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Mississippi River at New Orleans — water level right now

Orleans Parish, Louisiana · NWS gauge NORL1
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
17
minor flood stage
 
21.27
record crest
set 1922-04-25
–
flood status
official NWS category
Official NOAA forecast → Full US flood map →

Flood stages at this gauge

Where the water stands right now against the four official thresholds:

action · 17
minor · 17
moderate · 19
major · 20
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage20extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage19some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage17low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage17water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
121.271922-04-25+4.27 above
221.051912-05-11+4.05 above
3211927-04-25+4 above
420.51927-05-18+3.5 above
520.051916-03-03+3.05 above
619.991929-06-08+2.99 above
719.981950-02-10+2.98 above
819.781945-05-01+2.78 above
919.421903-03-29+2.42 above
1019.381944-05-21+2.38 above
1119.291937-02-28+2.29 above
1219.281913-05-08+2.28 above

Historic crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service — the 12 highest on file.

Where this gauge is

The marker is this gauge; nearby gauges load live and are clickable.

Nearby river gauges

Mississippi River at Reserve 27 mi away · loading… Bayou Bonfouca at Slidell 31 mi away · loading… Bayou Liberty near Slidell 31 mi away · loading… French Branch near Slidell 34 mi away · loading… Pearl River above Slidell 36 mi away · loading… Bogue Falaya River at Boston Street 37 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDNORL1
CountyOrleans
StateLouisiana
NWS forecast officeSlidell
River forecast centerLower Mississippi River Forecast Center
Coordinates29.935, -90.136
Time zoneCST6CDT
Turn Around, Don't Drown. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet and twelve inches can float a car. Never drive around barricades or into water of unknown depth — most flood deaths happen in vehicles.

Questions about Mississippi River at New Orleans

Is Mississippi River at New Orleans flooding right now?

The live reading at the top of this page answers that: the gauge is compared against its official NWS flood stages every 15 minutes. Minor flooding at this gauge begins at 17 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Mississippi River at New Orleans?

major flood stage 20 ft, moderate flood stage 19 ft, minor flood stage 17 ft, action stage 17 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Mississippi River at New Orleans?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 21.27 ft, reached on 1922-04-25 — that is 4.27 ft above minor flood stage. The full list of the highest crests is in the table on this page.

Where does this data come from?

From the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, the official U.S. river gauge network — a U.S. government work in the public domain. Live stage is refreshed every 15 minutes; flood thresholds and historic crests are refreshed monthly. For life-safety decisions follow NWS Slidell and local emergency management.