Pearl River level at Jackson
Mississippi · Flood watch
Measured at USGS 02486000 — PEARL RIVER AT JACKSON, MS · NWS forecast point JACM6
Reading taken · as of 58 min ago
Well below normal for the date
At 126 CFS, this gauge is in the lowest 5% of the 62 years USGS has recorded for this date (1962–2025), at 39% of the 325 CFS median.
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Flood stages at Jackson
National Weather Service categories for gauge JACM6, WFO JAN. Impact wording is the NWS's own, verbatim.
-
Major flood 36.0 ft
- 38.0 ft A large number of homes are flooded in Northeast Jackson and water is in some buildings in Downtown Jackson.
- 43.3 ft Major flooding is occurring along the river from Northeast Jackson to Flowood toRichland and Byram.
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Moderate flood 33.0 ft
- 33.0 ft Rosemary Road is closed. Sidney Street is impassable. There is water on West Street. The playing field off Westbrook Road is underwater. Water is on Nichols and Julienne streets in the Hightower Area; however, both are passable. Water is approaching packs auto detail shop on South West Street.
- 34.0 ft Dozens of additional streets flood in downtown Jackson.
- 35.0 ft Some businesses are affected near Town Creek. River waters will flood some of the streets of Northeast Jackson subdivisions which are close to the river and a number of additional streets in downtown Jackson.
- 35.4 ft Water approaches homes in the Hightower Area.
- 35.8 ft Water is close to entering homes in Northeast Jackson.
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Minor flood 28.0 ft
- 28.0 ft Minor flooding of lowland near the river is occurring. Water begins to back up into several creeks and streams in the Jackson area.
- 29.0 ft Farmland in southern Rankin County begins to flood and water begins to affect home access near the river in the Byram area.
- 30.0 ft Water backs up into several creeks and streams in the Jackson area. Water is under some homes near the river in the Byram area.
- 31.0 ft Water begins to impact approaches to additional homes and businesses in the Byram area.
- 32.0 ft Water begins to affect businesses on South President and South Farish streets. Sidney Street is flooded.
-
Action 24.0 ft
- 24.0 ft The Jackson waste water treatment plant loses its natural outflow and must initiate pumping.
- 26.0 ft Roads near the river in Lefleurs Bluff State Park begin to flood.
- Right now 3.14 ft
NWS forecast: 3.20 ft by .
Flow history at Jackson
Daily values from USGS 02486000, updated every 15 to 60 minutes; NWS forecast for JACM6 reissued through the day. Provisional.
Highest crests on record at Jackson
12 on record
| Stage | Flow | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 43.28 ft | 128,000 CFS | Apr 17, 1979 |
| 39.58 ft | 79,500 CFS | May 25, 1983 |
| 36.67 ft | 77,200 CFS | Feb 17, 2020 |
| 36.30 ft | 70,000 CFS | Dec 5, 1880 |
| 36.30 ft | 85,000 CFS | Mar 31, 1902 |
| 36.07 ft | — | Dec 7, 1982 |
| 36.04 ft | 66,100 CFS | Dec 21, 1961 |
| 36.00 ft | 80,000 CFS | Apr 25, 1874 |
| 35.74 ft | 50,400 CFS | Apr 3, 1976 |
| 35.70 ft | — | Jan 27, 1979 |
Crests published by the National Weather Service.
About Pearl River at Jackson
The reference gauge for this reach in Mississippi — what local emergency managers and the National Weather Service watch when the river comes up. Recurring metro flood emergencies; Ross Barnett releases.
Pearl River at Jackson — common questions
3 questions
What is flood stage at Jackson?
The National Weather Service sets minor flood stage at this gauge at 28.0 ft, moderate at 33.0 ft, and major at 36.0 ft. Action stage — the level at which agencies begin preparing — is 24.0 ft. The ladder on this page shows each threshold against the current reading, with the NWS's own impact statements at each level.
Is Pearl River at Jackson high or low for this time of year?
The USGS median flow for late September here is 325 CFS, from 62 years of record (1962–2025). Today sits in the lowest 5% of those years, at 39% of the median. The comparison is what makes the raw number mean anything: the same reading is a drought on one river and a flood on another.
How often does this reading update?
USGS transmits from gauge 02486000 every 15 to 60 minutes, and the National Weather Service reissues the flood forecast for JACM6 a few times a day — more often when the river is rising. This page refreshes from both when you open it. The timestamp is in the gauge's local time.