River stage
Helen, Chattahoochee River
- River level
- 0.50 ft
- Status
- Below flood stage
- 7-day change
- +0.08 ft
- Recent high
- 1.96 ft
- Recent low
- 0.38 ft
Last reported 2026-10-13 | NWS HDCG1
- 30-day change
- -0.02 ft
- Average
- 0.60 ft
- Readings
- 122
- Data span
- 122 days
- Record crest
- 12.00 ft
In brief
The Chattahoochee River at Helen, GA read 0.50 ft on Oct 13, 2026, 3.50 ft below action stage. That is 0.02 ft lower than 30 days earlier.
Source: National Weather Service gauge HDCG1
Water 67 °F (19 °C) · 6 °F warmer than normal for this date
River level timeline
Stage threshold profile
Highest crests on record
| Rank | Crest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12.00 ft | 1967-08-23 |
| 2 | 11.00 ft | 1946-04-16 |
| 3 | 10.00 ft | 1952-03-11 |
| 4 | 10.00 ft | 1963-03-12 |
| 5 | 7.30 ft | 1973-05-28 |
| 6 | 6.75 ft | 2004-09-17 |
| 7 | 6.44 ft | 2018-05-30 |
| 8 | 6.01 ft | 2008-08-26 |
Flood crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service.
What happens at each level
- 4.00 ft
Bankfull conditions are reached in low lying areas of the river upstream and downstream from the gage on Main Street. The water level will reach the sidewalk under the bridge in front of the concrete patio of the restaurant at Castle Inn on the left bank adjacent to the gage. The rock parking lot behind a Tubing Company off of Poplar Stump Road upstream from the gage will begin to flood.
- 5.00 ft
Bankfull conditions expand along the river upstream and downstream from the gage on Main Street. The water level will be around one foot deep on a portion of the sidewalk under the bridge in front of the concrete patio of the restaurant at Castle Inn. A portion of the rock parking lot behind a Tubing Company off of Poplar Stump Road upstream from the gage will be under one foot of water.
- 6.00 ft
Flood stage is reached. Minor flooding will occur of yards of some homes on the left bank downstream from the gage on Main Street. The water level will reach the concrete patio of the restaurant at Castle Inn and the parking lot behind it. Portions of the sidewalk under the bridge and the parking lot behind a Tubing Company off of Poplar Stump Road upstream from the gage will be under one to two feet of water. The landing area adjacent to the Tubing Company off of Edelweiss Strasse will begin to flood.
- 7.00 ft
Minor flooding continues in the yards of some homes on the left bank downstream from the gage on Main Street. The water level will be around one foot deep on the concrete patio of the restaurant at Castle Inn and the parking lot behind it. Portions of the sidewalk under the bridge and the parking lot behind a Tubing Company off of Poplar Stump Road upstream from the gage will be under 3 feet of water. The landing area adjacent to the Tubing Company off of Edelweiss Strasse will be under one foot of water.
- 8.00 ft
Moderate flooding begins upstream and downstream from the gage on Main Street. The water level will be around two feet deep on the concrete patio of the restaurant at Castle Inn and the parking lot behind it. The water level reaches the bottom of the Edelweiss Strasse bridge...the floors of the Helendorf River Inn...and the concrete foundation of the condominiums on Edelweiss Strasse. The landing area adjacent to the Tubing Company off of Edelweiss Strasse will be under two feet of water.
- 9.00 ft
Significant flooding continues upstream and downstream from the gage on Main Street. The water level reaches the floor of the restaurant building at Castle Inn and will be around one foot deep in the Helendorf River Inn and over the concrete foundation of the condominiums on Edelweiss Strasse. The landing area adjacent to the Tubing Company off of Edelweiss Strasse will be under 3 feet of water. The water level will reach the bottom of the first Brucken Strasse bridge downstream from the gage.
- 10.00 ft
Significant flooding expands in Helen. The water will be around one foot deep in the restaurant building at Castle Inn and over portions of Edelweiss Strasse. The Helendorf River Inn will be flooded with two feet of water. The Hamby Street...Edelweiss Strasse and Brucken Strasse bridges begin to form obstacles and act like dams causing some backwater and erosion eddies to the sides of the bridges. County officials will likely have them closed. Several homes near the river will begin to flood.
- 11.00 ft
Major flooding begins in the Helen area with numerous homes...businesses...motels and roads affected. The water will be around two feet deep in the restaurant at Castle Inn and over portions of Edelweiss Strasse. The Helendorf River Inn will be flooded with 3 feet of water. The Hamby Street...Edelweiss Strasse and Brucken Strasse bridges form obstacles and act like dams causing some backwater and erosion eddies to the sides of the bridges. County officials will have them closed.
- 12.00 ft
Near record flooding occurs. A catastrophic and massive flood event will affect numerous homes...businesses...motels and roads in Helen. The flood waters will be 2 to 4 feet deep in many structures and cause widespread inundation of the infrastructure. The Hamby Street...Edelweiss Strasse and Brucken Strasse bridges will be under water. Transportation in and out of Helen will be extremely difficult due to road closures.
- 13.00 ft
Record flooding never seen before will affect Helen. A catastrophic and massive flood event will continue to affect numerous homes...businesses...motels and roads in Helen. The flood waters will be 3 to 5 feet deep in many structures and cause widespread inundation of the infrastructure. The Hamby Street...Edelweiss Strasse and Brucken Strasse bridges will be under 1 to 2 feet of water. Transportation in and out of Helen will be almost impossible due to road closures.
Written by the local National Weather Service forecast office for this exact gauge.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Chattahoochee River flooding at Helen?
No. The Chattahoochee River at Helen is at 0.5 ft, 3.5 ft below action stage.
What is the flood stage at Helen?
The National Weather Service sets action stage 4 ft, minor flooding 6 ft, moderate flooding 8 ft and major flooding 11 ft.
What is the highest the Chattahoochee River has been at Helen?
The highest crest on record is 12.0 ft, on 1967-08-23.
Is the Chattahoochee River high or low right now at Helen?
At 0.5 ft it is higher than 37% of readings over the last 122 days.
How warm is the water at Helen, Chattahoochee River?
The water temperature at Helen, Chattahoochee River is 67 °F (19.4 °C), measured 7:00 pm by USGS, which is 6 °F warmer than normal for this date over the past ten years. It has fallen 0.6 °F in the last 24 hours.
Stage and flood information from the NOAA National Weather Service (gauge HDCG1); daily history from the U.S. Geological Survey (site 02330450). Last reading 2026-10-13. For flood safety decisions always follow official National Weather Service warnings.