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Bayou Courtableau at Washington

Highest listed crest 35.29 ftFlood stage 28.0 ft2 crests since 1953

The Bayou Courtableau at Washington crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 2 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1953 to 2005. The highest, 35.29 ft on May 22, 1953, was major flooding, 7.29 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
35.29 ft
May 22, 1953
Flood stage
28.0 ft
Major flooding from 34.0 ft
Crests at major
1
66th of 107 gauges in Louisiana
Most recent flood crest
May 22, 1953
35.29 ft, major flooding
Location
St. Landry Parish
Near Opelousas (6.6 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Bayou Courtableau at Washington
Action stage27.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)28.00—Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage30.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage34.01May 22, 1953Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

2 crests from 1953 to 2005. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Bayou Courtableau at Washington, 1953 to 2005 24262830323436ft Flood stage 28.0 ftMajor 34.0 ft May 22, 1953: 35.29 ft, major floodingSep 25, 2005: 25.90 ft, below flood stage Highest, 35.29 ft, May 22, 1953 19601970198019902000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Bayou Courtableau at Washington 1950s: 1 1 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s
  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

Highest listed crests, Bayou Courtableau at Washington
1May 22, 195335.29+7.29Major—
2Sep 25, 200525.90−2.10Below flood stage—

Gauges on the Bayou Courtableau

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

Flood gauges on the Bayou Courtableau
Drainage StructureLA19.020.60 ft, Feb 7, 19740
Washington this gaugeLA28.035.29 ft, May 22, 19531

Other gauges in St. Landry Parish

Flood gauges in St. Landry Parish
Krotz Springs29.038.50 ft, May 15, 19270
Melville34.046.98 ft, May 14, 19270
Drainage Structure19.020.60 ft, Feb 7, 19740
Eunice16.022.37 ft, Aug 15, 20167
Palmetto26.027.55 ft, Jul 19, 20190

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WSHL1, 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.