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Atchafalaya River above Butte La Rose

Highest listed crest 27.28 ftFlood stage 20.0 ft97 crests since 1927

The Atchafalaya River above Butte La Rose crested above flood stage 52 times among the 97 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1927 to 2025. The highest, 27.28 ft on May 23, 1973, was moderate flooding, 7.28 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Atchafalaya River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
27.28 ft
May 23, 1973; 730,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
20.0 ft
Major flooding from 28.0 ft
Crests at major
0
52 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
April 13, 2020
20.05 ft, minor flooding
Location
St. Martin Parish
Louisiana

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Atchafalaya River above Butte La Rose
Action stage17.029May 7, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)20.038Apr 13, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage25.014Apr 19, 1975Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage28.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

97 crests from 1927 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Atchafalaya River above Butte La Rose, 1927 to 2025 0102030ft Flood stage 20.0 ftMajor 28.0 ft Jul 15, 1927: 21.40 ft, minor floodingJul 18, 1928: 17.80 ft, action stageApr 3, 1929: 18.90 ft, action stageFeb 4, 1930: 19.10 ft, action stageDec 31, 1931: 18.70 ft, action stageMar 5, 1932: 21.30 ft, minor floodingMay 6, 1933: 20.52 ft, minor floodingApr 15, 1934: 18.80 ft, action stageJul 13, 1935: 20.97 ft, minor floodingMay 6, 1936: 19.67 ft, action stageMar 7, 1937: 22.70 ft, minor floodingApr 30, 1938: 21.60 ft, minor floodingApr 4, 1939: 21.90 ft, minor floodingMay 11, 1940: 20.80 ft, minor floodingNov 14, 1941: 19.73 ft, action stageApr 29, 1942: 21.70 ft, minor floodingJun 15, 1943: 22.50 ft, minor floodingMay 23, 1944: 23.60 ft, minor floodingApr 28, 1945: 25.70 ft, moderate floodingJan 30, 1946: 23.80 ft, minor floodingMay 6, 1947: 23.70 ft, minor floodingApr 20, 1948: 24.30 ft, minor floodingFeb 25, 1949: 25.80 ft, moderate floodingMar 3, 1950: 27.00 ft, moderate floodingMar 11, 1951: 25.30 ft, moderate floodingApr 16, 1952: 25.50 ft, moderate floodingMay 28, 1953: 25.60 ft, moderate floodingMay 17, 1954: 21.10 ft, minor floodingApr 13, 1955: 25.90 ft, moderate floodingMar 4, 1956: 25.10 ft, moderate floodingJun 11, 1957: 26.40 ft, moderate floodingMay 22, 1958: 26.20 ft, moderate floodingMar 3, 1959: 23.40 ft, minor floodingApr 25, 1960: 24.20 ft, minor floodingJun 2, 1961: 26.60 ft, moderate floodingApr 29, 1962: 26.40 ft, moderate floodingApr 7, 1963: 24.70 ft, minor floodingApr 3, 1964: 22.92 ft, minor floodingApr 23, 1965: 23.83 ft, minor floodingMay 16, 1966: 22.70 ft, minor floodingJun 4, 1967: 20.67 ft, minor floodingApr 19, 1968: 22.48 ft, minor floodingFeb 23, 1969: 22.65 ft, minor floodingMay 20, 1970: 21.74 ft, minor floodingMar 19, 1971: 19.91 ft, action stageDec 31, 1972: 20.83 ft, minor floodingMay 23, 1973: 27.28 ft, moderate flooding; 730,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1974: 22.81 ft, minor floodingApr 19, 1975: 25.35 ft, moderate floodingMar 18, 1976: 18.16 ft, action stage; 418,000 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1977: 16.75 ft, below flood stage; 338,000 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1978: 18.48 ft, action stage; 408,000 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1979: 22.87 ft, minor floodingApr 16, 1980: 19.85 ft, action stage; 462,000 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1981: 14.80 ft, below flood stageDec 28, 1982: 20.23 ft, minor floodingJun 2, 1983: 22.82 ft, minor flooding; 679,000 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1984: 20.33 ft, minor flooding; 515,000 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1985: 19.64 ft, action stage; 487,000 cubic feet per secondDec 20, 1986: 16.01 ft, below flood stage; 368,000 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1987: 16.38 ft, below flood stage; 414,000 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 1988: 16.60 ft, below flood stage; 428,000 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1989: 18.43 ft, action stageJun 12, 1990: 19.18 ft, action stageJan 26, 1991: 19.92 ft, action stage; 573,000 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1992: 14.65 ft, below flood stageApr 27, 1993: 18.71 ft, action stageMay 11, 1994: 18.85 ft, action stage; 490,000 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1995: 