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Atchafalaya River at Simmesport

Highest listed crest 59.13 ftFlood stage 40.0 ft130 crests since 1885

The Atchafalaya River at Simmesport crested at major flood stage 15 times among the 130 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1885 to 2025. The highest, 59.13 ft on May 16, 1927, was major flooding, 19.13 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
59.13 ft
May 16, 1927
Flood stage
40.0 ft
Major flooding from 50.0 ft
Crests at major
15
9th of 107 gauges in Louisiana
Most recent flood crest
March 13, 2019
42.06 ft, minor flooding
Location
Avoyelles 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 at Simmesport
Action stage35.032May 1, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)40.030Mar 13, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage44.027May 24, 2011Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage50.015May 15, 1973Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

130 crests from 1885 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Atchafalaya River at Simmesport, 1885 to 2025 0204060ft Flood stage 40.0 ftMajor 50.0 ft Feb 2, 1885: 45.81 ft, moderate floodingApr 30, 1888: 40.71 ft, minor floodingMar 12, 1889: 34.28 ft, below flood stageApr 22, 1890: 47.41 ft, moderate floodingApr 26, 1891: 45.23 ft, moderate floodingJun 24, 1892: 48.55 ft, moderate floodingJun 26, 1893: 48.66 ft, moderate floodingMay 13, 1897: 51.24 ft, major floodingApr 29, 1898: 42.62 ft, minor floodingJun 7, 1905: 42.43 ft, minor floodingMay 3, 1906: 45.23 ft, moderate floodingFeb 19, 1907: 48.23 ft, moderate floodingJun 19, 1908: 50.93 ft, major floodingApr 8, 1909: 45.53 ft, moderate floodingMar 26, 1910: 37.93 ft, action stageMay 13, 1911: 42.83 ft, minor floodingMay 13, 1912: 55.83 ft, major floodingMay 9, 1913: 52.63 ft, major floodingApr 30, 1914: 43.73 ft, minor floodingMar 7, 1915: 43.73 ft, minor floodingMar 1, 1916: 54.23 ft, major floodingApr 30, 1917: 47.43 ft, moderate floodingMay 8, 1918: 36.33 ft, action stageApr 17, 1919: 43.83 ft, minor floodingMay 21, 1920: 52.23 ft, major floodingMay 13, 1921: 45.53 ft, moderate floodingMay 16, 1922: 57.33 ft, major floodingApr 16, 1923: 49.03 ft, moderate floodingJan 29, 1924: 43.33 ft, minor floodingMay 16, 1927: 59.13 ft, major floodingJul 21, 1928: 43.56 ft, minor floodingJun 12, 1929: 52.13 ft, major floodingFeb 7, 1930: 41.53 ft, minor floodingDec 31, 1931: 35.53 ft, action stageMar 7, 1932: 53.43 ft, major floodingMay 9, 1933: 46.93 ft, moderate floodingApr 16, 1934: 37.33 ft, action stageJul 5, 1935: 48.23 ft, moderate floodingMay 6, 1936: 40.43 ft, minor floodingMar 1, 1937: 55.03 ft, major floodingApr 27, 1938: 46.93 ft, moderate floodingApr 6, 1939: 47.93 ft, moderate floodingMay 13, 1940: 39.43 ft, action stageNov 15, 1941: 33.93 ft, below flood stageApr 30, 1942: 42.03 ft, minor floodingJun 15, 1943: 46.49 ft, moderate floodingMay 22, 1944: 51.18 ft, major floodingApr 30, 1945: 57.14 ft, major floodingMar 3, 1946: 45.76 ft, moderate floodingMay 9, 1947: 42.97 ft, minor floodingApr 23, 1948: 44.86 ft, moderate floodingFeb 25, 1949: 47.87 ft, moderate