Rivers in Louisiana
Red River at Alexandria
Below flood stage
20.11ftStage
Observed Sun, Sep 27, 6:45 AM CDT
- Flood stage
- 32.00 ft
- Forecast crest
- 20.20 ftSun, Sep 27, 1:00 PM CDT
- Record crest
- 45.23 ft1945
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 40.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 36.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 32.00 ft |
| Action | 28.00 ft |
- 45.23 ftThe river is at its flood of record. Catastrophic flood damage will occur.
- 44.00 ftApproximate top of levees in Alexandria. Water reaches low point of steel on us 167 bridge. Widespread major river and backwater flooding occurs.
- 40.00 ftExtensive backwater flooding occurs near the confluence of the Cane River.
- 37.50 ftWater reaches top of the rails of the Union Pacific railroad bridge at Boyce. Considerable backwater flooding will occur.
- 35.00 ftConsiderable overflow below Alexandria to the confluence with the Black River occurs. Backwater flooding worsens along inflow bayous that drain into the Red River.
- 33.00 ftBackwater flooding begins along Bayou Maria and Huffman Creeks east of Pineville.
- 32.00 ftFlooding of lowland areas near the river occurs and recreational boating is affected.
- 31.00 ftSome of the outfall canals are slowed or not allowed to drain into the river between 31 and 32 feet. Depending on rainfall this could cause flooding along some of the bayous, especially along Bayou Rigolette.
- 28.00 ftOverflow occurs on floodway side of levee from gauge to Acme. Recreational boaters should use extreme caution due to high river flows.
- 23.00 ftWhen the river reaches 23 feet with a predicted continual rise, the public boat ramps in Rapides and Avoyelles parishes will close. These include the ramps at Boyce, Fort Buhlow, Alexandria Levee Park, Lock and Dam #2, Brouillette and Ben Routh recreation areas.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 6% |
| Moderate flooding | 6% |
| Major flooding | 5% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 16, 2026.
Crest history
121 crests on NOAA’s list since 1872.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 17, 1945 | 45.23 ft |
| 2 | February 5, 1932 | 43.65 ft |
| 3 | May 8, 1927 | 42.35 ft |
| 4 | May 19, 1953 | 42.05 ft |
| 5 | July 6, 1908 | 41.84 ft |
| 6 | June 4, 1935 | 41.22 ft |
| 7 | June 3, 1930 | 41.20 ft |
| 8 | May 7, 1957 | 40.70 ft |
| 9 | May 9, 1942 | 40.65 ft |
| 10 | May 12, 1958 | 40.18 ft |
| 11 | March 5, 1938 | 39.77 ft |
| 12 | May 20, 1990 | 39.30 ft |
| 13 | May 14, 1944 | 38.51 ft |
| 14 | March 19, 2016 | 38.32 ft |
| 15 | June 13, 1992 | 38.25 ft |
| 16 | June 12, 1892 | 38.25 ft |
| 17 | May 15, 1941 | 38.04 ft |
| 18 | February 21, 1950 | 38.00 ft |
| 19 | May 10, 1922 | 37.40 ft |
| 20 | June 2, 1920 | 37.15 ft |
| 21 | January 2, 1924 | 37.10 ft |
| 22 | February 16, 1916 | 36.89 ft |
| 23 | May 19, 1890 | 36.80 ft |
| 24 | June 16, 2015 | 36.10 ft |
| 25 | May 17, 1915 | 36.08 ft |
Most recent crests
- June 12, 2024: 30.36 ft
- February 14, 2023: 27.05 ft
- May 2, 2022: 22.95 ft
- June 2, 2021: 28.03 ft
- March 26, 2020: 30.20 ft
- May 20, 2019: 34.36 ft
- March 7, 2018: 34.74 ft
- September 2, 2017: 24.81 ft
- March 19, 2016: 38.32 ft
- June 16, 2015: 36.10 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
What this means
Forecasts by the Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued routinely year-round. River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 48 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time.
Sources
Stage, flood stages, impacts and crest history from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service.