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Tallahatchie River near Swan Lake

Highest listed crest 31.59 ftFlood stage 26.0 ft16 crests since 1973

The Tallahatchie River near Swan Lake crested above flood stage 13 times among the 16 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1973 to 2019. The highest, 31.59 ft on March 17, 1973, was minor flooding, 5.59 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Tallahatchie River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
31.59 ft
March 17, 1973; 36,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
26.0 ft
Major flooding from 37.0 ft
Crests at major
0
13 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
February 25, 2019
30.26 ft, minor flooding
Location
Tallahatchie County
Mississippi
Identifiers
NWS SWNM6
No USGS station

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Tallahatchie River near Swan Lake
Action stage25.01Dec 17, 1993The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)26.013Feb 25, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage33.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage37.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

16 crests from 1973 to 2019. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Tallahatchie River near Swan Lake, 1973 to 2019 152025303540ft Flood stage 26.0 ftMajor 37.0 ft Mar 17, 1973: 31.59 ft, minor flooding; 36,000 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 1982: 30.30 ft, minor flooding; 27,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 1985: 26.10 ft, minor flooding; 14,200 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 1986: 27.80 ft, minor flooding; 17,400 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 1993: 25.26 ft, action stage; 13,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1994: 28.81 ft, minor flooding; 20,000 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1997: 29.12 ft, minor flooding; 20,600 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2000: 26.10 ft, minor flooding; 14,200 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 2002: 27.63 ft, minor flooding; 17,000 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 2003: 29.25 ft, minor flooding; 21,653 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 2004: 28.79 ft, minor flooding; 19,982 cubic feet per secondDec 11, 2004: 28.15 ft, minor flooding; 18,287 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 2005: 27.68 ft, minor flooding; 17,224 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 2014: 19.85 ft, below flood stageDec 24, 2017: 20.34 ft, below flood stageFeb 25, 2019: 30.26 ft, minor flooding Highest, 31.59 ft, Mar 17, 1973 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Tallahatchie River near Swan Lake 1970s: 1 1980s: 3 1990s: 2 2000s: 6 6 2010s: 1 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Tallahatchie River near Swan Lake
1Mar 17, 197331.59+5.59Minor36,000
2Dec 29, 198230.30+4.30Minor27,600
3Feb 25, 201930.26+4.26Minor—
4Jan 4, 200329.25+3.25Minor21,653
5Mar 5, 199729.12+3.12Minor20,600
6Feb 13, 199428.81+2.81Minor20,000
7Feb 17, 200428.79+2.79Minor19,982
8Dec 11, 200428.15+2.15Minor18,287
9Dec 27, 198627.80+1.80Minor17,400
10Jan 16, 200527.68+1.68Minor17,224
11Oct 15, 200227.63+1.63Minor17,000
12Feb 27, 198526.10+0.10Minor14,200
13Apr 6, 200026.10+0.10Minor14,200
14Dec 17, 199325.26−0.74Action13,000
15Dec 24, 201720.34−5.66Below flood stage—
16Feb 13, 201419.85−6.15Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Tallahatchie River

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

March 17, 1973: 31.59 ft here, minor flooding

  • LocopolisMS · Mar 17, 1973 · 36.39 ft · Moderate · its highest

December 29, 1982: 30.30 ft here, minor flooding

  • LocopolisMS · Dec 29, 1982 · 34.90 ft · Minor
  • LambertMS · Dec 30, 1982 · 32.80 ft · Minor

February 25, 2019: 30.26 ft here, minor flooding

  • LocopolisMS · Feb 25, 2019 · 35.43 ft · Minor
  • LambertMS · Feb 28, 2019 · 33.51 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Tallahatchie River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Tallahatchie River
LocopolisMS33.036.39 ft, Mar 17, 19730
LambertMS32.035.54 ft, Jan 30, 19370
Swan Lake this gaugeMS26.031.59 ft, Mar 17, 19730

Other gauges in Tallahatchie County

Flood gauges in Tallahatchie County
Locopolis33.036.39 ft, Mar 17, 19730

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SWNM6, 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.