Storm of November 1–7, 2026: Lake Charles and Southwest Louisiana
Peak water levels at 18 USGS gauges · 8 National Weather Service alerts · Lake Charles gauges now
This event is still open: peaks are collected until Nov 9, 2026 at 12:00 AM CST, and the figures below update every 15 minutes until then.
The National Weather Service issued 8 alerts naming one or more of Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron and Jefferson Davis parishes between Nov 1, 2026 at 6:34 AM CST and Nov 7, 2026 at 12:00 AM CST. None of the 8 gauges with NWS flood stages reached one. The largest rise was 3.4 ft at Bayou Nezpique near Basile.
Tide gauges
1 of 3 NOAA tide gauges reached a coastal flood threshold in this storm: Bulk Terminal.
| Tide gauge | Peak | Peak time | Against flood thresholds | Highest observed (NOAA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulk Terminal | +1.76 ft | Nov 3, 2026 at 4:48 AM CST | at or above NOAA minor HTF | +4.50 ft (August 27, 2020) |
| Lake Charles | +1.63 ft | Nov 3, 2026 at 5:24 AM CST | 0.0 ft below NWS minor | +4.64 ft (August 27, 2020) |
| Calcasieu Pass | +1.87 ft | Nov 3, 2026 at 12:12 AM CST | 0.3 ft below NWS minor | +10.07 ft (September 13, 2008) |
Water level relative to MHHW (an ordinary high tide), the highest six-minute reading in the storm window. Storm windows follow the region's NWS flood alerts; coastal flood alerts alone do not open one.
National Weather Service alerts
| Alert | Issued | Until |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood Warning | Nov 1, 2026 at 6:34 AM CST | Nov 1, 2026 at 9:30 AM CST |
| Flood Warning | Nov 1, 2026 at 10:04 AM CST | Nov 4, 2026 at 12:00 PM CST |
| Flood Warning | Nov 1, 2026 at 9:00 PM CST | Nov 4, 2026 at 12:00 PM CST |
| Flood Warning | Nov 2, 2026 at 9:57 AM CST | Nov 4, 2026 at 12:00 PM CST |
| Coastal Flood Advisory | Nov 2, 2026 at 5:41 PM CST | Nov 3, 2026 at 6:00 AM CST |
| Flood Warning | Nov 2, 2026 at 9:02 PM CST | Nov 4, 2026 at 12:00 PM CST |
| Flood Warning | Nov 3, 2026 at 9:06 AM CST | Nov 7, 2026 at 12:00 AM CST |
| Flood Warning | Nov 4, 2026 at 12:00 AM CST | Nov 7, 2026 at 12:00 AM CST |
Alerts as issued by the National Weather Service, each naming at least one of the region's parishes. They describe an area, not any one gauge.
USGS gauges: flood stages and records
None of 15 USGS gauges reached an NWS flood stage in this storm. For each gauge below, the storm peak is set against the NWS flood stages and against the highest annual peak in its comparable USGS record.
| USGS gauge | Storm peak | Against NWS flood stages | Against its USGS record | Rank in its record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calcasieu River at Cameron | 7.86 ft | — | above the 2026 record of 7.54 ft by 0.3 ft | highest on record since water year 2022; 0 of 5 years higher |
| Mermentau River at Lake Arthur | 22.67 ft | — | 2.4 ft below the 2025 record of 25.04 ft | highest since water year 2026; 4 of 34 years higher |
| Bayou Lacassine near Lake Arthur | 10.47 ft | — | 2.2 ft below the 1980 record of 12.72 ft | highest since water year 2026; 20 of 30 years higher |
| North Calcasieu Lake near Hackberry | 5.39 ft | — | 0.9 ft below the 2012 record of 6.31 ft | highest since water year 2026; 10 of 14 years higher |
| Calcasieu River at I-10 at Lake Charles | 3.39 ft | — | 6.6 ft below the 2008 record of 9.95 ft | highest since water year 2026; 21 of 25 years higher |
| Calcasieu River near Oakdale | 8.31 ft | 8.7 ft below minor (17) | 12.4 ft below the 2024 record of 20.70 ft | lower than every annual peak since 2022 (5 years) |
| Bundick Lake at Spillway near DeRidder | 6.07 ft | — | 7.0 ft below the 2012 record of 13.10 ft | lower than every annual peak since 2008 (19 years) |
| Bayou Nezpique near Basile | 4.92 ft | 17.1 ft below minor (22) | 23.5 ft below the 2017 record of 28.40 ft | lower than every annual peak since 2004 (23 years) |
| Ouiska Chitto Creek near Oberlin | 2.79 ft | 12.2 ft below minor (15) | 30.0 ft below the 1953 record of 32.80 ft | lower than every annual peak since 1886 (87 years) |
| Bundick Creek near DeRidder | 2.67 ft | 17.3 ft below minor (20) | 21.7 ft below the 2012 record of 24.35 ft | lower than every annual peak since 1956 (43 years) |
| Mermentau River at Mermentau | 2.30 ft | 1.7 ft below minor (4) | 8.7 ft below the 1986 record of 10.97 ft | lower than every annual peak since 1986 (36 years) |
| Calcasieu River near Kinder | 1.71 ft | 14.3 ft below minor (16) | 30.3 ft below the 1953 record of 32.00 ft | lower than every annual peak since 1940 (79 years) |
| Calcasieu River near Oberlin | 1.42 ft | 11.6 ft below minor (13) | 25.1 ft below the 1953 record of 26.53 ft | lower than every annual peak since 1940 (86 years) |
| Hickory Branch near Kernan | 0.59 ft | — | 28.0 ft below the 1983 record of 28.60 ft | lower than every annual peak since 1946 (36 years) |
| Buxton Creek at Highway 27 near DeQuincy | 2.16 ft | 15.8 ft below minor (18) | — | — |
Records are USGS annual peaks (each water year's highest gage height) from the years comparable with today's datum; they can differ from the crests the NWS lists. Gauges without NWS flood stages or at least five comparable years are on their own pages.
