Coosawattee River near Ellijay

1. 23.00 ftRecord flooding never seen before will affect all of Ellijay. Old Georgia 5 bridge on the Ellijay River will be flooded and closed. A catastrophic and massive flood will continue to affect much of the infrastructure of Ellijay. Widespread inundation flooding will occur along the Coosawattee...Ellijay...and Cartecay Rivers. Numerous homes...businesses...and roads will be affected with up to 10 feet of water. Transportation in and out of Ellijay will be almost impossible due to road closures.
2. 21.00 ftRecord flooding occurs. A catastrophic and massive flood event will affect much of the infrastructure of Ellijay. Widespread inundation flooding will occur along the Coosawattee...Ellijay...and Cartecay Rivers. Numerous homes...businesses...and roads will be affected with several feet of water. Transportation in and out of Ellijay will be extremely difficult due to road closures.
3. 18.00 ftMajor flooding continues with the Sheriffs Patrol Office and the Parks and Recreation Office at the Harold Hefner River Park beginning to flood. Water reaches the bottom of the bridge on Georgia Highway 282 near the intersection of Old Georgia Highway 5. The bridge will likely be closed by state officials. Widespread flooding of homes and businesses continues in Ellijay. This flooding will be worse than the flooding experienced with Hurricane Ivan in September 2004.
4. 17.00 ftA major flood event continues. The U.S. Post Office and the C S Bank on Industrial Boulevard will begin to flood. Numerous industries surrounding the intersection of the Ellijay...Cartecay...and Coosawattee Rivers will begin to flood. Otherwise...widespread flooding of Ellijay continues...with many businesses...homes...and roads affected. Evacuations will be needed. This event will be comparable to flooding associated with Hurricane Ivan in September 2004.
5. 16.00 ftMajor flooding continues to expand with significant flooding of homes...businesses...and roads in the Ellijay area. Widespread evacuations are likely. Parts of Old Georgia Highway 5 in Ellijay go underwater and will need to be closed. The Ellijay Water Treatment Plant...off of Merk Davis Road...will begin to flood. The Harold Hefner River Park will be completely flooded with several feet of water.
6. 15.00 ftMajor flooding continues. Widespread inundation flooding continues throughout much of Ellijay. State Highway 52 begins to flood and will need to be closed. The Fleet store will begin to flood. Some homes and businesses are flooded and evacuations may be needed. Portions of the Pilgrims Pride Processing Plant parking lot will be under 4 feet of water. The American Legion Post building...the Georgia Power Substation...and the Harold Hefner River Park are now flooded with several feet of water.
7. 14.00 ftMajor flooding expands and affects several homes and some businesses in Ellijay. Some evacuations may be needed. The Spring Ellijay Plant will begin to flood. Portions of the Pilgrims Pride Processing Plant parking lot will be under 3 feet of water. The American Legion Post 82 building and the Georgia Power Substation next to the Post are flooded with around 3 feet of water. Most of the Harold Hefner River Park is flooded with a few feet of water.
8. 13.00 ftMajor flooding continues to expand. Flooding expands along low portions of Legion Road. Flooding continues in several homes and mobile homes from just downstream of Ellijay to several miles upstream of Ellijay on the Ellijay and Cartecay Rivers. Flooding expands in the Pilgrims Pride Processing Plant parking lot...off of Industrial Boulevard. The American Legion Post 82 building and the Georgia Power Substation next to the Post are flooded.
9. 12.00 ftMajor flooding continues. Flooding expands along low portions of Legion Road. Flooding of several homes and mobile homes continues from just downstream of Ellijay to several miles upstream of Ellijay on the Ellijay and Cartecay Rivers. Flooding expands in the Pilgrims Pride Processing Plant parking lot...off of Industrial Boulevard. The American Legion Post 82 building and the Georgia Power Substation next to the Post is flooded.
10. 11.00 ftMajor flooding begins. Low portions of Legion Road begin to flood. Several homes and mobile homes will flood from just downstream of Ellijay to several miles upstream of Ellijay on the Ellijay and Cartecay Rivers. Flooding of the Pilgrims Pride Processing Plant parking lot begins...off of Industrial Boulevard. The western portion of the American Legion Post 82 building starts to flood. The Georgia Power Substation next to the Post is flooded.
11. 10.00 ftModerate flooding begins. Flood water surrounds the American Legion Post 82 on Legion Road...and affects the Georgia Power Substation next to the Post. Significant flooding expands over the Harold Hefner River Park...including the athletic fields and walking trail.
12. 9.00 ftMinor flooding expands. Flooding of much of the walking trail in the Harold Hefner River Park occurs. Flooding of the parking lot of the Georgia Power substation at the corner of Legion Road and Old Highway 5 begins. Flooding of low lands...yards and parking areas...develop along a several mile stretch from just downstream of Ellijay to several miles upstream...including the Ellijay and Cartecay Rivers.
13. 8.00 ftFlood Stage is reached and minor flooding begins upstream and downstream from the gage off Legion Road. Some flooding will begin in low spots along the walking trail of the Harold Hefner River Park and in the parking lot of the American Legion Post 82 on Legion Road.
14. 6.00 ftBankfull conditions are reached upstream and downstream from the gage off Legion Road.

Most recent crests

• April 7, 2025: 9.84 ft
• May 9, 2024: 9.60 ft
• February 4, 2022: 8.28 ft
• September 1, 2021: 8.97 ft
• March 26, 2021: 12.22 ft
• February 6, 2020: 9.38 ft
• December 24, 2015: 13.88 ft
• December 2, 2015: 9.10 ft
• August 1, 2013: 9.00 ft
• September 17, 2004: 17.33 ft

• DownstreamCoosawattee River at Carters Lake near Carters
• Mountaintown Creek at GA 282 near Ellijay
• Cartecay River at Ellijay
• Fausett Creek at Talking Rock
• Coosawattee River at Carters
• Talking Rock Creek at Hinton
• Holly Creek at Chatsworth
• Toccoa River at Dial

Forecasts by the Southeast River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued as needed during times of high water, but are not routinely available. Automated gauge readings are now available, courtesy of the USGS. The above river forecast includes future rainfall. Forecast stages may be different if the rainfall does not occur.

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.