Hurricane Sally (2020): peak water levels
47 river and stream gauges and 11 tide gauges · Mobile Bay, Pensacola and the Emerald Coast, Panama City · September 14, 2020 to September 24, 2020
Against today's NWS flood stages, 19 of the 47 river and stream gauges here peaked at or above a flood stage (5 at major, 6 at moderate, 8 at minor). For 7 of them it is the highest peak in their comparable USGS record: Shoal River near Mossy Head, Styx River near Loxley at Smiths Siding, Bruce Creek at SH 81 near Redbay, Yellow River near Oak Grove, Yellow River near Milton, Styx River at Seminole and 1 more. The highest tide gauge reading was 5.60 ft above MHHW at Pensacola (Sep 16, 2020 at 7:36 AM CDT).
Tide gauges
| Tide gauge | Peak | Time | Against today's flood thresholds | Station record (NOAA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pensacola | +5.60 ft | Sep 16, 2020 at 7:36 AM CDT | at or above NWS moderate | +7.41 ft (September 18, 1926) |
| Dauphin Island | +3.09 ft | Sep 15, 2020 at 10:36 AM CDT | at or above NWS moderate | +5.93 ft (September 16, 2004) |
| Panama City Beach | +3.80 ft | Sep 16, 2020 at 8:48 AM CDT | at or above NWS minor | +6.84 ft (October 5, 1995) |
| Panama City | +3.35 ft | Sep 16, 2020 at 11:54 AM CDT | at or above NWS minor | +5.72 ft (October 4, 1995) |
| East Fowl River Bridge | +2.63 ft | Sep 15, 2020 at 1:18 PM CDT | at or above NWS minor | +3.84 ft (October 8, 2017) |
| Coast Guard Sector Mobile | +2.43 ft | Sep 24, 2020 at 5:12 AM CDT | at or above NWS minor | +5.38 ft (October 8, 2017) |
| Bayou La Batre Bridge | +2.38 ft | Sep 15, 2020 at 11:36 AM CDT | at or above NWS minor | +6.85 ft (October 29, 2020) |
| West Fowl River Bridge | +2.32 ft | Sep 24, 2020 at 6:42 AM CDT | at or above NWS minor | +5.89 ft (October 29, 2020) |
| Dog River Bridge | +2.26 ft | Sep 24, 2020 at 4:48 AM CDT | at or above NWS minor | +4.52 ft (October 8, 2017) |
| Mobile State Docks | +2.25 ft | Sep 24, 2020 at 5:18 AM CDT | at or above NWS minor | +5.08 ft (October 8, 2017) |
| Chickasaw Creek | +2.12 ft | Sep 24, 2020 at 7:00 AM CDT | at or above NWS minor | +4.87 ft (October 8, 2017) |
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
Mobile Bay
| Gauge | Peak | Time | Against today's NWS flood stages | In its record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Styx River near Elsanor | 23.52 ft | Sep 16, 2020 at 6:00 PM CDT | at or above major flood stage | highest since water year 1998 |
| Fish River near Silver Hill | 20.68 ft | Sep 16, 2020 at 2:00 PM CDT | at or above major flood stage | highest since water year 2014 |
| Murder Creek at State Highway 41 at Brewton | 27.79 ft | Sep 17, 2020 at 7:00 AM CDT | at or above moderate flood stage | highest since water year 2010 |
| Styx River near Loxley at Smiths Siding | 28.21 ft | Sep 17, 2020 at 4:00 AM CDT | at or above minor flood stage | highest in 15 years of record |
| Conecuh River at State Highway 41 near Brewton | 28.82 ft | Sep 17, 2020 at 7:00 PM CDT | at or above minor flood stage | highest since water year 2016 |
| Burnt Corn Creek at State Highway 41 near Brewton | 18.85 ft | Sep 16, 2020 at 10:15 PM CDT | at or above minor flood stage | highest since water year 2010 |
| Big Escambia Creek at Flomaton | 18.70 ft | Sep 17, 2020 at 1:00 AM CDT | at or above action stage | highest since water year 2026 |
| Big Escambia Creek at Sardine Br near Stanley Crossroad | 10.90 ft | Sep 16, 2020 at 7:00 PM CDT | at or above action stage | highest since water year 2026 |
| Styx River at Seminole | 21.48 ft | Sep 17, 2020 at 4:00 AM CDT | — | highest in 14 years of record |
| Fish River near Marlow | 12.21 ft | Sep 16, 2020 at 12:45 PM CDT | — | highest in 8 years of record |
| Alabama River at Claiborne Lock and Dam near Monroeville | 35.70 ft | Sep 15, 2020 at 10:00 PM CDT | — | — |
| Alabama River below Claiborne Lock and Dam near Monroeville | 26.42 ft | Sep 18, 2020 at 9:00 PM CDT | — | highest since water year 2026 |
| Blackwater River near Bradley | 23.26 ft | Sep 16, 2020 at 5:30 PM CDT | — | highest since water year 1998 |
| Magnolia River at US 98 near Foley | 17.39 ft | Sep 16, 2020 at 8:00 AM CDT | — | highest since water year 2014 |
| Big Creek near Seven Hills | 14.01 ft | Sep 15, 2020 at 9:30 PM CDT | — | — |
| Chickasaw Creek near Kushla | 8.24 ft | Sep 17, 2020 at 12:00 AM CDT | — | highest since water year 2026 |
