Rivers in Louisiana
Mississippi River at New Orleans
Below flood stage
3.26ftStage
Observed Mon, Sep 28, 1:00 AM CDT
- Flood stage
- 17.00 ft
- Forecast crest
- 5.10 ftTue, Oct 6, 7:00 AM CDT
- Record crest
- 21.27 ft1922
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 20.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 19.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 17.00 ft |
| Action | 17.00 ft |
- 21.27 ftFlood or Record occurred on April 25, 1922.
- 20.00 ftA 20 foot project levee protects the city. Floodwalls and levees are constantly upgraded to maintain that project height.
- 17.00 ftThe river level will continue making navigation and docking difficult. The city is protected to a project height of 20 feet.
- 13.00 ftStrong eddies will develop below the gage at Carrollton, with increased negative impacts on navigation.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | Under 5% |
| Moderate flooding | Under 5% |
| Major flooding | Under 5% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 16, 2026.
Crest history
160 crests on NOAA’s list since 1828.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 25, 1922 | 21.27 ft |
| 2 | May 11, 1912 | 21.05 ft |
| 3 | April 25, 1927 | 21.00 ft |
| 4 | May 18, 1927 | 20.50 ft |
| 5 | March 3, 1916 | 20.05 ft |
| 6 | June 8, 1929 | 19.99 ft |
| 7 | February 10, 1950 | 19.98 ft |
| 8 | May 1, 1945 | 19.78 ft |
| 9 | March 29, 1903 | 19.42 ft |
| 10 | May 21, 1944 | 19.38 ft |
| 11 | February 28, 1937 | 19.29 ft |
| 12 | May 8, 1913 | 19.28 ft |
| 13 | May 13, 1897 | 19.17 ft |
| 14 | March 5, 1932 | 19.17 ft |
| 15 | May 18, 1920 | 19.15 ft |
| 16 | June 18, 1908 | 18.95 ft |
| 17 | February 16, 1907 | 18.60 ft |
| 18 | April 7, 1973 | 18.47 ft |
| 19 | February 24, 1949 | 18.35 ft |
| 20 | June 12, 1943 | 18.17 ft |
| 21 | April 15, 1923 | 18.06 ft |
| 22 | April 14, 1975 | 17.99 ft |
| 23 | April 17, 2020 | 17.61 ft |
| 24 | June 15, 1933 | 17.46 ft |
| 25 | June 22, 1893 | 17.45 ft |
Most recent crests
- April 17, 2020: 17.61 ft
- May 10, 2019: 17.25 ft
- March 19, 2018: 16.99 ft
- May 31, 2017: 16.48 ft
- March 21, 2016: 15.23 ft
- May 19, 2011: 17.38 ft
- February 12, 2010: 14.26 ft
- June 1, 2009: 16.49 ft
- April 18, 2008: 16.80 ft
- February 1, 2007: 12.97 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
- UpstreamMississippi River at Bonnel Carre near Norco
- DownstreamMississippi River at Harvey Lock
- Barataria Bay and Waterway at Bayou Segnette near Westwego
- Barataria Bay and Waterway at Bayou Segnette at Lapalco Blvd.
- Bayou Saint John at Southlake at New Orleans
- Lake Pontchartrain at City Park South Lagoon near Lake Vista
- Lake Pontchartrain at City Park East Lagoon near Lake Vista
- Lake Pontchartrain at City Park West lagoon near Lake Vista
- Barataria Bay and Waterway at Harvey Canal near Harvey 2SSE
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 24 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time.
Sources
Stage, flood stages, impacts and crest history from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service.