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Pearl River near Lena

Highest listed crest 32.70 ftFlood stage 24.0 ft26 crests since 1944

The Pearl River near Lena crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 26 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1944 to 2020. The highest, 32.70 ft on April 17, 1979, was major flooding, 8.70 feet above flood stage. 8 other gauges on the Pearl River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 8 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
32.70 ft
April 17, 1979; 122,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
24.0 ft
Major flooding from 31.0 ft
Crests at major
2
31st of 74 gauges in Mississippi
Most recent flood crest
March 7, 2020
25.65 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 Lena
Action stage23.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)24.022Mar 7, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage29.02Dec 20, 1961Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage31.02May 25, 1983Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

26 crests from 1944 to 2020. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Pearl River near Lena, 1944 to 2020 242628303234ft Flood stage 24.0 ftMajor 31.0 ft Mar 31, 1944: 28.57 ft, minor floodingJan 8, 1950: 29.06 ft, moderate flooding; 46,500 cubic feet per secondDec 20, 1961: 29.36 ft, moderate floodingApr 17, 1979: 32.70 ft, major flooding; 122,000 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1983: 31.09 ft, major flooding; 83,200 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1995: 24.67 ft, minor flooding; 25,100 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 1996: 24.60 ft, minor flooding; 24,700 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 1997: 24.60 ft, minor flooding; 24,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1999: 24.97 ft, minor flooding; 27,200 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 2000: 24.23 ft, minor flooding; 22,800 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 2001: 24.44 ft, minor flooding; 23,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 2003: 27.51 ft, minor flooding; 45,300 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2003: 27.63 ft, minor flooding; 46,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 2004: 25.07 ft, minor flooding; 27,500 cubic feet per secondDec 15, 2008: 24.20 ft, minor flooding; 22,700 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 2011: 26.22 ft, minor flooding; 35,000 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 2013: 25.11 ft, minor flooding; 27,700 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2014: 26.93 ft, minor flooding; 40,400 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2016: 26.36 ft, minor flooding; 36,800 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2017: 25.49 ft, minor flooding; 30,100 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 2019: 24.47 ft, minor flooding; 24,100 cubic feet per secondNov 2, 2019: 24.14 ft, minor flooding; 22,400 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 2020: 25.43 ft, minor flooding; 29,700 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 2020: 26.94 ft, minor flooding; 40,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2020: 28.83 ft, minor flooding; 58,200 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 2020: 25.65 ft, minor flooding; 31,100 cubic feet per second Highest, 32.70 ft, Apr 17, 1979 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Pearl River near Lena 1940s: 1 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 4 2000s: 6 2010s: 7 7 2020s: 4 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Pearl River near Lena
1Apr 17, 197932.70+8.70Major122,000
2May 25, 198331.09+7.09Major83,200
3Dec 20, 196129.36+5.36Moderate—
4Jan 8, 195029.06+5.06Moderate46,500
5Feb 14, 202028.83+4.83Minor58,200
6Mar 31, 194428.57+4.57Minor—
7Apr 9, 200327.63+3.63Minor46,400
8Feb 24, 200327.51+3.51Minor45,300
9Jan 16, 202026.94+2.94Minor40,500
10Apr 9, 201426.93+2.93Minor40,400
11Mar 13, 201626.36+2.36Minor36,800
12Sep 7, 201126.22+2.22Minor35,000
13Mar 7, 202025.65+1.65Minor31,100
14Apr 5, 201725.49+1.49Minor30,100
15Jan 5, 202025.43+1.43Minor29,700
16Jan 20, 201325.11+1.11Minor27,700
17Feb 8, 200425.07+1.07Minor27,500
18Feb 2, 199924.97+0.97Minor27,200
19Apr 25, 199524.67+0.67Minor25,100
20Jan 29, 199624.60+0.60Minor24,700
21Jan 29, 199724.60+0.60Minor24,700
22Jan 5, 201924.47+0.47Minor24,100
23Apr 7, 200124.44+0.44Minor23,700
24Apr 7, 200024.23+0.23Minor22,800
25Dec 15, 200824.20+0.20Minor22,700
26Nov 2, 201924.14+0.14Minor22,400

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 17, 1979: 32.70 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
  • CarthageMS · Apr 14, 1979 · 28.74 ft · Major · its highest
  • ColumbiaMS · Apr 22, 1979 · 27.80 ft · Major · its highest
  • Philadelphia/at BurnsideMS · Apr 13, 1979 · 23.60 ft · Major · its highest
  • BogalusaLA · Apr 24, 1979 · 23.23 ft · Major · its highest
  • Ratliff's FerryMS · Apr 14, 1979 · 313.10 ft · Moderate · its highest

May 25, 1983: 31.09 ft here, major flooding

December 20, 1961: 29.36 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
CarthageMS17.028.74 ft, Apr 14, 19793
Lena this gaugeMS24.032.70 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
Carthage17.028.74 ft, Apr 14, 19793
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 GDHM6, 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.