Rivers in Mississippi
Pearl River near Columbia
Below flood stage
0.63ftStage
Observed Wed, Sep 23, 8:45 AM CDT
- Flood stage
- 17.00 ft
- Forecast crest
- 0.70 ftWed, Sep 23, 1:00 PM CDT
- Record crest
- 27.80 ft1979
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 26.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 23.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 17.00 ft |
| Action | 16.00 ft |
- 26.00 ftWater is covering most of highway 587.
- 25.00 ftNumerous roads are closed in the vicinity of the water park in Columbia. Some homes are surrounded by water.
- 24.80 ftWater begins to top Highway 587.
- 24.00 ftExtensive flooding occurs in Morgantown and Foxworth. Some minor flooding begins in Spring Cottage.
- 21.50 ftWater covers Old Highway 35 on the west side of the river.
- 21.00 ftBoth river banks at Columbia are overflowing. Widespread lowland flooding is occurring.
- 18.00 ftLow areas along the river are inundated.
- 17.00 ftLow areas near the river begin to flood. Water covers Old Highway 35 on the west side of the river.
- 15.00 ftCamp Lane Road south of columbia on the east side of the river begins to flood.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 6% |
| Moderate flooding | Under 5% |
| Major flooding | Under 5% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 16, 2026.
Crest history
82 crests on NOAA’s list since 1935.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 22, 1979 | 27.80 ft |
| 2 | April 15, 1974 | 27.00 ft |
| 3 | April 9, 1938 | 26.40 ft |
| 4 | March 30, 1980 | 26.20 ft |
| 5 | April 8, 1983 | 26.20 ft |
| 6 | February 23, 2020 | 25.82 ft |
| 7 | December 27, 1961 | 25.15 ft |
| 8 | March 18, 1935 | 24.88 ft |
| 9 | May 10, 1991 | 24.60 ft |
| 10 | January 27, 1990 | 24.60 ft |
| 11 | April 2, 1961 | 24.60 ft |
| 12 | May 6, 1991 | 24.55 ft |
| 13 | May 30, 1983 | 24.53 ft |
| 14 | January 11, 1950 | 24.30 ft |
| 15 | January 23, 1947 | 24.18 ft |
| 16 | April 6, 1976 | 24.00 ft |
| 17 | April 3, 1949 | 24.00 ft |
| 18 | May 22, 1953 | 23.99 ft |
| 19 | May 10, 1975 | 23.91 ft |
| 20 | February 23, 1946 | 23.78 ft |
| 21 | March 28, 1973 | 23.50 ft |
| 22 | March 8, 1979 | 23.50 ft |
| 23 | March 2, 1987 | 23.50 ft |
| 24 | February 18, 1990 | 23.50 ft |
| 25 | January 31, 1979 | 23.47 ft |
Most recent crests
- September 3, 2022: 21.63 ft
- April 16, 2021: 19.70 ft
- April 29, 2020: 19.89 ft
- February 23, 2020: 25.82 ft
- January 20, 2020: 22.93 ft
- May 15, 2019: 19.57 ft
- April 21, 2019: 19.54 ft
- March 4, 2019: 18.64 ft
- January 9, 2019: 20.41 ft
- April 11, 2017: 18.28 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.