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Cahaba River near Cahaba Heights — water level right now

Jefferson County, Alabama · NWS gauge CHGA1
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
14
minor flood stage
 
28.86
record crest
set 1979-04-13
–
flood status
official NWS category
Official NOAA forecast → USGS data → Full US flood map →

Flood stages at this gauge

Where the water stands right now against the four official thresholds:

action · 14
minor · 14
moderate · 22
major · 24
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage24extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage22some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage14low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage14water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
128.861979-04-13+14.86 above
227.912003-05-08+13.91 above
3241999-06-29+10 above
423.952004-09-17+9.95 above
523.582014-04-07+9.58 above
623.242004-11-24+9.24 above
722.282000-04-04+8.28 above
822.021998-01-08+8.02 above
921.921979-03-04+7.92 above
1021.882001-04-04+7.88 above
1121.671977-04-05+7.67 above
1221.51982-12-01+7.5 above

Historic crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service — the 12 highest on file.

Where this gauge is

The marker is this gauge; nearby gauges load live and are clickable.

Nearby river gauges

Cahaba River near Mountain Brook 5 mi away · loading… Cahaba Valley Creek Indian Springs at Indian Trail Road 5 mi away · loading… Shades Creek near Homewood 5 mi away · loading… Cahaba Valley Creek at Pelham 8 mi away · loading… Valley Creek (AL) at Center Street 8 mi away · loading… Valley Creek (AL-2) at Ave W 9 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDCHGA1
USGS site02423425
CountyJefferson
StateAlabama
NWS forecast officeCalera
River forecast centerSoutheast River Forecast Center
Coordinates33.416, -86.74
Time zoneCST6CDT
Turn Around, Don't Drown. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet and twelve inches can float a car. Never drive around barricades or into water of unknown depth — most flood deaths happen in vehicles.

Questions about Cahaba River near Cahaba Heights

Is Cahaba River near Cahaba Heights flooding right now?

The live reading at the top of this page answers that: the gauge is compared against its official NWS flood stages every 15 minutes. Minor flooding at this gauge begins at 14 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Cahaba River near Cahaba Heights?

major flood stage 24 ft, moderate flood stage 22 ft, minor flood stage 14 ft, action stage 14 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Cahaba River near Cahaba Heights?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 28.86 ft, reached on 1979-04-13 — that is 14.86 ft above minor flood stage. The full list of the highest crests is in the table on this page.

Where does this data come from?

From the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, the official U.S. river gauge network — a U.S. government work in the public domain. Live stage is refreshed every 15 minutes; flood thresholds and historic crests are refreshed monthly. For life-safety decisions follow NWS Calera and local emergency management.