White River at Georgetown, AR

River level and flood forecast · White County

Normal0.9 ftas of Mon 1 PM

The river is 20.1 ft below flood stage (21 ft).

Forecast to fall to -0.4 ft by Thu, Oct 22, 7 AM.

Flow: 8,730 cubic feet per second (USGS).

The last 7 days and the forecast

-100102030TueThuSatMonWedFriSunTueThuAction 20.5 ftFlood 21 ftModerate 24 ftMajor 28 ftNowObserved (ft)NWS forecast

NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 10:21 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.

Flood stages

Major flood stage28 ft
Moderate flood stage24 ft
Flood stage21 ft
Action stage20.5 ft
Record crest (May 6, 2011)33.95 ft

What floods at each level

From the National Weather Service, highest first.

  • 32 ftOvertopping of Kitty Barnes Levee in Woodruff and Prairie counties. Flood of record, was 33.95 feet May 2011.
  • 30 ftOvertopping of both Little Red River Levees between 30 and 31 feet. Highest crest since completion of upstream reservoirs was 33.95 feet in May 2011, second highest was 30.2 feet in March 2008, third highest was 30.1 feet in April 1973. Georgetown is an island and persons in the community should leave or be prepared for a prolonged stay. Many homes and cabins are flooded along the lower reaches of the Little Red River and for several miles along State Highway 36 west of the White River in White County.
  • 29 ftPatrolling begins on Kitty Barnes Levee in Woodruff County. Fifth highest crest since completion of upstream reservoirs. Serious conditions throughout White River Valley. River crested over 30 feet in May 2011, March and April 2008.
  • 28 ftLevees along South Bank of Little Red River protecting cropland and the National Wildlife Refuge is possibly overtopped. Water runs around lower end of levee system. Homes flooded near Nimmo, near West Point, and in the Georgetown vicinity. Georgetown is isolated by floodwater. Residents should leave, or have provisions for a prolonged stay.
  • 26 ftBackwater up Little Red River floods bottomland near West Point and Georgetown. Numerous roads and bridges flooded west of the river. Extensive area of cropland in White, Woodruff, and Prairie counties flooded. State Highway 36 is probably flooded and impassable. Georgetown and Nimmo could be isolated by floodwater. Residents should either leave or have provisions for a prolonged stay.
  • 24 ftState Highway 36 to Georgetown may be flooding due to backwater up Little Red River, especially during locally heavy rainfall or high White River stage. Levee on north side of the Little Red River protecting the Bald Knob National Wildlife Refuge, primarily cropland, may be overtopped.
  • 23 ftMinor street flooding in Georgetown including Heath Scott Drive and Riverside Street near the boat ramp.
  • 22 ftFarm fields and farm roads on either side of Highway 36 west of Georgetown inundated.
  • 21 ftHurricane Lake Wildlife Management Area and Raft Creek Bottoms inundated. Roads in the bottoms are flooded.

Highest crests on record

  1. 33.95 ft — May 6, 2011
  2. 32.8 ft — February 1, 1949
  3. 32.1 ft — April 4, 1945
  4. 31.5 ft — May 8, 2017
  5. 31.5 ft — February 23, 1938

Recent crests: 28.31 ft (April 11, 2025) · 23.46 ft (March 29, 2023) · 22.7 ft (February 16, 2023) · 22.48 ft (May 12, 2022) · 22.04 ft (April 29, 2022)

Up and down the river, and nearby

Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (GEOA4); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.