Rivers in Louisiana

Calcasieu River near Oakdale

Allen County, LouisianaNWS OKDL1USGS 08013250Lake Charles office

Below flood stage
8.00ftStage

Observed Thu, Sep 24, 4:30 AM CDT

Flood stage
17.00 ft
Record crest
27.62 ft1953

Open the live map with the river flood outlook

Flood stages and impacts

CategoryStage
Major flood27.00 ft
Moderate flood21.00 ft
Minor flood17.00 ft
Action15.00 ft
  1. 29.00 ftCatastrophic flooding with upper level of sewage plant beginning to flood.
  2. 27.65 ftRiver is at its flood of record. Flood waters reach the top of the rail on the railroad bridge. Considerable residential flooding will occur.
  3. 27.00 ftMajor flooding occurs with the river at the floor of the railroad bridge.
  4. 25.70 ftFlood waters reach the underclearance of the railroad bridge.
  5. 24.00 ftApproximately 60 homes are flooded.
  6. 22.00 ftApproximately 50 homes are flooded.
  7. 21.00 ftLowland areas near lower level of sewage plant and approximately 30 homes begin to flood.
  8. 19.00 ftLow secondary roads near the river begin to flood. Several houses in close proximity to the river are subject to flooding.
  9. 17.00 ftMinor lowland flooding, mainly forested areas along the river will occur. Park and picnic ground off of Highway 10 begins to flood.

Flood outlook

Chance of flooding, September to November

CategoryChance
Minor floodingUnder 5%
Moderate floodingUnder 5%
Major floodingUnder 5%

The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 16, 2026.

Crest history

36 crests on NOAA’s list since 1953.

#DateStage
1May 19, 195327.62 ft
2May 2, 195326.36 ft
3June 30, 198926.00 ft
4March 13, 201624.70 ft
5February 13, 196624.53 ft
6April 5, 201724.10 ft
7May 16, 200423.00 ft
8September 2, 201721.80 ft
9March 24, 201221.80 ft
10November 6, 200221.00 ft
11November 4, 201521.00 ft
12February 25, 200320.60 ft
13October 30, 200220.30 ft
14August 7, 195520.10 ft
15May 7, 197520.09 ft
16February 16, 200420.00 ft
17December 1, 200119.74 ft
18January 11, 196119.71 ft
19April 19, 197319.70 ft
20August 16, 201619.50 ft
21January 3, 200719.50 ft
22December 9, 200219.50 ft
23September 21, 197919.47 ft
24October 21, 200619.40 ft
25February 4, 201219.30 ft

Most recent crests

  • February 9, 2023: 16.49 ft
  • March 24, 2022: 16.68 ft
  • April 28, 2021: 18.31 ft
  • October 11, 2020: 19.00 ft
  • September 2, 2017: 21.80 ft
  • April 5, 2017: 24.10 ft
  • August 16, 2016: 19.50 ft
  • March 13, 2016: 24.70 ft
  • November 4, 2015: 21.00 ft
  • January 13, 2013: 18.90 ft

Nearby

Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.

What this means

Forecasts by the Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued as needed during times of high water, but are not routinely available. 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. Streamflow and the daily record from the U.S. Geological Survey.