History UnderfootAtlanta
  • Flood
  • Water
  • September 19-22, 2009
  • DeKalb County

The 2009 flood on the Yellow River

In the September 2009 flood the Yellow River at GA 124 peaked at 16,500 cfs and 27.47 ft on September 22, about twice any other peak at that gauge.

See it on the map All Water records

The record

USGS reports that 18 metro Atlanta gauges far exceeded the estimated 500-year (0.2% chance) flood, ten people died, and damages topped $193 million, with record flooding in Gwinnett, DeKalb, Fulton and Rockdale. At Atlanta the Chattahoochee reached 40,900 cfs on September 21, and the high river backed water up Peachtree Creek: flows there were near a 10-year flood, but the stage (23.70 ft at Northside Drive) passed 500-year levels. The North Fork of Peachtree Creek at Buford Highway set its gauge record (6,140 cfs), Nancy Creek badly damaged the Peachtree Dunwoody Road bridge, and the South River at Forrest Park Road set its record (3,400 cfs on September 19).

Today: The gauge on GA 124.