floodingMar 4, 1950: 54.23 ft, major floodingMar 15, 1951: 42.55 ft, minor floodingApr 18, 1952: 43.38 ft, minor floodingMay 30, 1953: 42.71 ft, minor floodingMay 17, 1954: 30.48 ft, below flood stageApr 14, 1955: 42.90 ft, minor floodingMar 6, 1956: 39.01 ft, action stageJun 11, 1957: 45.23 ft, moderate floodingMay 25, 1958: 44.44 ft, moderate floodingMar 2, 1959: 35.43 ft, action stageApr 25, 1960: 37.61 ft, action stageJun 2, 1961: 46.65 ft, moderate floodingApr 17, 1962: 45.46 ft, moderate floodingApr 8, 1963: 41.21 ft, minor floodingApr 3, 1964: 37.88 ft, action stageApr 26, 1965: 39.88 ft, action stageMay 18, 1966: 38.91 ft, action stageJun 3, 1967: 37.03 ft, action stageApr 18, 1968: 40.52 ft, minor floodingFeb 23, 1969: 40.85 ft, minor floodingMay 19, 1970: 41.38 ft, minor floodingMar 19, 1971: 37.26 ft, action stageDec 31, 1972: 38.83 ft, action stageMay 15, 1973: 54.78 ft, major floodingFeb 16, 1974: 43.65 ft, minor floodingApr 17, 1975: 49.11 ft, moderate floodingMar 17, 1976: 34.01 ft, below flood stageApr 22, 1977: 30.43 ft, below flood stageApr 11, 1978: 33.89 ft, below flood stageApr 29, 1979: 43.61 ft, minor flooding; 605,000 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1980: 36.36 ft, action stageJun 15, 1981: 27.04 ft, below flood stageDec 28, 1982: 36.59 ft, action stageMay 3, 1983: 43.57 ft, minor flooding; 675,000 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1983: 43.57 ft, minor floodingMay 29, 1984: 38.10 ft, action stage; 515,000 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1985: 36.06 ft, action stage; 460,000 cubic feet per secondDec 20, 1986: 29.00 ft, below flood stage; 355,000 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1987: 30.50 ft, below flood stage; 424,000 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 1988: 31.20 ft, below flood stageMar 10, 1989: 34.49 ft, below flood stageApr 22, 1990: 47.41 ft, moderate floodingJun 11, 1990: 37.00 ft, action stage; 521,000 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1991: 37.90 ft, action stageJun 24, 1992: 48.55 ft, moderate floodingDec 31, 1992: 28.50 ft, below flood stageMay 18, 1993: 35.80 ft, action stageMay 11, 1994: 36.80 ft, action stageJun 17, 1995: 38.90 ft, action stageJun 8, 1996: 34.00 ft, below flood stageMar 27, 1997: 41.91 ft, minor floodingMay 17, 1998: 35.11 ft, action stageFeb 15, 1999: 36.55 ft, action stageApr 17, 2000: 25.62 ft, below flood stageMar 11, 2001: 36.13 ft, action stageJun 7, 2002: 35.44 ft, action stageMar 12, 2003: 34.78 ft, below flood stageDec 19, 2004: 34.00 ft, below flood stageFeb 3, 2005: 37.46 ft, action stageAug 29, 2005: 4.50 ft, below flood stageMar 28, 2006: 25.67 ft, below flood stageJan 25, 2007: 32.60 ft, below flood stageApr 28, 2008: 41.34 ft, minor floodingMay 27, 2009: 38.77 ft, action stageFeb 15, 2010: 33.86 ft, below flood stageMay 24, 2011: 44.93 ft, moderate floodingDec 27, 2011: 30.25 ft, below flood stage; 390,000 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2013: 32.66 ft, below flood stage; 435,000 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 2014: 29.74 ft, below flood stageJul 28, 2015: 34.70 ft, below flood stageJan 