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Cumberland River at Nashville

Highest listed crest 56.20 ftFlood stage 40.0 ft61 crests since 1887

The Cumberland River at Nashville crested at major flood stage 22 times among the 61 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1887 to 2019. The highest, 56.20 ft on January 1, 1927, was major flooding, 16.20 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Cumberland River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
56.20 ft
January 1, 1927
Flood stage
40.0 ft
Major flooding from 45.0 ft
Crests at major
22
1st of 100 gauges in Tennessee
Most recent flood crest
February 24, 2019
40.93 ft, minor flooding
Location
Davidson County
Near Nashville (1.0 mi), Brentwood (11.6 mi), Goodlettsville (12.5 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Cumberland River at Nashville
Action stage30.020Feb 22, 2015The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)40.03Feb 24, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage42.08Jan 11, 1974Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage45.022May 3, 2010Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

61 crests from 1887 to 2019. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Cumberland River at Nashville, 1887 to 2019 2030405060ft Flood stage 40.0 ftMajor 45.0 ft Mar 2, 1887: 44.40 ft, moderate floodingApr 7, 1896: 43.00 ft, moderate floodingFeb 4, 1902: 40.90 ft, minor floodingApr 4, 1902: 46.20 ft, major floodingDec 31, 1911: 41.50 ft, minor floodingApr 8, 1912: 46.60 ft, major floodingJan 14, 1913: 48.40 ft, major floodingJan 5, 1916: 42.40 ft, moderate floodingMar 10, 1917: 45.70 ft, major floodingFeb 5, 1918: 49.90 ft, major floodingJan 7, 1919: 44.90 ft, moderate floodingMar 16, 1922: 45.10 ft, major floodingJan 8, 1924: 44.00 ft, moderate floodingJan 1, 1927: 56.20 ft, major floodingMar 30, 1929: 51.00 ft, major floodingFeb 8, 1932: 48.20 ft, major floodingFeb 21, 1933: 45.00 ft, major floodingMar 31, 1936: 43.60 ft, moderate floodingJan 8, 1937: 45.30 ft, major floodingJan 26, 1937: 53.90 ft, major floodingFeb 11, 1939: 48.80 ft, major floodingJan 5, 1943: 45.80 ft, major floodingFeb 23, 1945: 44.70 ft, moderate floodingJan 15, 1946: 48.90 ft, major floodingFeb 18, 1948: 49.70 ft, major floodingFeb 10, 1950: 48.60 ft, major floodingMar 23, 1955: 46.50 ft, major floodingMar 1, 1962: 47.30 ft, major floodingJan 11, 1974: 42.60 ft, moderate floodingMar 15, 1975: 47.64 ft, major floodingMay 9, 1984: 45.30 ft, major floodingOct 10, 1986: 34.44 ft, action stageJan 20, 1988: 33.31 ft, action stageMar 7, 1989: 39.53 ft, action stageFeb 4, 1990: 34.90 ft, action stageFeb 20, 1991: 37.85 ft, action stageMar 28, 1993: 28.44 ft, below flood stage; 69,800 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1994: 38.05 ft, action stage; 125,000 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1995: 33.27 ft, action stage; 94,600 cubic feet per secondNov 8, 1995: 28.77 ft, below flood stage; 71,500 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1997: 39.36 ft, action stage; 134,000 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1998: 33.50 ft, action stage; 96,000 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1999: 34.90 ft, action stage; 101,000 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2000: 30.73 ft, action stage; 81,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 2001: 33.32 ft, action stage; 89,200 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 2002: 35.60 ft, action stage; 100,000 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2003: 38.05 ft, action stage; 144,000 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2004: 35.80 ft, action stage; 133,000 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 2004: 33.04 ft, action stage; 105,000 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 2006: 29.70 ft, below flood stage; 75,700 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 2007: 27.10 ft, below flood stage; 64,900 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2008: 32.15 ft, action stage; 87,700 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 2009: 34.98 ft, action stage; 104,000 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 2010: 52.55 ft, major flooding; 188,000 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 2011: 29.55 ft, below flood stage; 72,500 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2012: 28.84 ft, below flood stage; 69,700 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2013: 32.56 ft, action stage; 87,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 5, 2014: 28.73 ft, below flood stage; 63,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 2015: 30.60 ft, action stage; 76,200 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 2017: 29.77 ft, below flood stage; 71,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 2019: 40.93 ft, minor flooding; 123,402 cubic feet per second Highest, 56.20 ft, Jan 1, 1927 1900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Cumberland River at Nashville 1880s: 1 1890s: 1 1900s: 2 1910s: 7 7 1920s: 4 1930s: 6 1940s: 4 1950s: 2 1960s: 1 1970s: 2 1980s: 1 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 2 1880s1890s1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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 61 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Cumberland River at Nashville
1Jan 1, 192756.20+16.20Major—
2Jan 26, 193753.90+13.90Major—
3May 3, 201052.55+12.55Major188,000
4Mar 30, 192951.00+11.00Major—
5Feb 5, 191849.90+9.90Major—
6Feb 18, 194849.70+9.70Major—
7Jan 15, 194648.90+8.90Major—
8Feb 11, 193948.80+8.80Major—
9Feb 10, 195048.60+8.60Major—
10Jan 14, 191348.40+8.40Major—
11Feb 8, 193248.20+8.20Major—
12Mar 15, 197547.64+7.64Major—
13Mar 1, 196247.30+7.30Major—
14Apr 8, 191246.60+6.60Major—
15Mar 23, 195546.50+6.50Major—
16Apr 4, 190246.20+6.20Major—
17Jan 5, 194345.80+5.80Major—
18Mar 10, 191745.70+5.70Major—
19Jan 8, 193745.30+5.30Major—
20May 9, 198445.30+5.30Major—
21Mar 16, 192245.10+5.10Major—
22Feb 21, 193345.00+5.00Major—
23Jan 7, 191944.90+4.90Moderate—
24Feb 23, 194544.70+4.70Moderate—
25Mar 2, 188744.40+4.40Moderate—
26Jan 8, 192444.00+4.00Moderate—
27Mar 31, 193643.60+3.60Moderate—
28Apr 7, 189643.00+3.00Moderate—
29Jan 11, 197442.60+2.60Moderate—
30Jan 5, 191642.40+2.40Moderate—
31Dec 31, 191141.50+1.50Minor—
32Feb 24, 201940.93+0.93Minor123,402
33Feb 4, 190240.90+0.90Minor—
34Mar 7, 198939.53−0.47Action—
35Mar 3, 199739.36−0.64Action134,000
36Mar 29, 199438.05−1.95Action125,000
37May 8, 200338.05−1.95Action144,000
38Feb 20, 199137.85−2.15Action—
39May 8, 200435.80−4.20Action133,000
40Mar 18, 200235.60−4.40Action100,000
41May 10, 200934.98−5.02Action104,000
42Feb 4, 199034.90−5.10Action—
43Jan 24, 199934.90−5.10Action101,000
44Oct 10, 198634.44−5.56Action—
45Jun 12, 199833.50−6.50Action96,000
46Feb 17, 200133.32−6.68Action89,200
47Jan 20, 198833.31−6.69Action—
48Mar 8, 199533.27−6.73Action94,600
49Dec 2, 200433.04−6.96Action105,000
50Apr 30, 201332.56−7.44Action87,600

