Chattahoochee River at Helen

1. 13.00 ftRecord flooding never seen before will affect Helen. A catastrophic and massive flood event will continue to affect numerous homes...businesses...motels and roads in Helen. The flood waters will be 3 to 5 feet deep in many structures and cause widespread inundation of the infrastructure. The Hamby Street...Edelweiss Strasse and Brucken Strasse bridges will be under 1 to 2 feet of water. Transportation in and out of Helen will be almost impossible due to road closures.
2. 12.00 ftNear record flooding occurs. A catastrophic and massive flood event will affect numerous homes...businesses...motels and roads in Helen. The flood waters will be 2 to 4 feet deep in many structures and cause widespread inundation of the infrastructure. The Hamby Street...Edelweiss Strasse and Brucken Strasse bridges will be under water. Transportation in and out of Helen will be extremely difficult due to road closures.
3. 11.00 ftMajor flooding begins in the Helen area with numerous homes...businesses...motels and roads affected. The water will be around two feet deep in the restaurant at Castle Inn and over portions of Edelweiss Strasse. The Helendorf River Inn will be flooded with 3 feet of water. The Hamby Street...Edelweiss Strasse and Brucken Strasse bridges form obstacles and act like dams causing some backwater and erosion eddies to the sides of the bridges. County officials will have them closed.
4. 10.00 ftSignificant flooding expands in Helen. The water will be around one foot deep in the restaurant building at Castle Inn and over portions of Edelweiss Strasse. The Helendorf River Inn will be flooded with two feet of water. The Hamby Street...Edelweiss Strasse and Brucken Strasse bridges begin to form obstacles and act like dams causing some backwater and erosion eddies to the sides of the bridges. County officials will likely have them closed. Several homes near the river will begin to flood.
5. 9.00 ftSignificant flooding continues upstream and downstream from the gage on Main Street. The water level reaches the floor of the restaurant building at Castle Inn and will be around one foot deep in the Helendorf River Inn and over the concrete foundation of the condominiums on Edelweiss Strasse. The landing area adjacent to the Tubing Company off of Edelweiss Strasse will be under 3 feet of water. The water level will reach the bottom of the first Brucken Strasse bridge downstream from the gage.
6. 8.00 ftModerate flooding begins upstream and downstream from the gage on Main Street. The water level will be around two feet deep on the concrete patio of the restaurant at Castle Inn and the parking lot behind it. The water level reaches the bottom of the Edelweiss Strasse bridge...the floors of the Helendorf River Inn...and the concrete foundation of the condominiums on Edelweiss Strasse. The landing area adjacent to the Tubing Company off of Edelweiss Strasse will be under two feet of water.
7. 7.00 ftMinor flooding continues in the yards of some homes on the left bank downstream from the gage on Main Street. The water level will be around one foot deep on the concrete patio of the restaurant at Castle Inn and the parking lot behind it. Portions of the sidewalk under the bridge and the parking lot behind a Tubing Company off of Poplar Stump Road upstream from the gage will be under 3 feet of water. The landing area adjacent to the Tubing Company off of Edelweiss Strasse will be under one foot of water.
8. 6.00 ftFlood stage is reached. Minor flooding will occur of yards of some homes on the left bank downstream from the gage on Main Street. The water level will reach the concrete patio of the restaurant at Castle Inn and the parking lot behind it. Portions of the sidewalk under the bridge and the parking lot behind a Tubing Company off of Poplar Stump Road upstream from the gage will be under one to two feet of water. The landing area adjacent to the Tubing Company off of Edelweiss Strasse will begin to flood.
9. 5.00 ftBankfull conditions expand along the river upstream and downstream from the gage on Main Street. The water level will be around one foot deep on a portion of the sidewalk under the bridge in front of the concrete patio of the restaurant at Castle Inn. A portion of the rock parking lot behind a Tubing Company off of Poplar Stump Road upstream from the gage will be under one foot of water.
10. 4.00 ftBankfull conditions are reached in low lying areas of the river upstream and downstream from the gage on Main Street. The water level will reach the sidewalk under the bridge in front of the concrete patio of the restaurant at Castle Inn on the left bank adjacent to the gage. The rock parking lot behind a Tubing Company off of Poplar Stump Road upstream from the gage will begin to flood.

Most recent crests

• March 26, 2021: 5.45 ft
• May 30, 2018: 6.44 ft
• August 26, 2008: 6.01 ft
• September 17, 2004: 6.75 ft
• March 17, 1996: 5.90 ft
• March 17, 1990: 5.94 ft
• May 28, 1973: 7.30 ft
• August 23, 1967: 12.00 ft
• March 12, 1963: 10.00 ft
• March 11, 1952: 10.00 ft

• DownstreamChattahoochee River at Cornelia
• Tallulah River at BURTON DAM
• Hiwassee River at Riverside Drive near Hiawassee
• Soque River at GA 197 NR Clarkesville
• Tallulah River at NACOOCHEE DAM
• Hiwassee River at Streak Hill Road near Hiawassee
• Nottely River at Blairsville
• Nottely River at Blairsville

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.