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Pearl River near Monticello

Highest listed crest 34.08 ftFlood stage 22.0 ft95 crests since 1928

The Pearl River near Monticello crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 95 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1928 to 2022. The highest, 34.08 ft on April 20, 1979, was major flooding, 12.08 feet above flood stage. 9 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
34.08 ft
April 20, 1979; 122,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
22.0 ft
Major flooding from 33.0 ft
Crests at major
1
41st of 74 gauges in Mississippi
Most recent flood crest
September 1, 2022
27.89 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Lawrence 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 Monticello
Action stage21.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)22.030Mar 26, 2021Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage25.064Sep 1, 2022Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage33.01Apr 20, 1979Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

95 crests from 1928 to 2022. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Pearl River near Monticello, 1928 to 2022 2025303540ft Flood stage 22.0 ftMajor 33.0 ft Jun 16, 1928: 23.80 ft, minor flooding; 43,000 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 1932: 25.10 ft, moderate flooding; 51,500 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1935: 26.30 ft, moderate flooding; 60,000 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1938: 27.70 ft, moderate flooding; 69,900 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1939: 23.63 ft, minor flooding; 29,900 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 1940: 25.05 ft, moderate flooding; 37,400 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1944: 26.34 ft, moderate flooding; 42,200 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1945: 24.96 ft, minor flooding; 37,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1946: 27.66 ft, moderate flooding; 51,200 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1947: 27.70 ft, moderate flooding; 51,200 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1948: 24.41 ft, minor flooding; 32,100 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1949: 28.00 ft, moderate flooding; 50,500 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 1950: 29.44 ft, moderate flooding; 59,300 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1951: 26.13 ft, moderate flooding; 40,000 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1953: 28.07 ft, moderate flooding; 51,100 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1955: 26.88 ft, moderate flooding; 44,000 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1956: 24.04 ft, minor flooding; 30,500 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1957: 23.57 ft, minor flooding; 28,900 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1958: 25.14 ft, moderate flooding; 35,000 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1960: 24.02 ft, minor flooding; 30,500 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1961: 28.21 ft, moderate flooding; 51,800 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 1961: 29.64 ft, moderate flooding; 63,500 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1964: 25.18 ft, moderate flooding; 35,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1965: 23.87 ft, minor flooding; 29,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1966: 26.36 ft, moderate flooding; 42,000 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1969: 26.71 ft, moderate flooding; 44,100 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1971: 24.59 ft, minor flooding; 32,600 cubic feet per secondDec 8, 1971: 25.31 ft, moderate flooding; 36,200 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1973: 27.74 ft, moderate flooding; 50,200 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1974: 32.28 ft, moderate flooding; 78,200 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1975: 27.74 ft, moderate flooding; 47,900 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1976: 28.07 ft, moderate flooding; 49,900 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1977: 26.18 ft, moderate flooding; 38,900 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1978: 23.60 ft, minor flooding; 29,100 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1979: 34.08 ft, major flooding; 122,000 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1980: 30.50 ft, moderate flooding; 79,800 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1983: 30.53 ft, moderate flooding; 80,400 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1984: 25.36 ft, moderate flooding; 42,700 cubic feet per secondOct 24, 1984: 24.43 ft, minor flooding; 33,500 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1987: 27.65 ft, moderate flooding; 59,900 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1989: 23.88 ft, minor flooding; 34,500 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1990: 29.24 ft, moderate flooding; 73,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1990: 28.77 ft, moderate flooding; 69,300 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1990: 27.55 ft, moderate flooding; 59,100 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1991: 25.72 ft, moderate flooding; 45,300 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1991: 27.46 ft, moderate flooding; 58,400 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1991: 29.59 ft, moderate flooding; 76,500 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1993: 24.97 ft, minor flooding; 40,100 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1994: 26.98 ft, moderate flooding; 54,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 1994: 25.85 ft, moderate flooding; 46,200 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1995: 26.11 ft, moderate flooding; 43,400 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1995: 25.90 ft, moderate flooding; 42,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 5, 1996: 