Rivers in Tennessee
S. Chickamauga Creek near Chickamauga
Below flood stage
3.98ftStage
Observed Wed, Sep 23, 12:15 PM EDT
- Flood stage
- 18.00 ft
- Forecast crest
- 4.70 ftThu, Sep 24, 2:00 PM EDT
- Record crest
- 29.29 ft2003
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 27.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 22.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 18.00 ft |
| Action | 16.00 ft |
- 30.00 ftThe airport is closed. Interstates 24 and 75 in East Ridge are impassable.
- 29.00 ftThe airport can still function at a reduced level. Access to the airport becomes difficult.
- 28.00 ftMajor flooding occurs in areas around the airport in Chattanooga. Several roads are blocked, including Highway 153 near Shepherd Road. Many homes in East Ridge are flooded, and some businesses affected.
- 27.00 ftHomes on Arlena Circle (off Shallowford Road) are evacuated. Evacuations also take place at the Fountainbleau Apartments on Spring Creek Road in East Ridge.
- 24.00 ftA few homes in the East Ridge area are flooded.
- 23.00 ftEvacuations begin in some of the low lying areas around Spring Creek in the East Ridge area.
- 22.00 ftAirport Road is closed to traffic. A couple of homes are slightly flooded near intersection of Mack Smith Road and May Street. Flooding becomes extensive around the north end of the airport.
- 21.00 ftMack Smith Road and Lovell Field Loop become impassable. Water begins to come onto Airport Road, just north of the terminal complex. West Chickamauga Creek increases to near a half mile wide in places, becoming hazardous to adjacent travel in East Ridge.
- 20.00 ftMack Smith Road is closed. Water crosses Lovell Field Loop, the access road around the north end of the airport runway.
- 19.00 ftWater across Mack Smith Road begins to impede traffic. West Chickamauga Creek overflows its banks near the Georgia state line and inundates several roads and properties in the area.
- 18.00 ftWater begins to cross Mack Smith Road in Catoosa County, Georgia. Flooding begins at golf courses near the confluence of South and West Chickamauga Creeks. West Chickamauga Creek begins to overflow its banks, as well.
- 16.00 ftAt 16 feet, water continues to spread into the natural floodplain near the levee, including an area where unsheltered individuals may be present. Water may be up to 1 feet deep.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 11% |
| Moderate flooding | 5% |
| Major flooding | Under 5% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 16, 2026.
Crest history
85 crests on NOAA’s list since 1929.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 8, 2003 | 29.29 ft |
| 2 | February 17, 1990 | 28.72 ft |
| 3 | March 17, 1973 | 28.70 ft |
| 4 | September 22, 2009 | 28.54 ft |
| 5 | March 30, 1951 | 27.73 ft |
| 6 | March 29, 1994 | 27.54 ft |
| 7 | November 29, 1948 | 26.83 ft |
| 8 | December 27, 2015 | 26.43 ft |
| 9 | April 14, 2020 | 25.93 ft |
| 10 | December 19, 1961 | 25.70 ft |
| 11 | October 6, 1995 | 25.60 ft |
| 12 | February 5, 1936 | 25.47 ft |
| 13 | January 21, 1947 | 25.35 ft |
| 14 | September 18, 2004 | 25.29 ft |
| 15 | February 11, 1946 | 24.65 ft |
| 16 | February 3, 1969 | 24.64 ft |
| 17 | September 8, 1950 | 24.61 ft |
| 18 | April 9, 1938 | 24.36 ft |
| 19 | March 16, 1964 | 24.32 ft |
| 20 | September 18, 2004 | 24.13 ft |
| 21 | March 27, 1965 | 23.88 ft |
| 22 | February 2, 1957 | 23.68 ft |
| 23 | March 12, 1952 | 23.59 ft |
| 24 | January 16, 2013 | 23.52 ft |
| 25 | January 8, 2009 | 23.29 ft |
Most recent crests
- February 14, 2025: 18.80 ft
- May 10, 2024: 17.48 ft
- January 10, 2024: 17.93 ft
- February 24, 2022: 18.85 ft
- April 1, 2021: 20.20 ft
- March 27, 2021: 18.40 ft
- March 19, 2021: 21.96 ft
- April 14, 2020: 25.93 ft
- March 10, 2019: 19.03 ft
- February 24, 2019: 21.99 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
What this means
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 24 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time.
Sources
Stage, flood stages, impacts and crest history from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service. Streamflow and the daily record from the U.S. Geological Survey.