The worst floods along the Cumberland River

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

January 1, 1927: 56.20 ft here, major flooding

  • CarthageTN · Dec 30, 1926 · 59.80 ft · Major · its highest
  • CelinaTN · Dec 29, 1926 · 57.25 ft · Major

January 26, 1937: 53.90 ft here, major flooding

  • CarthageTN · Jan 26, 1937 · 54.70 ft · Major
  • CelinaTN · Jan 23, 1937 · 53.83 ft · Major

May 3, 2010: 52.55 ft here, major flooding

  • DoverTN · May 5, 2010 · 74.17 ft · Major · its highest
  • ClarksvilleTN · May 4, 2010 · 62.58 ft · Major · its highest
  • BurkesvilleKY · May 3, 2010 · 55.76 ft · Moderate
  • CarthageTN · May 3, 2010 · 46.10 ft · Moderate
  • BarbourvilleKY · May 4, 2010 · 28.84 ft · Minor
  • WilliamsburgKY · May 4, 2010 · 23.06 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Cumberland River

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

Flood gauges on the Cumberland River
Ashland CityTN28.028.66 ft, Feb 24, 20190
BarbourvilleKY27.045.91 ft, Apr 6, 197715
BaxterKY16.034.20 ft, Apr 4, 197717
BurkesvilleKY46.056.60 ft, Feb 28, 20190
CarthageTN40.059.80 ft, Dec 30, 19268
CelinaTN40.059.20 ft, Mar 1, 182610
ClarksvilleTN46.062.58 ft, May 4, 20105
DoverTN66.074.17 ft, May 5, 20102
EdenwoldTN49.050.70 ft, Feb 24, 20190
Hunters PointTN52.053.66 ft, Mar 6, 19890
Nashville this gaugeTN40.056.20 ft, Jan 1, 192722
OmohundroTN41.044.69 ft, Feb 24, 20190
PinevilleKY1,002.01,021.80 ft, Apr 5, 19772
WilliamsburgKY21.035.03 ft, Apr 7, 19774
HermitageTN48.049.11 ft, Feb 24, 20190
Penington BendTN47.048.83 ft, Feb 24, 20190

Other gauges in Davidson County

Flood gauges in Davidson County
Glendale Lane9.09.77 ft, Aug 31, 20170
State Fairgrounds in Nashville8.013.44 ft, May 2, 20100
Edenwold49.050.70 ft, Feb 24, 20190
Omohundro41.044.69 ft, Feb 24, 20190
Hermitage48.049.11 ft, Feb 24, 20190
Penington Bend47.048.83 ft, Feb 24, 20190
Edenwold12.013.87 ft, May 2, 20100
Bellevue20.033.23 ft, May 2, 20101
Antioch14.026.10 ft, May 1, 20102
Woodbine14.021.77 ft, May 1, 20101
Nolensville13.022.56 ft, May 1, 20101
Charlotte Avenue in Nashville15.019.99 ft, May 2, 20101
Belle Meade7.010.17 ft, Feb 24, 20190
Blackman Road9.09.72 ft, Aug 31, 20170
Bordeaux18.025.82 ft, May 2, 20101
Whites Creek14.015.05 ft, Sep 1, 20170

Davidson County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Tennessee

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge NAST1, 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.