Oconee River at Highway 280 near Mount Vernon
Flood levels
Official flood levels at this gauge: action stage begins at 14.0 ft; minor flooding begins at 16.0 ft; moderate flooding begins at 20.0 ft; major flooding begins at 23.0 ft.
| Action stage | 14.0 ft |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 16.0 ft |
| Moderate flooding | 20.0 ft |
| Major flooding | 23.0 ft |
Highest recorded crests
- 25.3 ft on Apr 14, 1936 (historic crest)
- 23.0 ft on Mar 14, 1998 (historic crest)
- 23.0 ft on Mar 9, 1971 (historic crest)
- 22.6 ft on Dec 5, 1948 (historic crest)
What the water does
National Weather Service impact statements for this gauge, in the Weather Service's own words.
| 12.0 ft | Water backflows into McCoy Lake upstream from the gage. No known damages occur from the overflow. McCoy Lake is a slough which extends 1 mile upstream from the river gage. |
|---|---|
| 14.0 ft | Bankfull conditions occur along the river upstream and downstream from the gage on U.S. Highway 280 bridge. |
| 16.0 ft | Flood Stage is reached. Minor flooding begins in the woodlands...pastures and natural flood plain along the river upstream and downstream from the gage on U.S. Highway 280. Flood waters reach the top of a boat ramp by the bridge on the Wheeler County side of the River. |
| 17.0 ft | Minor flooding continues in the woodlands and pastures upstream and downstream from the gage on U.S. Highway 280. Some homes on Dead River Road in the south end of Montgomery County become surrounded by water. Water begins to cover lower portions of Dead River Road. |
| 18.0 ft | Minor flooding expands in the woodlands and pastures upstream and downstream from the gage on U.S. Highway 280. A campground and a few out buildings begin to flood several miles south of Mount Vernon. Eleven homes in the Cherokee Sand Ridge subdivision are surrounded by water. Dead River Road becomes flooded and is closed. |
| 19.0 ft | Minor flooding expands further into the woodlands and pastures upstream and downstream from the gage on U.S. Highway 280. The boat ramp parking lot is flooded out on the Wheeler County side of the river. More homes on Dead River Road in the south part of Montgomery County become surrounded with water. Some flooding inside the structures is possible. Some portions of Dead River Road are covered by at least a foot of water. |
| 20.0 ft | Moderate flooding begins. Significant flooding occurs in the woodlands and pastures upstream and downstream from the gage on U.S. Highway 280. The access road to the boat ramp on the Wheeler County side of the river begins to flood. Around a dozen homes on Dead River Road in the south end of Montgomery County become surrounded with water. A few homes will have some flooding. Portions of Dead River Road will be covered by at least two feet of water. |
| 21.0 ft | Significant flooding continues in the woodlands and pastures upstream and downstream from the gage on U.S. Highway 280. The lower portion of the access road to the boat ramp on the Wheeler County side of the river is flooded. Around a dozen homes on Dead River Road in the south end of Montgomery County become flooded. Portions of Dead River Road will be covered by at least 3 feet of water. |
| 22.0 ft | Significant flooding expands in the woodlands and pastures upstream and downstream from the gage on U.S. Highway 280. More of the access road to the boat ramp on the Wheeler County side of the river is flooded. Around a dozen homes on Dead River Road in the south end of Montgomery County are flooded with up to 2 feet of water. Dead River Road will be flooded up to 4 feet deep. |
| 23.0 ft | Major flooding begins with widespread inundation of the woodlands and pastures upstream and downstream from the gage on U.S. Highway 280. Most of the access road to the boat ramp on the Wheeler County side of the river is flooded. Around a dozen homes on Dead River Road in the south end of Montgomery County are flooded with up to 3 feet of water. Dead River Road will be flooded up to 5 feet deep. |
| 24.0 ft | Record flooding occurs with widespread inundation of the woodlands and pastures upstream and downstream from the gage on U.S. Highway 280. Most of the access road to the boat ramp on the Wheeler County side of the river is flooded. Around a dozen homes on Dead River Road in the south end of Montgomery County are flooded with up to 4 feet of water. Dead River Road will be flooded up to 6 feet deep. |
Forecast office: NWS Peachtree City · River Forecast Center: Southeast River Forecast Center.
Oconee River at Highway 280 near Mount Vernon in your pocket
Tidora puts this spot on your Home Screen and Lock Screen with free widgets, and sends free flood alerts before the water reaches the levels that matter to you. No account, no subscription needed for either.
Download Tidora on the App Store
Tidora is preparing for launch; these pages go fully live when the app ships.
Nearby stations and gauges
- Little Ocmulgee River at GA 149 at Scotland NWS gauge · 14.4 mi
- Altamaha River near Charlotteville NWS gauge · 17.5 mi
- Ocmulgee River at Lumber City NWS gauge · 18.9 mi
- Turnpike Creek near McRae NWS gauge · 21.8 mi
- Ohoopee River at GA 297 near Swainsboro NWS gauge · 22.6 mi
- Altamaha River near Baxley NWS gauge · 23.9 mi