Nancy Creek at Rickenbacker Drive, at Atlanta water level

Name: Nancy Creek at Rickenbacker Drive, at Atlanta water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Nancy Creek, Georgia, United States

Directions

High for late October

Water level

1.18ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 12:15 AM EDT (31 min ago)

Flow: 7.6 cfs
Water temperature: 58 °F

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

High water at Nancy Creek at Rickenbacker Drive, at Atlanta: the latest reading is 1.18 ft, above normal for late October.

That puts it 0.37 ft above the median of 0.81 ft for late October, based on 22 years of readings. It is 9.82 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.19 ft (−0.01 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 1.04 ft – 3.23 ft.

That stands out in fall, when many rivers are usually near their lowest. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 58 °F.

Compared with 22 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 0.81 ft0.37 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.47 ft – 1.30 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (22 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.19 ft−0.01 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.04 ft – 3.23 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.04 ft – 4.27 ft
Highest on record: 15.50 ftDecember 1, 1973

Paddling and fishing conditions

Above-normal flows push fish to the edges and make wading risky. Wait for the river to drop and clear.

For reference, flood stage is 11.00 ft.

What happens at each level

16.00 ft: Record flooding occurs with widespread inundation of residential property...around 50 homes and some roads near the creek. Extensive flood damage occurs to homes on East Powder Horn Road and Hitching Post Trail upstream...along Rickenbacker Way near the gage on Rickenbacker Drive...and near Fairfield Drive downstream. The bridge at Rickenbacker Drive forms an obstacle and acts like a dam causing some backwater and erosion eddies to the sides of the bridge. County officials will have the bridge closed.
15.00 ft: Near record flooding occurs with widespread inundation of residential property...around 50 homes and some roads near the creek. This includes homes on East Powder Horn Road and Hitching Post Trail upstream...along Rickenbacker Way near the gage on Rickenbacker Drive...and near Fairfield Drive downstream. The bridge at Rickenbacker Drive forms an obstacle and acts like a dam causing some backwater and erosion eddies to the sides of the bridge. County officials will have the bridge closed.
14.00 ft: Major flooding continues with widespread inundation of residential property and around 35 homes upstream and downstream from the gage on Rickenbacker Drive. The water will be several feet deep in the crawl spaces and walkout basements of homes on East Powder Horn Road and Hitching Post Trail upstream...along Rickenbacker Way near the gage...and the out buildings on Fairfield Drive downstream. The water reaches the bottom of the bridge at Rickenbacker Drive and county officials will likely close it.
13.00 ft: Major flooding begins with widespread flooding of residential property and around 25 homes upstream and downstream from the gage on Rickenbacker Drive. The water will be a few feet deep in the crawl spaces and walkout basements of homes on East Powder Horn Road and Hitching Post Trail around 1.5 miles upstream...along Rickenbacker Way near the gage...and the out buildings on Fairfield Drive around 2 miles downstream.
12.00 ft: Moderate flooding occurs. Widespread flooding of residential yards and property occurs upstream and downstream from the gage on Rickenbacker Drive. The water will begin to enter crawl spaces and walkout basements of homes on East Powder Horn Road and Hitching Post Trail around 1.5 miles upstream...along Rickenbacker Way near the gage...and out buildings on Fairfield Drive around 2 miles downstream.
11.00 ft: Flood Stage is reached. Minor flooding of residential yards occurs upstream and downstream from the gage on Rickenbacker Drive. This includes homes on East Powder Horn Road and Hitching Post Trail around 1.5 miles upstream...along Rickenbacker Way near the gage...and Fairfield Drive around 2 miles downstream.
9.00 ft: Bankfull conditions are reached upstream and downstream from the gage on Rickenbacker Drive. Water begins to flow into low areas of the flood plain.
1.18 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	15.50 ft	December 1, 1973
2	15.26 ft	September 17, 2004
3	14.84 ft	June 5, 1973
4	14.69 ft	September 22, 2009
5	14.31 ft	September 27, 2024
6	13.16 ft	May 3, 2010
7	13.15 ft	February 3, 1982
8	13.05 ft	December 31, 1973
9	13.03 ft	September 21, 2009
10	12.93 ft	March 17, 1990

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 76° 43° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 76° 46° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 78° 46° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 75° 58° – Wind 10 mph

24 Sat 73° 55° – Wind 11 mph

25 Sun 72° 54° – Wind 11 mph

26 Mon 74° 54° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:48 AM Sunset 06:58 PM Daylight 11 hr, 10 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Other gauges on Nancy Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Nancy Creek at Johnson Ferry Road, at ChambleeRiver gauge, Nancy Creek	3.60 ft	Very low	+0.03 ft	2.8 mi
Nancy Creek at West Wesley Road, at AtlantaRiver gauge, Nancy Creek	1.79 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	4.1 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
N.f. Peachtree Creek, Buford Highway, near AtlantaRiver gauge, N.f. Peachtree Creek, Buford Highway	3.78 ft	Normal	−0.11 ft	3.3 mi
Peachtree Creek at AtlantaRiver gauge, Peachtree Creek	2.18 ft	Low	−0.18 ft	3.8 mi
North Fork Peachtree Creek at Briarwood Road, near AtlantaRiver gauge, North Fork Peachtree Creek	2.05 ft	Low	−0.23 ft	3.8 mi
Chattahoochee River at US 41, at AtlantaRiver gauge, Chattahoochee River	4.31 ft	Low	+0.05 ft	4.3 mi
Chatt River at Powers Fy and I-285 near AtlantaRiver gauge, Chatt River	3.65 ft	Low	+0.05 ft	4.3 mi
Chattahoochee River at AtlantaRiver gauge, Chattahoochee River	2.94 ft	Low	+0.06 ft	4.4 mi
Woodall Creek at Defoors Ferry Road, at AtlantaRiver gauge, Woodall Creek	0.76 ft	High	+0.01 ft	4.7 mi
Rottenwood Creek at Interstate N Pkwy, near SmyrnaRiver gauge, Rottenwood Creek	2.17 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	4.8 mi

Questions and answers

How does Nancy Creek at Rickenbacker Drive, at Atlanta compare with last year?

It is 0.01 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.19 ft.

What is flood stage for Nancy Creek at Rickenbacker Drive, at Atlanta?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 9.82 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Nancy Creek at Rickenbacker Drive, at Atlanta in late October?

The median for late October is 0.81 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.47 ft and 1.30 ft, based on 22 years of records.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Nancy Creek at Rickenbacker Drive, at Atlanta today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 12:15 AM EDT, the water level was 1.18 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Nancy Creek at Rickenbacker Drive, at Atlanta rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Nancy Creek at Rickenbacker Drive, at Atlanta normal?

High for late October. Compared with 22 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:02336360 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 33.86917, -84.37889 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NAVD88
Update interval: every 15 minutes
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	1.18 ft	2026-10-21 04:15	Provisional
Flow	7.6 cfs	2026-10-21 04:15	Provisional
Water temperature	58 °F	2026-10-21 04:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Nancy Creek at Rickenbacker Drive, at Atlanta (usgs:02336360). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/georgia/nancy-creek-at-rickenbacker-drive-at-atlanta

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer