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 2001: 20.99 ft, minor flooding; 12,900 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 2001: 20.63 ft, minor flooding; 12,100 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2001: 23.06 ft, minor flooding; 20,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2003: 24.76 ft, moderate flooding; 35,600 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 2003: 21.40 ft, minor flooding; 13,000 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2003: 22.19 ft, minor flooding; 13,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 2004: 23.30 ft, minor flooding; 22,200 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 2004: 20.04 ft, minor flooding; 4,450 cubic feet per secondDec 13, 2004: 22.09 ft, minor flooding; 15,900 cubic feet per secondSep 5, 2005: 20.11 ft, minor flooding; 12,200 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 2006: 20.72 ft, minor flooding; 12,300 cubic feet per secondDec 16, 2008: 21.60 ft, minor flooding; 14,400 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 2009: 21.22 ft, minor flooding; 13,483 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 2009: 20.40 ft, minor flooding; 11,600 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2011: 20.78 ft, minor flooding; 11,600 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 2012: 21.56 ft, minor flooding; 16,000 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 2013: 23.14 ft, minor flooding; 21,100 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 2014: 23.96 ft, minor flooding; 27,600 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2014: 20.23 ft, minor flooding; 11,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2016: 22.33 ft, minor flooding; 16,900 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2016: 23.20 ft, minor flooding; 21,500 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2017: 19.58 ft, minor flooding; 9,810 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2017: 19.55 ft, minor flooding; 9,560 cubic feet per secondJan 6, 2019: 22.05 ft, minor flooding; 15,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 2019: 20.35 ft, minor flooding; 11,500 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2019: 20.91 ft, minor flooding; 12,700 cubic feet per secondNov 1, 2019: 21.81 ft, minor flooding; 15,000 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 2020: 23.63 ft, minor flooding; 24,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2020: 26.45 ft, moderate flooding; 58,700 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2021: 19.84 ft, minor flooding; 10,400 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 2021: 22.39 ft, minor flooding; 17,200 cubic feet per secondAug 25, 2022: 23.77 ft, minor flooding; 22,100 cubic feet per second Highest, 28.74 ft, Apr 14, 1979 1900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Pearl River near Carthage 1900s: 2 1910s: 0 1920s: 0 1930s: 1 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 6 1970s: 10 1980s: 8 1990s: 11 2000s: 15 15 2010s: 13 2020s: 5 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 71 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Pearl River near Carthage
1Apr 14, 197928.74+11.74Major102,000
2May 22, 198327.07+10.07Major69,500
3Jan 1, 190227.00+10.00Major68,210
4Feb 14, 202026.45+9.45Moderate58,700
5Jan 1, 190025.60+8.60Moderate—
6Dec 20, 196125.40+8.40Moderate43,270
7Feb 25, 200324.76+7.76Moderate35,600
8Apr 16, 197424.54+7.54Moderate29,400
9May 2, 199124.48+7.48Moderate32,900
10Jan 1, 193224.30+7.30Moderate30,810
11Jul 4, 197724.28+7.28Moderate29,900
12Apr 16, 198024.09+7.09Moderate31,900
13Apr 15, 196924.02+7.02Moderate23,600
14Mar 31, 197624.02+7.02Moderate26,300
15Apr 10, 201423.96+6.96Minor27,600
16Feb 19, 199023.87+6.87Minor28,400
17Feb 24, 199123.79+6.79Minor26,220
18Aug 25, 202223.77+6.77Minor22,100
19Jan 14, 197223.63+6.63Minor21,300
20Jan 16, 202023.63+6.63Minor24,800
21Feb 3, 199923.32+6.32Minor22,400
22Feb 10, 200423.30+6.30Minor22,200
23Apr 8, 200023.26+6.26Minor19,900
24Mar 15, 201623.20+6.20Minor21,500
25Jan 31, 199623.18+6.18Minor22,500
26Mar 18, 197323.14+6.14Minor18,300
27Jan 19, 201323.14+6.14Minor21,100
28Mar 19, 196423.12+6.12Minor18,200
29Apr 6, 200123.06+6.06Minor20,500
30Mar 3, 198723.05+6.05Minor21,600
31May 16, 197123.02+6.02Minor17,700
32Mar 15, 197522.92+5.92Minor18,100
33Dec 20, 196722.64+5.64Minor15,800
34Jun 13, 202122.39+5.39Minor17,200
35Feb 7, 201622.33+5.33Minor16,900
36Feb 16, 196522.27+5.27Minor14,000
37Apr 29, 200322.19+5.19Minor13,800
38Apr 5, 198122.14+5.14Minor16,600
39Dec 13, 200422.09+5.09Minor15,900
40Jan 6, 201922.05+5.05Minor15,700
41Feb 17, 196621.88+4.88Minor12,500
42Nov 1, 201921.81+4.81Minor15,000
43Apr 27, 199521.76+4.76Minor16,100
44Dec 16, 200821.60+4.60Minor14,400
45Jan 15, 198921.56+4.56Minor14,700
46Mar 27, 201221.56+4.56Minor16,000
47May 25, 197021.53+4.53Minor11,500
48Apr 11, 200321.40+4.40Minor13,000
49Jan 12, 199821.35+4.35Minor13,500
50Sep 28, 200921.22+4.22Minor13,483

The worst floods along the Pearl River

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

April 14, 1979: 28.74 ft here, major flooding

  • JacksonMS · Apr 17, 1979 · 43.28 ft · Major · its highest
  • RockportMS · Apr 18, 1979 · 42.83 ft · Major · its highest
  • MonticelloMS · Apr 20, 1979 · 34.08 ft · Major · its highest
  • LenaMS · Apr 17, 1979 · 32.70 ft · Major · its highest
  • Philadelphia/at BurnsideMS · Apr 13, 1979 · 23.60 ft · Major · its highest
  • Ratliff's FerryMS · Apr 14, 1979 · 313.10 ft · Moderate · its highest

May 22, 1983: 27.07 ft here, major flooding

  • JacksonMS · May 25, 1983 · 39.58 ft · Major
  • LenaMS · May 25, 1983 · 31.09 ft · Major
  • EdinburgMS · May 22, 1983 · 28.35 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • Philadelphia/at BurnsideMS · May 21, 1983 · 19.77 ft · Moderate

February 14, 2020: 26.45 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Pearl River

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

Flood gauges on the Pearl River
Philadelphia/at BurnsideMS13.023.60 ft, Apr 13, 19791
EdinburgMS20.028.35 ft, May 22, 19830
Carthage this gaugeMS17.028.74 ft, Apr 14, 19793
LenaMS24.032.70 ft, Apr 17, 19792
Ratliff's FerryMS303.0313.10 ft, Apr 14, 19790
JacksonMS28.043.28 ft, Apr 17, 19798
RockportMS25.042.83 ft, Apr 18, 19794
MonticelloMS22.034.08 ft, Apr 20, 19791
ColumbiaMS17.027.80 ft, Apr 22, 19795
BogalusaLA18.023.23 ft, Apr 24, 19791
Pearl RiverLA14.021.05 ft, Apr 9, 198315
SlidellLA10.011.12 ft, Mar 15, 20160

Other gauges in Leake County

Flood gauges in Leake County
Edinburg20.028.35 ft, May 22, 19830
Lena24.032.70 ft, Apr 17, 19792
Walnut Grove25.032.35 ft, Aug 25, 20220
Ofahoma19.028.27 ft, Apr 14, 19793

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CARM6, 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.