25.37 ft, moderate flooding; 40,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 1997: 23.54 ft, minor flooding; 24,400 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1997: 26.10 ft, moderate flooding; 48,000 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 1998: 24.28 ft, minor flooding; 36,100 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1998: 25.35 ft, moderate flooding; 40,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1999: 23.94 ft, minor flooding; 34,900 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 2001: 28.23 ft, moderate flooding; 58,800 cubic feet per secondAug 14, 2001: 25.35 ft, moderate flooding; 40,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 2003: 29.10 ft, moderate flooding; 66,900 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2003: 26.72 ft, moderate flooding; 46,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 2004: 27.05 ft, moderate flooding; 49,100 cubic feet per secondDec 10, 2004: 25.44 ft, moderate flooding; 40,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 2005: 23.57 ft, minor flooding; 32,500 cubic feet per secondDec 15, 2008: 23.70 ft, minor flooding; 30,500 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2009: 27.98 ft, moderate flooding; 48,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2010: 24.04 ft, minor flooding; 31,300 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 2011: 24.97 ft, minor flooding; 33,700 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 2011: 24.35 ft, minor flooding; 32,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 2012: 23.52 ft, minor flooding; 30,100 cubic feet per secondSep 1, 2012: 23.92 ft, minor flooding; 31,000 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 2012: 24.51 ft, minor flooding; 32,900 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 2013: 24.59 ft, minor flooding; 34,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2013: 25.82 ft, moderate flooding; 36,300 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2013: 24.51 ft, minor flooding; 32,500 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2014: 24.19 ft, minor flooding; 32,800 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 2014: 28.92 ft, moderate flooding; 60,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 2016: 26.29 ft, moderate flooding; 38,061 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 2016: 27.87 ft, moderate flooding; 51,500 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2016: 25.07 ft, moderate flooding; 35,800 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2017: 25.74 ft, moderate flooding; 38,700 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 2018: 23.75 ft, minor flooding; 30,900 cubic feet per secondJan 6, 2019: 26.69 ft, moderate flooding; 43,300 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 2019: 24.94 ft, minor flooding; 34,300 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 2019: 25.97 ft, moderate flooding; 38,400 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2019: 26.02 ft, moderate flooding; 38,700 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 2020: 28.75 ft, moderate flooding; 59,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 2020: 27.29 ft, moderate flooding; 41,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 2020: 31.76 ft, moderate flooding; 93,200 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2020: 26.18 ft, moderate flooding; 39,600 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2020: 26.65 ft, moderate flooding; 42,300 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 2021: 24.00 ft, minor flooding; 31,200 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2021: 25.75 ft, moderate flooding; 37,300 cubic feet per secondSep 1, 2022: 27.89 ft, moderate flooding; 51,600 cubic feet per second Highest, 34.08 ft, Apr 20, 1979 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Pearl River near Monticello 1920s: 1 1930s: 4 1940s: 7 1950s: 7 1960s: 7 1970s: 9 1980s: 6 1990s: 17 2000s: 9 2010s: 20 20 2020s: 8 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 95 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Pearl River near Monticello
1Apr 20, 197934.08+12.08Major122,000
2Apr 14, 197432.28+10.28Moderate78,200
3Feb 22, 202031.76+9.76Moderate93,200
4Apr 9, 198330.53+8.53Moderate80,400
5Mar 31, 198030.50+8.50Moderate79,800
6Dec 25, 196129.64+7.64Moderate63,500
7May 6, 199129.59+7.59Moderate76,500
8Jan 7, 195029.44+7.44Moderate59,300
9Jan 25, 199029.24+7.24Moderate73,400
10Feb 23, 200329.10+7.10Moderate66,900
11Apr 11, 201428.92+6.92Moderate60,900
12Feb 16, 199028.77+6.77Moderate69,300
13Jan 19, 202028.75+6.75Moderate59,300
14Mar 3, 200128.23+6.23Moderate58,800
15Apr 1, 196128.21+6.21Moderate51,800
16May 18, 195328.07+6.07Moderate51,100
17Apr 5, 197628.07+6.07Moderate49,900
18Apr 1, 194928.00+6.00Moderate50,500
19Mar 29, 200927.98+5.98Moderate48,900
20Sep 1, 202227.89+5.89Moderate51,600
21Mar 20, 201627.87+5.87Moderate51,500
22Mar 26, 197327.74+5.74Moderate50,200
23May 8, 197527.74+5.74Moderate47,900
24Apr 8, 193827.70+5.70Moderate69,900
25Jan 21, 194727.70+5.70Moderate51,200
26Feb 21, 194627.66+5.66Moderate51,200
27Mar 1, 198727.65+5.65Moderate59,900
28May 14, 199027.55+5.55Moderate59,100
29Apr 24, 199127.46+5.46Moderate58,400
30Feb 6, 202027.29+5.29Moderate41,200
31Feb 12, 200427.05+5.05Moderate49,100
32Jan 28, 199426.98+4.98Moderate54,600
33Apr 14, 195526.88+4.88Moderate44,000
34Apr 14, 200326.72+4.72Moderate46,600
35Apr 24, 196926.71+4.71Moderate44,100
36Jan 6, 201926.69+4.69Moderate43,300
37Apr 27, 202026.65+4.65Moderate42,300
38Feb 17, 196626.36+4.36Moderate42,000
39Apr 8, 194426.34+4.34Moderate42,200
40Mar 16, 193526.30+4.30Moderate60,000
41Feb 6, 201626.29+4.29Moderate38,061
42Apr 14, 197726.18+4.18Moderate38,900
43Mar 17, 202026.18+4.18Moderate39,600
44Apr 10, 195126.13+4.13Moderate40,000
45Mar 16, 199526.11+4.11Moderate43,400
46Apr 29, 199726.10+4.10Moderate48,000
47May 14, 201926.02+4.02Moderate38,700
48Apr 21, 201925.97+3.97Moderate38,400
49Apr 28, 199525.90+3.90Moderate42,500
50Feb 12, 199425.85+3.85Moderate46,200

