Rivers in Louisiana
Atchafalaya River at Simmesport
Below flood stage
7.15ftStage
Observed Tue, Sep 29, 12:30 PM CDT
- Flood stage
- 40.00 ft
- Forecast crest
- 12.80 ftTue, Oct 6, 1:00 PM CDT
- Record crest
- 59.13 ft1927
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 50.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 44.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 40.00 ft |
| Action | 35.00 ft |
- 61.00 ftThe river level is at the net grade protection of the levee system
- 60.00 ftThe river is at the lowest height of the back ring protection levee around the city of Simmesport
- 43.00 ftThe river stage is at the natural ground elevation of areas protected by the levee system
- 40.00 ftThere will be flooding of areas inside the levees of the Atchafalaya floodway. Considerable flooding in the backwater storage area in Avoyelles Parish.
- 35.00 ftBackwater flooding of unprotected areas above Simmesport will begin
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, October to December
| 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 October 28, 2025.
Crest history
137 crests on NOAA’s list since 1885.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 16, 1927 | 59.13 ft |
| 2 | May 16, 1922 | 57.33 ft |
| 3 | April 30, 1945 | 57.14 ft |
| 4 | May 13, 1912 | 55.83 ft |
| 5 | March 1, 1937 | 55.03 ft |
| 6 | May 15, 1973 | 54.78 ft |
| 7 | March 1, 1916 | 54.23 ft |
| 8 | March 4, 1950 | 54.23 ft |
| 9 | March 7, 1932 | 53.43 ft |
| 10 | May 9, 1913 | 52.63 ft |
| 11 | May 21, 1920 | 52.23 ft |
| 12 | June 12, 1929 | 52.13 ft |
| 13 | May 13, 1897 | 51.24 ft |
| 14 | May 22, 1944 | 51.18 ft |
| 15 | June 19, 1908 | 50.93 ft |
| 16 | April 17, 1975 | 49.11 ft |
| 17 | April 16, 1923 | 49.03 ft |
| 18 | June 26, 1893 | 48.66 ft |
| 19 | June 24, 1892 | 48.55 ft |
| 20 | June 24, 1992 | 48.55 ft |
| 21 | February 19, 1907 | 48.23 ft |
| 22 | July 5, 1935 | 48.23 ft |
| 23 | April 6, 1939 | 47.93 ft |
| 24 | February 25, 1949 | 47.87 ft |
| 25 | April 30, 1917 | 47.43 ft |
Most recent crests
- May 1, 2025: 38.20 ft
- March 24, 2022: 31.53 ft
- April 11, 2021: 34.87 ft
- April 14, 2020: 39.88 ft
- March 13, 2019: 42.06 ft
- March 16, 2018: 41.95 ft
- May 30, 2017: 38.33 ft
- January 17, 2016: 41.58 ft
- July 28, 2015: 34.70 ft
- April 24, 2014: 29.74 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
- DownstreamAtchafalaya River at Melville
- Mississippi River at Red River Landing
- Bayou Des Glaises Diversion Ch
- Old River Iflow/Outflow Channel at Outflow Channel below Hydropower
- Bayou Des Glaises Diversion Ch.
- Old River Iflow/Outflow Channel at Auxiliary Inflow
- Mississippi River at Old River Low Sill Structure
- Mississippi River at Knox Landing
- Red River 6.5 Miles Below the Confluence of the Black
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. Streamflow and the daily record from the U.S. Geological Survey.