Leaf River at Hattiesburg water level

Name: Leaf River at Hattiesburg 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, Leaf River, Mississippi, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

1.97ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 06:00 PM CDT (54 min ago)

Flow: 462 cfs

History

7 days

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

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.00 ft by Sunday, October 18 at 01:00 PM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 07:57 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at Leaf River at Hattiesburg reads 1.97 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 1.84 ft, based on 25 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.13 ft above typical. It is 20.03 ft below the flood stage of 22.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.00 ft by Sunday, October 18 at 01:00 PM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.93 ft and 2.01 ft.

Compared with 25 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.84 ft0.13 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.11 ft – 4.98 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (25 years of records)
Highest on record: 34.03 ftApril 15, 1974
Forecast peak: 2.00 ftSunday, October 18 at 01:00 PM

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 22.00 ft, still 20.03 ft away.

What happens at each level

34.00 ft: East Hattiesburg is inundated. Serious flooding in the cities of Hattiesburg and Petal, with approximately 350 businesses and 2900 other structures affected by high water.
30.50 ft: Flooding begins to occur on Highway 11 about 1/2 mile north of bridge.
29.30 ft: Water in is the Briarfield Homes Apartments off Second Street.
27.30 ft: The turn ramp on the bypass becomes flooded.
26.00 ft: Sections of east Hattiesburg close to the river begin to flood.
25.50 ft: The stockyard area on Highway 11 begins to flood.
25.30 ft: Water is beginning to cover east side of Hardy Street.
23.50 ft: Water is beginning to enter homes on Curie Street.
23.00 ft: Water begins to cover streets and highways in low lying areas along the river.
22.00 ft: Water begins to cover road at a trailer park about 3 miles downstream of the Highway 11 bridge.
20.00 ft: Portable restrooms in Chain Park on the river at Highway 11 are removed.
17.00 ft: Power to Chain Park on the river at Highway 11 is turned off.
1.97 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	34.03 ft	April 15, 1974
2	31.53 ft	February 23, 1961
3	29.19 ft	April 9, 1983
4	29.13 ft	April 14, 1980
5	28.91 ft	March 22, 1943
6	28.91 ft	March 22, 1944
7	27.51 ft	March 12, 2016
8	27.44 ft	March 31, 1980
9	27.42 ft	January 10, 1950
10	27.31 ft	May 14, 1990

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 75° 46° – Wind 11 mph

19 Mon 75° 45° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 79° 48° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 81° 52° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 83° 54° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 84° 53° – Wind 6 mph

24 Sat 81° 54° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:03 AM Sunset 06:23 PM Daylight 11 hr, 20 min First quarter 54%

Map

Other gauges on the Leaf River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Leaf River near CollinsRiver gauge, Leaf River	4.48 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	26 mi
Leaf River near New AugustaRiver gauge, Leaf River	2.34 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	16 mi
Leaf River near McLainRiver gauge, Leaf River	2.63 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	32 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Bouie River at Glendale Avenue at HattiesburgRiver gauge, Bouie River	7.40 ft	Very low	±0	1.6 mi
Bouie Creek near HattiesburgRiver gauge, Bouie Creek	1.78 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	10 mi
Okatoma Creek at SanfordRiver gauge, Okatoma Creek	7.30 ft	Very low	±0	14 mi
Black Creek near BrooklynRiver gauge, Black Creek	3.71 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	21 mi
Cypress Creek near JaniceRiver gauge, Cypress Creek	5.58 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	27 mi
Pearl River near ColumbiaRiver gauge, Pearl River	0.45 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	34 mi
Pascagoula River at MerrillRiver gauge, Pascagoula River	2.05 ft	Low	−0.04 ft	41 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Leaf River at Hattiesburg?

The official flood stage is 22.00 ft. The level is currently 20.03 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Leaf River at Hattiesburg in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.84 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.11 ft and 4.98 ft, based on 25 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 Leaf River at Hattiesburg today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 06:00 PM CDT, the water level was 1.97 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Leaf River at Hattiesburg rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Leaf River at Hattiesburg normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 25 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Leaf River at Hattiesburg?

The highest level on record is 34.03 ft on April 15, 1974.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:02473000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 31.34306, -89.28028 (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	1.97 ft	2026-10-18 23:00	Provisional
Flow	462 cfs	2026-10-18 23:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Leaf River at Hattiesburg (usgs:02473000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/mississippi/leaf-river-at-hattiesburg

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