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 20, 1979: 34.08 ft here, major flooding

  • JacksonMS · Apr 17, 1979 · 43.28 ft · Major · its highest
  • RockportMS · Apr 18, 1979 · 42.83 ft · Major · its highest
  • LenaMS · Apr 17, 1979 · 32.70 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
  • Pearl RiverLA · Apr 26, 1979 · 19.25 ft · Major
  • Ratliff's FerryMS · Apr 14, 1979 · 313.10 ft · Moderate · its highest

April 14, 1974: 32.28 ft here, moderate flooding

  • ColumbiaMS · Apr 15, 1974 · 27.00 ft · Major
  • Pearl RiverLA · Apr 19, 1974 · 18.10 ft · Major
  • EdinburgMS · Apr 15, 1974 · 26.72 ft · Moderate
  • CarthageMS · Apr 16, 1974 · 24.54 ft · Moderate
  • BogalusaLA · Apr 17, 1974 · 22.13 ft · Moderate
  • JacksonMS · Apr 19, 1974 · 32.16 ft · Minor

February 22, 2020: 31.76 ft here, moderate flooding

  • RockportMS · Feb 21, 2020 · 39.16 ft · Major
  • JacksonMS · Feb 17, 2020 · 36.67 ft · Major
  • Pearl RiverLA · Feb 27, 2020 · 18.26 ft · Major
  • ColumbiaMS · Feb 23, 2020 · 25.82 ft · Moderate
  • BogalusaLA · Feb 25, 2020 · 22.60 ft · Moderate

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
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
Monticello this gaugeMS22.034.08 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

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MTCM6, 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.