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Tensas River at Tendal

Highest listed crest 34.02 ftFlood stage 25.0 ft25 crests since 1927

The Tensas River at Tendal crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 25 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1927 to 2020. The highest, 34.02 ft on May 15, 1927, was major flooding, 9.02 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
34.02 ft
May 15, 1927
Flood stage
25.0 ft
Major flooding from 27.0 ft
Crests at major
2
55th of 107 gauges in Louisiana
Most recent flood crest
February 20, 2020
25.22 ft, minor flooding
Location
Madison Parish
Louisiana

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Tensas River at Tendal
Action stage24.017Jan 18, 2020The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)25.05Feb 20, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage26.01May 24, 1983Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage27.02May 5, 1991Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

25 crests from 1927 to 2020. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Tensas River at Tendal, 1927 to 2020 24262830323436ft Flood stage 25.0 ftMajor 27.0 ft May 15, 1927: 34.02 ft, major floodingDec 1, 1930: 25.20 ft, minor floodingNov 19, 1948: 24.78 ft, action stage; 4,610 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1951: 24.10 ft, action stage; 4,020 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1953: 24.00 ft, action stage; 2,910 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 1974: 24.40 ft, action stage; 4,000 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1975: 24.90 ft, action stage; 3,890 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 1982: 24.79 ft, action stage; 3,730 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1983: 26.33 ft, moderate flooding; 3,730 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 1989: 24.20 ft, action stage; 3,360 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 1991: 27.21 ft, major flooding; 3,800 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 1993: 24.76 ft, action stageFeb 1, 1999: 24.49 ft, action stageApr 4, 2000: 24.48 ft, action stage; 2,940 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 2001: 24.31 ft, action stage; 2,770 cubic feet per secondNov 29, 2001: 24.14 ft, action stage; 2,690 cubic feet per secondNov 30, 2002: 24.39 ft, action stage; 2,520 cubic feet per secondOct 19, 2006: 24.38 ft, action stageSep 10, 2008: 25.41 ft, minor flooding; 4,141 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 2013: 25.47 ft, minor floodingMar 18, 2016: 24.54 ft, action stageApr 15, 2016: 25.12 ft, minor floodingOct 20, 2016: 24.25 ft, action stageJan 18, 2020: 24.00 ft, action stageFeb 20, 2020: 25.22 ft, minor flooding Highest, 34.02 ft, May 15, 1927 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Tensas River at Tendal 1920s: 1 1930s: 1 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 1 1990s: 1 2000s: 1 2010s: 2 2 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

Highest listed crests, Tensas River at Tendal
1May 15, 192734.02+9.02Major—
2May 5, 199127.21+2.21Major3,800
3May 24, 198326.33+1.33Moderate3,730
4Jan 16, 201325.47+0.47Minor—
5Sep 10, 200825.41+0.41Minor4,141
6Feb 20, 202025.22+0.22Minor—
7Dec 1, 193025.20+0.20Minor—
8Apr 15, 201625.12+0.12Minor—
9Jun 12, 197524.90−0.10Action3,890
10Sep 13, 198224.79−0.21Action3,730
11Nov 19, 194824.78−0.22Action4,610
12Jun 27, 199324.76−0.24Action—
13Mar 18, 201624.54−0.46Action—
14Feb 1, 199924.49−0.51Action—
15Apr 4, 200024.48−0.52Action2,940
16Jan 11, 197424.40−0.60Action4,000
17Nov 30, 200224.39−0.61Action2,520
18Oct 19, 200624.38−0.62Action—
19Mar 4, 200124.31−0.69Action2,770
20Oct 20, 201624.25−0.75Action—
21Jan 15, 198924.20−0.80Action3,360
22Nov 29, 200124.14−0.86Action2,690
23Mar 29, 195124.10−0.90Action4,020
24May 18, 195324.00−1.00Action2,910
25Jan 18, 202024.00−1.00Action—

The worst floods along the Tensas River

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

May 5, 1991: 27.21 ft here, major flooding

  • NewlightLA · May 12, 1991 · 59.56 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Tensas River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Tensas River
Tendal this gaugeLA25.034.02 ft, May 15, 19272
NewlightLA55.060.58 ft, May 19, 19731
ClaytonLA55.060.10 ft, Apr 26, 19450

Other gauges in Madison Parish

Flood gauges in Madison Parish
Vicksburg43.057.10 ft, May 19, 201112

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge TDGL1, 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.