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Weather Forecast Office Lake Charles, LA

West Gulf River Forecast Center

Hydrograph

River at a Glance

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About this graph

Tabular Data (UTC)

Tabular Data (CDT)

Datum: Not Available

Metadata

NOTE: River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 48 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time.

NOTE: Forecasts for the Pine Island Bayou near Sour Lake are issued routinely year-round.

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Upstream Gauge

Downstream Gauge

Flood Categories (in feet)

Major Flood Stage:	32
Moderate Flood Stage:	29
Flood Stage:	25
Action Stage:	22
Low Stage (in feet):	-9999

Historic Crests
(1) 39.68 ft on 08/30/2017
(2) 37.50 ft on 10/20/1994
(3) 35.70 ft on 09/21/2019
(4) 34.29 ft on 04/22/1979
(5) 33.70 ft on 05/22/1989
Show More Historic Crests

(P): Preliminary values subject to further review.

Recent Crests
(1) 25.73 ft on 10/02/2021
(2) 28.72 ft on 05/21/2021
(3) 25.44 ft on 11/09/2020
(4) 35.70 ft on 09/21/2019
(5) 26.04 ft on 02/15/2018
Show More Recent Crests

(P): Preliminary values subject to further review.

Low Water Records
(1) 11.20 ft on 10/28/1982
(2) 11.30 ft on 09/20/1984
(3) 11.45 ft on 11/13/1988
Show More Low Water Records

Zoom Level:16

	Gauge Location	Disclaimer
Latitude/Longitude Disclaimer: The gauge location shown in the above map is the approximate location based on the latitude/longitude coordinates provided to the NWS by the gauge owner.

Flood Impacts & Photos

If you notice any errors in the below information, please contact our Webmaster
39.68	Flood of record in August 2017 from rainfall due to Hurricane Harvey. Widespread flooding along the bayou. Water inundates hwy 105 several feet and numerous homes in Bevil Oaks are flooded, some up to nine feet.
38.5	Water reaches the instrument shelf.
37.49	The river is at its previous flood of record reached on October 20th 1994. Widespread major flooding occurs. Numerous homes in Bevil Oaks have 3 to 4 feet of water in them.
35.5	Water reaches the gage shelter floor.
34	Water reaches homes along Old Sour Lake Road near the river.
32	Major lowland flooding occurs. Several homes on Riverbend Drive in Bevil Oaks have water in them. Water reaches floor of bridge along Old Sour Lake Road.
31	Homes in the Bevil oaks and Pinewood areas begin to flood.
30.5	Riverbend Drive in Bevil Oaks is impassable.
29	Moderate lowland flooding will occur. Water covers roads in Bevil Oaks.
25	Water inundates roads in lowland areas near the river. Low spots on Old Sour Lake Road are under water.
22	River is at bankfull stage.

About This Location

Latitude: 30.105833° N, Longitude: 94.334444° W, Horizontal Datum: NAD83/WGS84

River Stage Reference Frame	Gauge Height	Flood Stage	Uses
NWS stage	0 ft	25 ft	Interpreting hydrographs and NWS watch, warnings, and forecasts, and inundation maps
Vertical Datum	Elevation (gauge height = 0)	Elevation (gauge height = flood stage)	Elevation information source
NAVD88	-1.50	23.5 ft	Survey grade GPS equipment, FEMA flood plain maps, newer USGS topographic maps
NGVD 29	0 ft	25 ft	Older USGS topographic maps, NGVD29 benchmarks
MSL	Not Available	Not Available	Older USGS topographic maps, MSL benchmarks
Other	Not Available	Not Available

Current/Historical Observations:

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Data and Site Info for Sour Lake

Resources

Hydrologic Resources

Additional Resources

Collaborative Agencies

The National Weather Service prepares its forecasts and other services in collaboration with agencies like the US Geological Survey, US Bureau of Reclamation, US Army Corps of Engineers, Natural Resource Conservation Service, National Park Service, ALERT Users Group, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and many state and local emergency managers across the country. For details, please click here.

NWS Information

National Weather Service
Lake Charles Weather Forecast Office
500 Airport Boulevard
Lake Charles, LA 70607
(337) 477-5285
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Page last modified: 2-Nov-2020 7:29 PM

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