TornadoLiveMap

Cahaba River near Mountain Brook — water level right now

Jefferson County, Alabama · NWS gauge MTBA1
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
20
minor flood stage
 
–
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 · 9
minor · 20
moderate · 23.5
major · 24
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage24extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage23.5some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage20low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage9water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

The National Weather Service has no historic crest list on file for this gauge.

Where this gauge is

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

Nearby river gauges

Cahaba River near Cahaba Heights 5 mi away · loading… Shades Creek near Homewood 6 mi away · loading… Valley Creek (AL) at Center Street 7 mi away · loading… Valley Creek (AL-2) at Ave W 9 mi away · loading… Cahaba Valley Creek Indian Springs at Indian Trail Road 10 mi away · loading… Village Creek (AL) at Avenue W in Ensley 10 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDMTBA1
USGS site02423380
CountyJefferson
StateAlabama
NWS forecast officeCalera
River forecast centerSoutheast River Forecast Center
Coordinates33.482, -86.713
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 Mountain Brook

Is Cahaba River near Mountain Brook 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 20 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 Mountain Brook?

major flood stage 24 ft, moderate flood stage 23.5 ft, minor flood stage 20 ft, action stage 9 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

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.