17, 2016: 41.58 ft, minor floodingMay 30, 2017: 38.33 ft, action stageMar 16, 2018: 41.95 ft, minor floodingMar 13, 2019: 42.06 ft, minor floodingApr 14, 2020: 39.88 ft, action stageApr 11, 2021: 34.87 ft, below flood stageMar 24, 2022: 31.53 ft, below flood stageMay 1, 2025: 38.20 ft, action stage Highest, 59.13 ft, May 16, 1927 1900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Atchafalaya River at Simmesport 1880s: 2 1890s: 6 1900s: 5 1910s: 8 8 1920s: 8 1930s: 8 1940s: 8 1950s: 7 1960s: 5 1970s: 5 1980s: 2 1990s: 3 2000s: 1 2010s: 4 2020s: 0 1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
  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 130 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Atchafalaya River at Simmesport
1May 16, 192759.13+19.13Major—
2May 16, 192257.33+17.33Major—
3Apr 30, 194557.14+17.14Major—
4May 13, 191255.83+15.83Major—
5Mar 1, 193755.03+15.03Major—
6May 15, 197354.78+14.78Major—
7Mar 1, 191654.23+14.23Major—
8Mar 4, 195054.23+14.23Major—
9Mar 7, 193253.43+13.43Major—
10May 9, 191352.63+12.63Major—
11May 21, 192052.23+12.23Major—
12Jun 12, 192952.13+12.13Major—
13May 13, 189751.24+11.24Major—
14May 22, 194451.18+11.18Major—
15Jun 19, 190850.93+10.93Major—
16Apr 17, 197549.11+9.11Moderate—
17Apr 16, 192349.03+9.03Moderate—
18Jun 26, 189348.66+8.66Moderate—
19Jun 24, 189248.55+8.55Moderate—
20Jun 24, 199248.55+8.55Moderate—
21Feb 19, 190748.23+8.23Moderate—
22Jul 5, 193548.23+8.23Moderate—
23Apr 6, 193947.93+7.93Moderate—
24Feb 25, 194947.87+7.87Moderate—
25Apr 30, 191747.43+7.43Moderate—
26Apr 22, 189047.41+7.41Moderate—
27Apr 22, 199047.41+7.41Moderate—
28May 9, 193346.93+6.93Moderate—
29Apr 27, 193846.93+6.93Moderate—
30Jun 2, 196146.65+6.65Moderate—
31Jun 15, 194346.49+6.49Moderate—
32Feb 2, 188545.81+5.81Moderate—
33Mar 3, 194645.76+5.76Moderate—
34Apr 8, 190945.53+5.53Moderate—
35May 13, 192145.53+5.53Moderate—
36Apr 17, 196245.46+5.46Moderate—
37Apr 26, 189145.23+5.23Moderate—
38May 3, 190645.23+5.23Moderate—
39Jun 11, 195745.23+5.23Moderate—
40May 24, 201144.93+4.93Moderate—
41Apr 23, 194844.86+4.86Moderate—
42May 25, 195844.44+4.44Moderate—
43Apr 17, 191943.83+3.83Minor—
44Apr 30, 191443.73+3.73Minor—
45Mar 7, 191543.73+3.73Minor—
46Feb 16, 197443.65+3.65Minor—
47Apr 29, 197943.61+3.61Minor605,000
48May 3, 198343.57+3.57Minor675,000
49May 31, 198343.57+3.57Minor—
50Jul 21, 192843.56+3.56Minor—

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 16, 1927: 59.13 ft here, major flooding

  • MelvilleLA · May 14, 1927 · 46.98 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • Krotz SpringsLA · May 15, 1927 · 38.50 ft · Minor · its highest

May 16, 1922: 57.33 ft here, major flooding

April 30, 1945: 57.14 ft here, major 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 CityLA6.010.53 ft, May 28, 19730
Simmesport this gaugeLA40.059.13 ft, May 16, 192715

Other gauges in Avoyelles Parish

Flood gauges in Avoyelles Parish
Moreauville20.032.80 ft, May 18, 19536

Avoyelles Parish: every hazard · River floods across the country · Louisiana

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SMML1, 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.