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Atchafalaya River at Morgan City

Highest listed crest 10.53 ftFlood stage 6.0 ft55 crests since 1912

The Atchafalaya River at Morgan City crested above flood stage 35 times among the 55 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1912 to 2025. The highest, 10.53 ft on May 28, 1973, was moderate flooding, 4.53 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
10.53 ft
May 28, 1973
Flood stage
6.0 ft
Major flooding from 12.0 ft
Crests at major
0
35 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
May 7, 2025
6.91 ft, minor flooding
Location
St. Mary Parish
Near Morgan City (1.5 mi)
Identifiers
NWS MCGL1
No USGS station

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Atchafalaya River at Morgan City
Action stage4.017Jun 5, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)6.021May 7, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage7.014Apr 13, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage12.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

55 crests from 1912 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Atchafalaya River at Morgan City, 1912 to 2025 24681012ft Flood stage 6.0 ftMajor 12.0 ft Jun 13, 1912: 6.66 ft, minor floodingJun 10, 1927: 6.76 ft, minor floodingApr 1, 1945: 5.82 ft, action stageMar 21, 1949: 5.06 ft, action stageMar 12, 1950: 5.23 ft, action stageJun 27, 1957: 8.46 ft, moderate floodingOct 4, 1964: 5.90 ft, action stageSep 16, 1971: 5.79 ft, action stageMay 28, 1973: 10.53 ft, moderate floodingApr 18, 1975: 7.95 ft, moderate floodingApr 16, 1976: 7.00 ft, moderate floodingMay 4, 1979: 6.99 ft, minor floodingApr 13, 1980: 6.20 ft, minor floodingDec 27, 1982: 6.18 ft, minor floodingJun 6, 1983: 7.32 ft, moderate floodingMay 27, 1984: 6.03 ft, minor floodingMar 21, 1985: 5.75 ft, action stageDec 23, 1986: 5.26 ft, action stageMar 18, 1987: 5.20 ft, action stageFeb 19, 1988: 4.67 ft, action stageMar 14, 1989: 6.00 ft, minor floodingAug 26, 1992: 6.80 ft, minor floodingJun 26, 1995: 6.68 ft, minor floodingJun 13, 1996: 5.85 ft, action stageApr 5, 1997: 8.06 ft, moderate floodingMay 18, 1998: 6.10 ft, minor floodingMay 25, 1998: 6.19 ft, minor floodingFeb 19, 1999: 6.29 ft, minor floodingApr 20, 2000: 3.90 ft, below flood stageApr 24, 2000: 3.88 ft, below flood stageMar 15, 2001: 6.04 ft, minor floodingJun 10, 2002: 6.35 ft, minor floodingOct 3, 2002: 6.90 ft, minor floodingMar 17, 2003: 5.83 ft, action stageDec 30, 2004: 5.39 ft, action stageFeb 8, 2005: 6.88 ft, minor floodingOct 17, 2006: 3.87 ft, below flood stageFeb 2, 2007: 5.53 ft, action stageJun 4, 2009: 7.13 ft, moderate floodingFeb 17, 2010: 6.24 ft, minor floodingMay 29, 2011: 10.35 ft, moderate floodingFeb 19, 2012: 5.33 ft, action stageMay 22, 2013: 6.10 ft, minor floodingAug 1, 2015: 6.26 ft, minor flooding; 279,946 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 2016: 8.20 ft, moderate flooding; 384,767 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 2017: 7.18 ft, moderate floodingMar 30, 2018: 7.12 ft, moderate floodingMar 15, 2019: 8.29 ft, moderate flooding; 389,694 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 2019: 10.06 ft, moderate flooding; 488,187 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2020: 7.93 ft, moderate flooding; 370,040 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2021: 6.99 ft, minor floodingMar 31, 2022: 5.15 ft, action stageApr 16, 2023: 5.42 ft, action stageJun 5, 2024: 5.43 ft, action stageMay 7, 2025: 6.91 ft, minor flooding Highest, 10.53 ft, May 28, 1973 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Atchafalaya River at Morgan City 1910s: 1 1920s: 1 1930s: 0 1940s: 0 1950s: 1 1960s: 0 1970s: 4 1980s: 5 1990s: 6 2000s: 5 2010s: 9 9 2020s: 3 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 55 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Atchafalaya River at Morgan City
1May 28, 197310.53+4.53Moderate—
2May 29, 201110.35+4.35Moderate—
3Jul 13, 201910.06+4.06Moderate488,187
4Jun 27, 19578.46+2.46Moderate—
5Mar 15, 20198.29+2.29Moderate389,694
6Jan 22, 20168.20+2.20Moderate384,767
7Apr 5, 19978.06+2.06Moderate—
8Apr 18, 19757.95+1.95Moderate—
9Apr 13, 20207.93+1.93Moderate370,040
10Jun 6, 19837.32+1.32Moderate—
11Jun 3, 20177.18+1.18Moderate—
12Jun 4, 20097.13+1.13Moderate—
13Mar 30, 20187.12+1.12Moderate—
14Apr 16, 19767.00+1.00Moderate—
15May 4, 19796.99+0.99Minor—
16Apr 14, 20216.99+0.99Minor—
17May 7, 20256.91+0.91Minor—
18Oct 3, 20026.90+0.90Minor—
19Feb 8, 20056.88+0.88Minor—
20Aug 26, 19926.80+0.80Minor—
21Jun 10, 19276.76+0.76Minor—
22Jun 26, 19956.68+0.68Minor—
23Jun 13, 19126.66+0.66Minor—
24Jun 10, 20026.35+0.35Minor—
25Feb 19, 19996.29+0.29Minor—
26Aug 1, 20156.26+0.26Minor279,946
27Feb 17, 20106.24+0.24Minor—
28Apr 13, 19806.20+0.20Minor—
29May 25, 19986.19+0.19Minor—
30Dec 27, 19826.18+0.18Minor—
31May 18, 19986.10+0.10Minor—
32May 22, 20136.10+0.10Minor—
33Mar 15, 20016.04+0.04Minor—
34May 27, 19846.03+0.03Minor—
35Mar 14, 19896.000.00Minor—
36Oct 4, 19645.90−0.10Action—
37Jun 13, 19965.85−0.15Action—
38Mar 17, 20035.83−0.17Action—
39Apr 1, 19455.82−0.18Action—
40Sep 16, 19715.79−0.21Action—
41Mar 21, 19855.75−0.25Action—
42Feb 2, 20075.53−0.47Action—
43Jun 5, 20245.43−0.57Action—
44Apr 16, 20235.42−0.58Action—
45Dec 30, 20045.39−0.61Action—
46Feb 19, 20125.33−0.67Action—
47Dec 23, 19865.26−0.74Action—
48Mar 12, 19505.23−0.77Action—
49Mar 18, 19875.20−0.80Action—
50Mar 31, 20225.15−0.85Action—

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 28, 1973: 10.53 ft here, moderate flooding

May 29, 2011: 10.35 ft here, moderate flooding

March 15, 2019: 8.29 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 RoseLA20.027.28 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 City this gaugeLA6.010.53 ft, May 28, 19730
SimmesportLA40.059.13 ft, May 16, 192715

Other gauges in St. Mary Parish

Flood gauges in St. Mary Parish
Lake Palourde above Morgan City5.06.14 ft, Sep 16, 20241
Tide Station (LCH) at Vermilion Bay near Cypremort Point4.09.41 ft, Oct 10, 20202

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MCGL1, 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.