| Satilpa Creek near Coffeeville | 7.13 ft | Sep 17, 2020 at 10:00 AM CDT | — | highest since water year 2026 |
| Fowl River at Half-Mile Road near Laurendine | 6.66 ft | Sep 16, 2020 at 11:15 AM CDT | — | highest since water year 2025 |
| Tombigbee River at Steamplant near Leroy | 6.62 ft | Sep 25, 2020 at 11:00 PM CDT | 17.4 ft below minor flood stage | highest since water year 2026 |
| Hamilton Creek at Snow Road near Semmes | 6.08 ft | Sep 16, 2020 at 6:00 AM CDT | — | highest since water year 2026 |
| Bassett Creek at US Highway 43 near Thomasville | 5.84 ft | Sep 16, 2020 at 3:30 PM CDT | — | highest since water year 2026 |
| Big Creek at County Road 63 near Wilmer | 5.26 ft | Sep 16, 2020 at 6:00 PM CDT | — | highest since water year 2026 |
| Crooked Creek near Fairview | 3.74 ft | Sep 16, 2020 at 12:00 PM CDT | — | highest since water year 2025 |
| Mobile River at River Mile 31.0 at Bucks | 3.68 ft | Sep 24, 2020 at 10:15 AM CDT | — | highest since water year 2026 |
| Mobile River at Barry Steamplant near Bucks (intake) | 3.64 ft | Sep 24, 2020 at 10:15 AM CDT | 8.4 ft below minor flood stage | highest since water year 2026 |
Pensacola and the Emerald Coast
| Gauge | Peak | Time | Against today's NWS flood stages | In its record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shoal River near Mossy Head | 25.65 ft | Sep 16, 2020 at 8:15 PM CDT | at or above major flood stage | highest in 50 years of record |
| Blackwater River near Baker | 24.55 ft | Sep 17, 2020 at 8:30 AM CDT | at or above major flood stage | highest since water year 1998 |
| Shoal River near Crestview | 16.61 ft | Sep 17, 2020 at 5:45 PM CDT | at or above major flood stage | highest since water year 1998 |
| Perdido River at Barrineau Park | 22.27 ft | Sep 16, 2020 at 9:00 PM CDT | at or above moderate flood stage | highest since water year 1998 |
| Big Coldwater Creek near Milton | 21.50 ft | Sep 17, 2020 at 1:15 PM CDT | at or above moderate flood stage | highest since water year 1990 |
| Choctawhatchee River near Bruce | 19.93 ft | Sep 20, 2020 at 11:00 AM CDT | at or above moderate flood stage | highest since water year 2016 |
| Bruce Creek at SH 81 near Redbay | 24.61 ft | Sep 16, 2020 at 4:45 PM CDT | at or above minor flood stage | highest in 27 years of record |
| Escambia River near Century | 20.85 ft | Sep 18, 2020 at 6:30 AM CDT | at or above minor flood stage | highest since water year 2010 |
| Yellow River at Milligan | 14.72 ft | Sep 18, 2020 at 11:45 PM CDT | at or above minor flood stage | highest since water year 1999 |
| Yellow River near Oak Grove | 97.51 ft | Sep 18, 2020 at 6:15 AM CDT | — | highest in 27 years of record |
| Yellow River near Milton | 48.18 ft | Sep 19, 2020 at 9:15 PM CDT | — | highest in 20 years of record |
| Elevenmile Creek near West Pensacola | 18.18 ft | Sep 16, 2020 at 12:00 PM CDT | — | highest since water year 2014 |
| Escambia River near Molino | 12.60 ft | Sep 20, 2020 at 5:30 AM CDT | — | — |
Panama City
| Gauge | Peak | Time | Against today's NWS flood stages | In its record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Choctawhatchee River near Pittman | 27.58 ft | Sep 18, 2020 at 4:00 PM CDT | at or above moderate flood stage | highest since water year 2016 |
| Econfina Creek near Bennett | 12.95 ft | Sep 17, 2020 at 9:15 PM CDT | at or above moderate flood stage | highest since water year 2019 |
| Apalachicola River near Blountstown | 19.96 ft | Sep 20, 2020 at 11:45 PM CDT | at or above minor flood stage | highest since water year 2025 |
| Choctawhatchee River at Caryville | 15.91 ft | Sep 19, 2020 at 3:30 AM CDT | at or above minor flood stage | highest since water year 2016 |
| Holmes Creek at Vernon | 27.04 ft | Sep 18, 2020 at 4:15 AM CDT | at or above minor flood stage | — |
| Chipola River near Altha | 26.65 ft | Sep 22, 2020 at 6:00 PM CDT | at or above moderate flood stage | — |
| Apalachicola R.ab Chipola Cutoff near Wewahitchka | 24.99 ft | Sep 23, 2020 at 7:30 AM CDT | — | — |
| IWW West of Gulf County Canal near Port St Joe | 4.27 ft | Sep 16, 2020 at 2:30 PM EDT | — | — |
| IWW East of Gulf County Canal near Port St Joe | 4.17 ft | Sep 16, 2020 at 2:30 PM EDT | — | — |
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 September 14, 2020 and September 24, 2020 (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 Mobile Bay, Pensacola and the Emerald Coast, Panama City. 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