Rivers in Arkansas
Petit Jean River at Danville
Below flood stage
9.68ftStage
Observed Thu, Sep 24, 3:45 AM CDT
- Flood stage
- 20.00 ft
- Forecast crest
- 9.70 ftThu, Sep 24, 7:00 AM CDT
- Record crest
- 31.80 ft1939
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 26.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 24.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 20.00 ft |
| Action | 20.00 ft |
- 32.00 ftFlood of record, which occurred prior to construction of Blue Mountain Dam, was 31.8 feet in April 1939.
- 30.00 ftSerious situation, major flooding. River crested at 29.4 feet in December 1982, Highest stage since completion of Blue Mountain Dam in 1947. Many roads closed. Structural flooding in Danville. State Highways 27 and 80 flooded.
- 28.00 ftRiver crested at 28 feet in May 1990 and 28.2 feet in March 2008. Expect similar impacts. River has crested at or above this level three times since Blue Mountain Dam completed in 1947. In 1990 and 2008, the uncontrolled spillway of Blue Mountain Lake was passing a large volume of water. Many roads and bridges along the river and tributaries are flooded. State Highways 27 and 80 affected. Structural flooding in Danville possible.
- 26.00 ftMajor flooding begins. Some low lying parts of Danville, residences and businesses in the flood plain, may be affected. Bailey Branch Road, East 13th Street, Corinth Road, and the industrial park near McCargo Branch flooded. State Highways 27 and 80 may be affected.
- 24.00 ftModerate flooding begins, county roads and bridges begin to flood. Bailey Branch Road, Corinth Road, State Highway 80 southwest of Danville, and State Highway 27 north of Danville may be affected.
- 22.00 ftAgricultural lands along the river are flooded. Portions of Corinth Road, north of Danville, become flooded.
- 20.00 ftMinor flooding begins, agricultural lands along the river begin to flood.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 21% |
| Moderate flooding | 14% |
| Major flooding | 10% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 21, 2026.
Crest history
56 crests on NOAA’s list since 1939.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 17, 1939 | 31.80 ft |
| 2 | June 12, 1945 | 29.50 ft |
| 3 | December 3, 1982 | 29.36 ft |
| 4 | December 28, 2015 | 29.22 ft |
| 5 | March 19, 2008 | 28.21 ft |
| 6 | May 3, 1990 | 28.00 ft |
| 7 | March 3, 2023 | 27.22 ft |
| 8 | May 12, 2015 | 26.90 ft |
| 9 | September 4, 2008 | 26.77 ft |
| 10 | November 23, 2011 | 26.66 ft |
| 11 | September 2, 2020 | 26.62 ft |
| 12 | December 10, 1971 | 26.37 ft |
| 13 | December 18, 2001 | 25.96 ft |
| 14 | February 9, 2023 | 25.70 ft |
| 15 | November 25, 1996 | 25.64 ft |
| 16 | March 20, 2002 | 25.47 ft |
| 17 | February 17, 2001 | 25.17 ft |
| 18 | January 6, 1998 | 24.98 ft |
| 19 | December 4, 1993 | 24.83 ft |
| 20 | April 12, 2008 | 24.77 ft |
| 21 | May 4, 2009 | 24.55 ft |
| 22 | April 25, 2004 | 24.54 ft |
| 23 | December 13, 1999 | 24.50 ft |
| 24 | April 6, 2025 | 24.46 ft |
| 25 | September 18, 2009 | 24.45 ft |
Most recent crests
- April 6, 2025: 24.46 ft
- December 28, 2024: 20.38 ft
- March 26, 2024: 20.63 ft
- January 24, 2024: 20.24 ft
- March 25, 2023: 23.05 ft
- March 3, 2023: 27.22 ft
- February 9, 2023: 25.70 ft
- June 11, 2022: 21.39 ft
- May 8, 2022: 22.11 ft
- April 26, 2022: 21.14 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
What this means
Forecasts by the Arkansas-Red Basin RFC. Forecasts are issued as needed during times of high water, but are not routinely available. 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.