Hurricane Michael (2018): peak water levels
29 river and stream gauges and 4 tide gauges · Pensacola and the Emerald Coast, Panama City, Apalachicola and Tallahassee · October 8, 2018 to October 14, 2018
Against today's NWS flood stages, 3 of the 29 river and stream gauges here peaked at or above a flood stage (2 at moderate, 1 at minor). The highest tide gauge reading was 7.72 ft above MHHW at Apalachicola (Oct 10, 2018 at 2:12 PM EDT).
Tide gauges
| Tide gauge | Peak | Time | Against today's flood thresholds | Station record (NOAA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apalachicola | +7.72 ft | Oct 10, 2018 at 2:12 PM EDT | at or above NWS major | this storm |
| Panama City | +5.30 ft | Oct 10, 2018 at 1:06 PM CDT | at or above NWS major | +5.72 ft (October 4, 1995) |
| Panama City Beach | +3.86 ft | Oct 10, 2018 at 10:48 AM CDT | at or above NWS minor | +6.84 ft (October 5, 1995) |
| Pensacola | +2.43 ft | Oct 10, 2018 at 4:18 AM CDT | at or above NWS minor | +7.41 ft (September 18, 1926) |
Highest six-minute water level in the window, relative to mean higher high water (an ordinary high tide) on today's tidal datum.
River and stream gauges
Pensacola and the Emerald Coast
| Gauge | Peak | Time | Against today's NWS flood stages | In its record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bruce Creek at SH 81 near Redbay | 18.68 ft | Oct 11, 2018 at 1:15 PM CDT | at or above minor flood stage | highest since water year 2026 |
| Choctawhatchee River near Bruce | 13.53 ft | Oct 15, 2018 at 11:15 PM CDT | at or above action stage | highest since water year 2026 |
| Shoal River near Mossy Head | 13.07 ft | Oct 11, 2018 at 11:15 AM CDT | at or above action stage | highest since water year 2026 |
| Shoal River near Crestview | 7.29 ft | Oct 12, 2018 at 9:45 PM CDT | at or above action stage | highest since water year 2026 |
| Yellow River near Oak Grove | 86.37 ft | Oct 13, 2018 at 2:15 PM CDT | — | highest since water year 2026 |
| Yellow River near Milton | 39.68 ft | Oct 11, 2018 at 12:45 AM CDT | — | — |
| Escambia River near Century | 8.93 ft | Oct 13, 2018 at 2:45 PM CDT | 8.1 ft below minor flood stage | highest since water year 2026 |
| Yellow River at Milligan | 6.58 ft | Oct 14, 2018 at 7:00 PM CDT | 5.4 ft below minor flood stage | highest since water year 2026 |
| Elevenmile Creek near West Pensacola | 5.10 ft | Oct 10, 2018 at 5:30 PM CDT | — | highest since water year 2026 |
| Big Coldwater Creek near Milton | 4.87 ft | Oct 11, 2018 at 2:00 PM CDT | 5.1 ft below minor flood stage | highest since water year 2026 |
| Blackwater River near Baker | 4.55 ft | Oct 11, 2018 at 9:45 AM CDT | 6.5 ft below minor flood stage | highest since water year 2026 |
| Escambia River near Molino | 3.68 ft | Oct 10, 2018 at 8:45 AM CDT | — | highest since water year 2026 |
| Perdido River at Barrineau Park | 2.38 ft | Oct 8, 2018 at 12:00 AM CDT | 10.6 ft below minor flood stage | highest since water year 2026 |
Panama City
| Gauge | Peak | Time | Against today's NWS flood stages | In its record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chipola River near Altha | 23.72 ft | Oct 13, 2018 at 12:45 PM CDT | at or above moderate flood stage | highest since water year 2016 |
| Econfina Creek near Bennett | 13.13 ft | Oct 12, 2018 at 8:45 AM CDT | at or above moderate flood stage | highest since water year 1991 |
| Holmes Creek at Vernon | 20.63 ft | Oct 13, 2018 at 8:15 AM CDT | at or above action stage | highest since water year 2018 |
| Choctawhatchee River near Pittman | 18.95 ft | Oct 13, 2018 at 10:15 AM CDT | at or above action stage | highest since water year 2026 |
| Apalachicola River near Blountstown | 16.43 ft | Oct 13, 2018 at 3:15 PM CDT | at or above action stage | highest since water year 2025 |
| Choctawhatchee River at Caryville | 11.86 ft | Oct 14, 2018 at 12:00 PM CDT | at or above action stage | highest since water year 2026 |
| Apalachicola R.ab Chipola Cutoff near Wewahitchka | 22.72 ft | Oct 15, 2018 at 10:45 PM CDT | — | — |
Apalachicola and Tallahassee
| Gauge | Peak | Time | Against today's NWS flood stages | In its record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Marks River near Newport | 7.17 ft | Oct 10, 2018 at 10:09 PM EDT | at or above action stage | highest since water year 2025 |
| Ochlockonee River near Concord | 29.35 ft | Oct 15, 2018 at 11:00 PM EDT | 6.6 ft below minor flood stage | highest since water year 2026 |
| Sopchoppy River near Sopchoppy | 17.77 ft | Oct 13, 2018 at 1:30 AM EDT | 10.2 ft below minor flood stage | highest since water year 2025 |
| Ochlockonee River near Havana | 16.33 ft | Oct 15, 2018 at 11:45 PM EDT | 9.7 ft below minor flood stage | highest since water year 2026 |
| Ochlockonee River near Bloxham | 13.89 ft | Oct 9, 2018 at 6:30 AM EDT | 6.1 ft below minor flood stage | highest since water year 2025 |
| Wakulla River near Crawfordville | 8.90 ft | Oct 10, 2018 at 7:45 PM EDT | — | highest since water year 2005 |
| Spring Creek near Spring Creek | 8.33 ft | Oct 10, 2018 at 1:15 PM EDT | — | — |
| Wakulla Spring near Crawfordville | 7.89 ft | Oct 10, 2018 at 9:15 PM EDT | — | — |
| Apalachicola River near Sumatra | 7.02 ft | Oct 15, 2018 at 11:30 PM EDT | 2.5 ft below minor flood stage | — |
Highest gage height in the window: from USGS's 15-minute record where it exists, otherwise the gauge's USGS annual peak when that fell in the window (a date only). Flood stages are the National Weather Service's current ones, which can differ from those in use at the time. Peaks USGS records on an earlier datum are listed but not compared.
How this page is built
Each gauge's highest reading between October 8, 2018 and October 14, 2018 (the window runs past the rain because large rivers crest days later), from USGS and NOAA records, for the gauges this site carries today in Pensacola and the Emerald Coast, Panama City, Apalachicola and Tallahassee. Gauges installed since are not listed; a gauge out of service at the time has no row. Harris County's own gauges are not included: this site has their readings only from September 2026. Readings only: this page says nothing about damage or what happened at any street or property.
Every historic flood on this site · Storms since September 2026