Mississippi River at Helena

1. 65.30 ftWater tops the floodwall at Helena, Arkansas.
2. 60.00 ftIn Mississippi, all locations on the southeast side of Desoto Lake on the old levee are flooded.
3. 59.00 ftWater is touching the bottom of the floodwall at Helena, Arkansas.
4. 58.00 ftPlaces on the south bank of Desoto Lake in Mississippi are flooded.
5. 53.00 ftIn Mississippi, all locations along the southwest bank of Desoto Lake are flooded.
6. 51.00 ftLoading docks at Helena not protected by levees are flooded.
7. 48.00 ftIn Mississippi, locations on the southeast side of Desoto Lake are being flooded.
8. 47.00 ftIn Mississippi, almost all of Island Number 67 is covered by water.
9. 46.00 ftIn Mississippi, houses at Robson Towhead are being flooded. The settlement by Old River Chutes is going underwater. All locations on the northeast side of Desoto Lake are underwater.
10. 45.00 ftIn Mississippi, road to houses by the river at Robson Towhead and the settlement by Old River Chute is flooded. Settlement just east of Sunflower Cutoff is flooding. Businesses on the south end of Slackwater Harbor are flooding.
11. 44.00 ftIn Arkansas, the road to the landing east of downtown Helena is flooded. In Mississippi, the cabin areas east of Desoto Lake are flooding. Industries north of Friars Point, Mississippi, are flooding.
12. 43.00 ftIn Arkansas, the road to the landing east of downtown Helena, Arkansas, begins to flood. In Mississippi, places along the bank of the southwest side of Desoto Lake are flooding. Facilities along the river north of Friars Point, Mississippi, are flooding.
13. 42.00 ftFields between Jackson Point and Jug Harris Towhead begin to go underwater. In Mississippi, water is near or on the toe of the Mississippi Levee south of Highway 49 past mile 658. The road to the terminal at Long Lake Bayou is flooding.
14. 41.00 ftIn Mississippi, farm buildings inside the levee southwest of Friars Point are beginning to flood.
15. 40.00 ftHomes on the northeast side of Desoto Lake, Mississippi are flooding.
16. 39.00 ftIn Mississippi, the cabin area inside the levee southwest of Sherard is flooding. In Arkansas, the road to aggregate business near the Highway 49 bridge is flooding.
17. 38.00 ftIn Mississippi, the lowest roads in the Robson Towhead area are beginning to flood. The road to cabins near Ward Lake is flooded near the levee. The settlement near Ward Lake is being flooded. The road to cabins inside the levee southwest of Sherard, Mississippi, is covered near the levee. The road from Rena Lara to houses east of Desoto Lake is covered in many places.
18. 37.00 ftIn Arkansas, water is near or against the levee from mile 657 south past mile 655. The lowest section of trail going to Island 66 is covered. In Mississippi, west sections of the road going to Miller Point are flooding. The road to the hunting club on Island 61 is going underwater. The road to Island 67 is covered at the lowest spot.
19. 36.00 ftIn Arkansas, the settlement east of Mellwood inside the levee along Phillips County Road 524 is being inundated.
20. 35.00 ftIn Mississippi, the road to the river landing west of Delta, Mississippi, is flooded. Fields, pastures, and game food plots begin to flood on Island 67.
21. 34.00 ftIn Mississippi, the road to houses west of Horseshoe Lake is beginning to flood near the levee. Fields near mile 658 are beginning to flood. The road to houses on the southwest side of Desoto Lake is underwater near the bridge.
22. 33.00 ftIn Mississippi, the road to fields north of Highway 49 bridge is flooding. Pastures and fields inside the levee west of Farrell, Mississippi, are starting to flood. In Arkansas, fields north of the river from mile 647 to mile 650 are beginning to flood.
23. 32.00 ftIn Arkansas, fields and pastures inside the levee east of Elaine, Arkansas, are starting to flood. Pastures and fields on Island 64 are being covered by water. In Mississippi, open areas near Big Eddy Lake are beginning to flood. Fields, pastures, and game flood plots begin to flood on Island 67.
24. 31.00 ftIn Arkansas, the lowest roads inside the levee east of Helena, Arkansas, are beginning to flood. Pastures and fields on Island 64 are starting to go underwater.
25. 29.00 ftIn Mississippi, fields along the Highway 49 bridge are beginning to flood.

Chance of flooding, September to November

The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 16, 2026.

Most recent crests

• April 20, 2025: 46.66 ft
• March 6, 2019: 49.65 ft
• March 11, 2018: 47.44 ft
• May 16, 2017: 44.79 ft
• January 10, 2016: 48.04 ft
• July 17, 2015: 41.12 ft
• April 16, 2014: 34.19 ft
• May 13, 2013: 42.94 ft
• February 10, 2012: 32.93 ft
• May 12, 2011: 56.59 ft

• UpstreamMississippi River at Tunica Mhoon Landing
• DownstreamMississippi River at Friars Point
• St. Francis River at Huxtable
• Coldwater River at Sarah
• St. Francis River at Marianna 2 NE
• L'Anguille River at Marianna 1 NE
• Big Sunflower River at Clarksdale
• St. Francis River at Cody

Forecasts by the Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued routinely year-round. River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 48 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time.

Stage, flood stages, impacts and crest history from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service.