Hiwassee River at Riverside Drive near Hiawassee, GA
River level and flood forecast · Towns County
Normal2.6 ftas of Mon 4:45 PM
The river is 7.4 ft below flood stage (10 ft).
Flow: 48 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Sun, Dec 31, 7 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 14 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 12 ft |
| Flood stage | 10 ft |
| Action stage | 8 ft |
| Record crest (May 30, 2018) | 11.22 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 14 ftMajor flood stage is reached. Extensive flooding expands into fields and woodlands near the river. Numerous trailer homes in the Enchanted Valley Resort...around one mile downstream and on the right bank of the stream gage on Riverside Drive...will be flooded. Access roads in the resort will be flooded under at least two feet of water. Evacuations of most residents will be necessary. The water level will top Riverside Drive bridge and it will be closed by county officials.
- 12 ftModerate flood stage is reached. Flooding continues to expand into fields and woodlands near the river. Several trailer homes in the Enchanted Valley Resort...around one mile downstream and on the right bank of the stream gage on Riverside Drive...will have water beginning to get into the homes. Access roads in the resort will begin to flood. Evacuations of some residents may be necessary. The water level will reach the bottom of the Riverside Drive bridge and it may be closed by county officials.
- 11 ftMinor flooding continues and expands into fields and woodlands near the river. Smaller creeks and tributaries flowing into the river begin to back up. Several trailer homes on the south end of the Enchanted Valley Resort will begin to have water under them and may damage some outbuildings or sheds.
- 10 ftFlood stage is reached. Minor flooding of fields and woodlands occurs in the natural flood plain. The water level gets very close to trailer homes in the Enchanted Valley Resort on the right bank and downstream from the stream gage on Riverside Drive.
- 9 ftBankfull conditions continue with water beginning to spread into the natural flood plain. The high water begins to affect backyards of trailer homes near the river in the Enchanted Valley Resort.
- 8 ftBankfull is reached with rapidly moving high water.
Highest crests on record
- 11.22 ft — May 30, 2018
- 10.87 ft — August 17, 2021
- 10.85 ft — October 29, 2020
- 10.52 ft — March 26, 2021
- 10.4 ft — August 26, 2008
Recent crests: 10.14 ft (September 27, 2024) · 10.87 ft (August 17, 2021) · 10.52 ft (March 26, 2021) · 10.85 ft (October 29, 2020) · 11.22 ft (May 30, 2018)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- Tallulah River above Plum Orchard Rd 6 NW Tiger, GA
- Nottely River near Blairsville, GA
- Chattahoochee River at Helen, GA
- Nantahala River near Rainbow Springs, NC
- Soque River at GA 197 NR Clarkesville, GA
- Tallulah River above TALLULAH FALLS PWR HOUSE, GA
- Valley River at Tomotla, NC
- Chattooga River at Hwy 76, SC
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (HWEG1); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.