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Cooper River at Charleston Harbor (IN MLLW)

Highest listed crest 12.52 ftFlood stage 7.0 ft41 crests since 1934

The Cooper River at Charleston Harbor (IN MLLW) crested at major flood stage 41 times among the 41 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1934 to 2025. The highest, 12.52 ft on September 22, 1989, was major flooding, 5.52 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
12.52 ft
September 22, 1989
Flood stage
7.0 ft
Major flooding from 8.0 ft
Crests at major
41
1st of 79 gauges in South Carolina
Most recent flood crest
October 10, 2025
8.46 ft, major flooding
Location
Charleston County
Near James Island (2.8 mi), Mount Pleasant (4.1 mi), Charleston (4.6 mi)
Identifiers
NWS CHTS1
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, Cooper River at Charleston Harbor (IN MLLW)
Action stage6.50—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)7.00—Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage7.50—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage8.041Oct 10, 2025Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

41 crests from 1934 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Cooper River at Charleston Harbor (IN MLLW), 1934 to 2025 68101214ft Flood stage 7.0 ftMajor 8.0 ft May 28, 1934: 8.64 ft, major floodingAug 11, 1940: 10.23 ft, major floodingOct 15, 1947: 8.15 ft, major floodingNov 2, 1947: 8.46 ft, major floodingSep 29, 1959: 8.14 ft, major floodingSep 4, 1979: 8.64 ft, major floodingJun 18, 1982: 8.01 ft, major floodingJan 1, 1987: 8.81 ft, major floodingSep 22, 1989: 12.52 ft, major floodingDec 31, 1994: 8.01 ft, major floodingJul 21, 2001: 8.01 ft, major floodingJun 22, 2009: 8.11 ft, major floodingJan 30, 2010: 8.00 ft, major floodingSep 29, 2015: 8.05 ft, major floodingOct 3, 2015: 8.29 ft, major floodingOct 27, 2015: 8.69 ft, major floodingOct 8, 2016: 9.29 ft, major floodingSep 11, 2017: 9.92 ft, major floodingNov 24, 2018: 8.76 ft, major floodingDec 9, 2018: 8.05 ft, major floodingFeb 20, 2019: 8.03 ft, major floodingAug 30, 2019: 8.08 ft, major floodingDec 24, 2019: 8.06 ft, major floodingSep 15, 2020: 8.09 ft, major floodingSep 20, 2020: 8.12 ft, major floodingOct 18, 2020: 8.19 ft, major floodingNov 15, 2020: 8.13 ft, major floodingDec 16, 2020: 8.02 ft, major floodingNov 7, 2021: 8.51 ft, major floodingSep 9, 2022: 8.14 ft, major floodingNov 10, 2022: 8.35 ft, major floodingDec 22, 2022: 8.31 ft, major floodingMay 18, 2023: 8.09 ft, major floodingJun 4, 2023: 8.37 ft, major floodingAug 2, 2023: 8.11 ft, major floodingAug 30, 2023: 9.23 ft, major floodingSep 28, 2023: 8.06 ft, major floodingDec 17, 2023: 9.86 ft, major floodingSep 27, 2024: 8.02 ft, major floodingNov 16, 2024: 8.25 ft, major floodingOct 10, 2025: 8.46 ft, major flooding Highest, 12.52 ft, Sep 22, 1989 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Cooper River at Charleston Harbor (IN MLLW) 1930s: 1 1940s: 3 1950s: 1 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1980s: 3 1990s: 1 2000s: 2 2010s: 11 2020s: 18 18 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Cooper River at Charleston Harbor (IN MLLW)
1Sep 22, 198912.52+5.52Major—
2Aug 11, 194010.23+3.23Major—
3Sep 11, 20179.92+2.92Major—
4Dec 17, 20239.86+2.86Major—
5Oct 8, 20169.29+2.29Major—
6Aug 30, 20239.23+2.23Major—
7Jan 1, 19878.81+1.81Major—
8Nov 24, 20188.76+1.76Major—
9Oct 27, 20158.69+1.69Major—
10May 28, 19348.64+1.64Major—
11Sep 4, 19798.64+1.64Major—
12Nov 7, 20218.51+1.51Major—
13Nov 2, 19478.46+1.46Major—
14Oct 10, 20258.46+1.46Major—
15Jun 4, 20238.37+1.37Major—
16Nov 10, 20228.35+1.35Major—
17Dec 22, 20228.31+1.31Major—
18Oct 3, 20158.29+1.29Major—
19Nov 16, 20248.25+1.25Major—
20Oct 18, 20208.19+1.19Major—
21Oct 15, 19478.15+1.15Major—
22Sep 29, 19598.14+1.14Major—
23Sep 9, 20228.14+1.14Major—
24Nov 15, 20208.13+1.13Major—
25Sep 20, 20208.12+1.12Major—
26Jun 22, 20098.11+1.11Major—
27Aug 2, 20238.11+1.11Major—
28Sep 15, 20208.09+1.09Major—
29May 18, 20238.09+1.09Major—
30Aug 30, 20198.08+1.08Major—
31Dec 24, 20198.06+1.06Major—
32Sep 28, 20238.06+1.06Major—
33Sep 29, 20158.05+1.05Major—
34Dec 9, 20188.05+1.05Major—
35Feb 20, 20198.03+1.03Major—
36Dec 16, 20208.02+1.02Major—
37Sep 27, 20248.02+1.02Major—
38Jun 18, 19828.01+1.01Major—
39Dec 31, 19948.01+1.01Major—
40Jul 21, 20018.01+1.01Major—
41Jan 30, 20108.00+1.00Major—

Other gauges in Charleston County

Flood gauges in Charleston County
West Ashley5.57.83 ft, Sep 12, 20171

Charleston County: every hazard · River floods across the country · South Carolina

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CHTS1, 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.