19.24 ft, action stage; 506,000 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1996: 16.68 ft, below flood stageMar 29, 1997: 20.68 ft, minor flooding; 637,000 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1998: 17.39 ft, action stageFeb 19, 1999: 18.16 ft, action stage; 508,000 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2000: 11.96 ft, below flood stageMar 3, 2001: 15.03 ft, below flood stageMar 12, 2001: 18.03 ft, action stageApr 15, 2002: 17.70 ft, action stageMar 12, 2003: 17.38 ft, action stageDec 23, 2004: 16.05 ft, below flood stageFeb 2, 2005: 18.94 ft, action stageMar 30, 2006: 11.71 ft, below flood stageJan 28, 2007: 16.08 ft, below flood stageApr 28, 2008: 20.01 ft, minor floodingMay 28, 2009: 18.90 ft, action stageFeb 16, 2010: 17.16 ft, action stageMay 26, 2011: 23.15 ft, minor floodingJan 2, 2012: 14.50 ft, below flood stageMay 22, 2013: 16.34 ft, below flood stageOct 10, 2013: 3.10 ft, below flood stage; 97,290 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 2016: 20.71 ft, minor flooding; 663,563 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2017: 19.29 ft, action stageMar 20, 2018: 20.70 ft, minor floodingMar 15, 2019: 20.84 ft, minor flooding; 672,849 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2020: 20.05 ft, minor floodingApr 16, 2021: 18.12 ft, action stageMay 31, 2022: 15.95 ft, below flood stageMay 7, 2025: 19.33 ft, action stage Highest, 27.28 ft, May 23, 1973 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Atchafalaya River above Butte La Rose 1920s: 1 1930s: 6 1940s: 9 1950s: 10 10 1960s: 10 1970s: 6 1980s: 3 1990s: 1 2000s: 1 2010s: 4 2020s: 1 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 97 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Atchafalaya River above Butte La Rose
1May 23, 197327.28+7.28Moderate730,000
2Mar 3, 195027.00+7.00Moderate—
3Jun 2, 196126.60+6.60Moderate—
4Jun 11, 195726.40+6.40Moderate—
5Apr 29, 196226.40+6.40Moderate—
6May 22, 195826.20+6.20Moderate—
7Apr 13, 195525.90+5.90Moderate—
8Feb 25, 194925.80+5.80Moderate—
9Apr 28, 194525.70+5.70Moderate—
10May 28, 195325.60+5.60Moderate—
11Apr 16, 195225.50+5.50Moderate—
12Apr 19, 197525.35+5.35Moderate—
13Mar 11, 195125.30+5.30Moderate—
14Mar 4, 195625.10+5.10Moderate—
15Apr 7, 196324.70+4.70Minor—
16Apr 20, 194824.30+4.30Minor—
17Apr 25, 196024.20+4.20Minor—
18Apr 23, 196523.83+3.83Minor—
19Jan 30, 194623.80+3.80Minor—
20May 6, 194723.70+3.70Minor—
21May 23, 194423.60+3.60Minor—
22Mar 3, 195923.40+3.40Minor—
23May 26, 201123.15+3.15Minor—
24Apr 3, 196422.92+2.92Minor—
25Apr 29, 197922.87+2.87Minor—
26Jun 2, 198322.82+2.82Minor679,000
27Feb 16, 197422.81+2.81Minor—
28Mar 7, 193722.70+2.70Minor—
29May 16, 196622.70+2.70Minor—
30Feb 23, 196922.65+2.65Minor—
31Jun 15, 194322.50+2.50Minor—
32Apr 19, 196822.48+2.48Minor—
33Apr 4, 193921.90+1.90Minor—
34May 20, 197021.74+1.74Minor—
35Apr 29, 194221.70+1.70Minor—
36Apr 30, 193821.60+1.60Minor—
37Jul 15, 192721.40+1.40Minor—
38Mar 5, 193221.30+1.30Minor—
39May 17, 195421.10+1.10Minor—
40Jul 13, 193520.97+0.97Minor—
41Mar 15, 201920.84+0.84Minor672,849
42Dec 31, 197220.83+0.83Minor—
43May 11, 194020.80+0.80Minor—
44Jan 22, 201620.71+0.71Minor663,563
45Mar 20, 201820.70+0.70Minor—
46Mar 29, 199720.68+0.68Minor637,000
47Jun 4, 196720.67+0.67Minor—
48May 6, 193320.52+0.52Minor—
49May 30, 198420.33+0.33Minor515,000
50Dec 28, 198220.23+0.23Minor—

The worst floods along the Atchafalaya River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Atchafalaya River that crested above flood stage within a week.

May 23, 1973: 27.28 ft here, moderate flooding

  • Bayou Sorrel LockLA · May 23, 1973 · 18.10 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • Morgan CityLA · May 28, 1973 · 10.53 ft · Moderate · its highest

March 3, 1950: 27.00 ft here, moderate flooding

June 2, 1961: 26.60 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Atchafalaya River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Atchafalaya River
Butte La Rose this gaugeLA20.027.28 ft, May 23, 19730
Bayou Sorrel LandsideLA6.07.80 ft, Aug 17, 20160
Bayou Sorrel LockLA12.018.10 ft, May 23, 19730
Krotz SpringsLA29.038.50 ft, May 15, 19270
MelvilleLA34.046.98 ft, May 14, 19270
Morgan CityLA6.010.53 ft, May 28, 19730
SimmesportLA40.059.13 ft, May 16, 192715

Other gauges in St. Martin Parish

Flood gauges in St. Martin Parish
Carencro17.022.50 ft, Mar 13, 20124

St. Martin Parish: every hazard · River floods across the country · Louisiana

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BLRL1, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.