Atchafalaya River above Butte La Rose, LA
River level and flood forecast · St. Martin Parish
Normal4.5 ftas of Mon 3 PM
The river is 15.5 ft below flood stage (20 ft).
Forecast to rise to 6.4 ft Sat 7 PM, below the 20 ft flood stage.
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 10:52 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 28 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 25 ft |
| Flood stage | 20 ft |
| Action stage | 17 ft |
| Record crest (May 23, 1973) | 27.28 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 28 ftThe community of Butte La Rose will be flooded. Several homes will sustain major damage. Although the project levee height is 33 feet, back water flooding will impact the community and evacuation is strongly recommended.
- 27 ftIndustrial operations will be curtailed. A few homes near the river will flood. River traffic negotiating sharp turns will remain difficult.
- 26 ftThe walkway to the river gauge will be under water and the gage will be inaccessible. Industrial storage areas near the river will flood. Unsecured material and equipment on property near the river will float off or become damaged. River traffic negotiating sharp turns will become difficult.
- 25 ftIndustrial storage areas near the river will flood. Unsecured material and equipment on property near the river will float off or become damaged. River traffic negotiating sharp turns will become difficult.
- 22 ftRiver traffic negotiating sharp turns will become difficult. Industrial equipment will be threatened and should be relocated to avoid damage.
- 20 ftMinor flooding begins.
- 17 ftAction stage.
Highest crests on record
- 27.28 ft — May 23, 1973
- 27 ft — March 3, 1950
- 26.6 ft — June 2, 1961
- 26.4 ft — April 29, 1962
- 26.4 ft — June 11, 1957
Recent crests: 19.33 ft (May 7, 2025) · 15.95 ft (May 31, 2022) · 18.12 ft (April 16, 2021) · 20.05 ft (April 13, 2020) · 20.84 ft (March 15, 2019)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- Vermilion River at Lake Martin Road, LA
- Vermilion River above I-10 at Lafayette, LA
- Vermilion River at Lafayette - Surrey Street, LA
- Bayou Vermilion near Carencro, LA
- State Canal near Krotz Springs, LA
- Atchafalaya River at Murphy Lake near Bayou Sorrel, LA
- Lower Grand River at Bayou Sorrel, LA
- Mississippi River at Baton Rouge (USGS), LA
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (BLRL1); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.