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Elk River near Pelham

Highest listed crest 14.08 ftFlood stage 14.0 ft53 crests since 1951

The Elk River near Pelham crested above flood stage 2 times among the 53 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1951 to 2017. The highest, 14.08 ft on March 16, 1973, was minor flooding, 0.08 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Elk River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
14.08 ft
March 16, 1973; 15,800 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
14.0 ft
Major flooding from 20.0 ft
Crests at major
0
2 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
April 4, 1977
14.05 ft, minor flooding
Location
Grundy County
Tennessee

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Elk River near Pelham
Action stage11.034Dec 26, 2015The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)14.02Apr 4, 1977Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage17.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage20.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

53 crests from 1951 to 2017. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Elk River near Pelham, 1951 to 2017 8101214161820ft Flood stage 14.0 ftMajor 20.0 ft Dec 15, 1951: 10.30 ft, below flood stage; 2,310 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 1953: 10.93 ft, below flood stage; 3,130 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1954: 12.00 ft, action stage; 4,520 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 1954: 11.43 ft, action stage; 3,780 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1956: 11.30 ft, action stage; 3,810 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 1957: 12.02 ft, action stage; 4,950 cubic feet per secondNov 19, 1957: 11.90 ft, action stage; 4,730 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1959: 10.37 ft, below flood stage; 2,290 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 1959: 11.54 ft, action stage; 4,110 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1961: 11.98 ft, action stage; 4,870 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 1961: 11.23 ft, action stage; 3,580 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1963: 13.17 ft, action stage; 9,050 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1964: 11.60 ft, action stage; 4,570 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1965: 11.20 ft, action stage; 3,500 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 1966: 11.47 ft, action stage; 3,940 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1967: 10.17 ft, below flood stage; 2,180 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 1967: 11.99 ft, action stage; 5,230 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1969: 11.40 ft, action stage; 3,800 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 1969: 12.64 ft, action stage; 6,340 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1971: 11.03 ft, action stage; 3,240 cubic feet per secondJan 2, 1972: 9.60 ft, below flood stage; 1,430 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1973: 14.08 ft, minor flooding; 15,800 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 1973: 12.42 ft, action stage; 6,060 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1975: 12.31 ft, action stage; 5,770 cubic feet per secondOct 17, 1975: 11.50 ft, action stage; 4,050 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1977: 14.05 ft, minor flooding; 15,600 cubic feet per secondNov 29, 1977: 11.15 ft, action stage; 3,450 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1979: 10.95 ft, below flood stage; 3,130 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1980: 12.32 ft, action stage; 6,310 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1981: 9.07 ft, below flood stage; 1,180 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 1982: 11.48 ft, action stage; 4,080 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1983: 13.08 ft, action stage; 9,560 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1983: 11.25 ft, action stage; 3,640 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 1985: 9.95 ft, below flood stage; 1,840 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1986: 10.27 ft, below flood stage; 2,200 cubic feet per secondDec 10, 1986: 10.85 ft, below flood stage; 2,970 cubic feet per secondDec 16, 2000: 10.82 ft, below flood stage; 2,920 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 2002: 11.97 ft, action stage; 5,180 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2003: 12.72 ft, action stage; 7,880 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 2004: 11.88 ft, action stage; 4,960 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 2004: 11.79 ft, action stage; 4,750 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 2006: 10.12 ft, below flood stage; 2,020 cubic feet per secondNov 16, 2006: 10.36 ft, below flood stage; 2,300 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2008: 10.15 ft, below flood stage; 2,050 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2009: 11.01 ft, action stage; 3,220 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 2010: 11.13 ft, action stage; 3,420 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2011: 12.30 ft, action stage; 6,240 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 2011: 11.11 ft, action stage; 3,390 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2013: 12.50 ft, action stage; 6,980 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 2013: 10.86 ft, below flood stage; 2,870 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 2015: 10.90 ft, below flood stage; 2,940 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 2015: 12.16 ft, action stage; 5,760 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 2017: 10.37 ft, below flood stage; 2,090 cubic feet per second Highest, 14.08 ft, Mar 16, 1973 196019701980199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Elk River near Pelham 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 2 2 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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 53 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Elk River near Pelham
1Mar 16, 197314.08+0.08Minor15,800
2Apr 4, 197714.05+0.05Minor15,600
3Mar 12, 196313.17−0.83Action9,050
4Apr 5, 198313.08−0.92Action9,560
5May 6, 200312.72−1.28Action7,880
6Dec 30, 196912.64−1.36Action6,340
7Apr 28, 201312.50−1.50Action6,980
8Dec 26, 197312.42−1.58Action6,060
9Mar 21, 198012.32−1.68Action6,310
10Mar 13, 197512.31−1.69Action5,770
11Apr 28, 201112.30−1.70Action6,240
12Dec 26, 201512.16−1.84Action5,760
13Feb 1, 195712.02−1.98Action4,950
14Jan 21, 195412.00−2.00Action4,520
15Dec 18, 196711.99−2.01Action5,230
16Mar 8, 196111.98−2.02Action4,870
17Jan 23, 200211.97−2.03Action5,180
18Nov 19, 195711.90−2.10Action4,730
19Feb 6, 200411.88−2.12Action4,960
20Dec 9, 200411.79−2.21Action4,750
21Mar 15, 196411.60−2.40Action4,570
22Dec 19, 195911.54−2.46Action4,110
23Oct 17, 197511.50−2.50Action4,050
24Jan 4, 198211.48−2.52Action4,080
25May 1, 196611.47−2.53Action3,940
26Dec 29, 195411.43−2.57Action3,780
27Feb 2, 196911.40−2.60Action3,800
28Feb 3, 195611.30−2.70Action3,810
29Nov 28, 198311.25−2.75Action3,640
30Dec 18, 196111.23−2.77Action3,580
31Mar 26, 196511.20−2.80Action3,500
32Nov 29, 197711.15−2.85Action3,450
33Jan 24, 201011.13−2.87Action3,420
34Nov 28, 201111.11−2.89Action3,390
35May 13, 197111.03−2.97Action3,240
36May 2, 200911.01−2.99Action3,220
37Jan 1, 197910.95−3.05Below flood stage3,130
38Feb 12, 195310.93−3.07Below flood stage3,130
39Jul 5, 201510.90−3.10Below flood stage2,940
40Dec 22, 201310.86−3.14Below flood stage2,870
41Dec 10, 198610.85−3.15Below flood stage2,970
42Dec 16, 200010.82−3.18Below flood stage2,920
43Jan 22, 195910.37−3.63Below flood stage2,290
44Apr 23, 201710.37−3.63Below flood stage2,090
45Nov 16, 200610.36−3.64Below flood stage2,300
46Dec 15, 195110.30−3.70Below flood stage2,310
47Feb 18, 198610.27−3.73Below flood stage2,200
48Mar 7, 196710.17−3.83Below flood stage2,180
49Apr 5, 200810.15−3.85Below flood stage2,050
50Jan 18, 200610.12−3.88Below flood stage2,020

The worst floods along the Elk River

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

March 16, 1973: 14.08 ft here, minor flooding

  • ProspectTN · Mar 17, 1973 · 40.12 ft · Major

April 4, 1977: 14.05 ft here, minor flooding

  • ProspectTN · Apr 5, 1977 · 31.30 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Elk River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Elk River
Pelham this gaugeTN14.014.08 ft, Mar 16, 19730
ProspectTN25.040.90 ft, Mar 1, 19022

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PELT1, 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.