Every gauge
Peak is each gauge's highest gage height in the window; rise is from its last reading before the window opened. Peak times along one river reflect where and when rain fell as well as flow downstream, so their order is not a travel time.
| Gauge | Parish | Peak | Peak time | Rise | Against NWS flood stages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mermentau River at Mermentau | Jefferson Davis Parish | 2.30 ft | Nov 3, 2026 at 11:15 PM CST | 0.2 ft | 1.7 ft below minor flood stage |
| Calcasieu River near Oakdale | Allen Parish | 8.31 ft | Nov 2, 2026 at 2:30 PM CST | 0.3 ft | 8.7 ft below minor flood stage |
| Calcasieu River near Oberlin | Allen Parish | 1.42 ft | Nov 4, 2026 at 4:15 AM CST | 0.4 ft | 11.6 ft below minor flood stage |
| Ouiska Chitto Creek near Oberlin | Allen Parish | 2.79 ft | Nov 1, 2026 at 3:15 AM CST | 0.1 ft | 12.2 ft below minor flood stage |
| Calcasieu River near Kinder | Allen Parish | 1.71 ft | Nov 1, 2026 at 1:15 PM CST | 0.3 ft | 14.3 ft below minor flood stage |
| Buxton Creek at Highway 27 near DeQuincy | Calcasieu Parish | 2.16 ft | Nov 4, 2026 at 4:00 AM CST | 0.7 ft | 15.8 ft below minor flood stage |
| Bayou Nezpique near Basile | Jefferson Davis Parish | 4.92 ft | Nov 4, 2026 at 5:15 AM CST | 3.4 ft | 17.1 ft below minor flood stage |
| Bundick Creek near DeRidder | Beauregard Parish | 2.67 ft | Nov 4, 2026 at 5:15 AM CST | 0.4 ft | 17.3 ft below minor flood stage |
| Mermentau River at Lake Arthur | Jefferson Davis Parish | 22.67 ft | Nov 3, 2026 at 10:15 PM CST | 0.3 ft | — |
| Bayou Lacassine near Lake Arthur | Jefferson Davis Parish | 10.47 ft | Nov 2, 2026 at 5:00 PM CST | 0.3 ft | — |
| Intracoastal Canal at Creole Ferry at Gibbstown | Cameron Parish | 4.17 ft | Nov 3, 2026 at 11:45 PM CST | 0.3 ft | — |
| Bundick Lake at Spillway near DeRidder | Beauregard Parish | 6.07 ft | Nov 4, 2026 at 5:00 AM CST | 0.1 ft | — |
| Calcasieu River at Highway 171 at Moss Bluff | Calcasieu Parish | 27.04 ft | Nov 3, 2026 at 4:30 PM CST | 0.9 ft | — |
| Hickory Branch near Kernan | Beauregard Parish | 0.59 ft | Nov 3, 2026 at 10:45 PM CST | 0.1 ft | — |
| West Fork Calcasieu River at Moss Bluff | Calcasieu Parish | 17.85 ft | Nov 3, 2026 at 4:30 PM CST | 1.0 ft | — |
| Calcasieu River at I-10 at Lake Charles | Calcasieu Parish | 3.39 ft | Nov 3, 2026 at 5:15 AM CST | 1.6 ft | — |
| North Calcasieu Lake near Hackberry | Cameron Parish | 5.39 ft | Nov 3, 2026 at 4:15 AM CST | 1.5 ft | — |
| Calcasieu River at Cameron | Cameron Parish | 7.86 ft | Nov 3, 2026 at 2:00 AM CST | 0.9 ft | — |
How this event is defined
By the National Weather Service, not by this site. Every flood alert naming any of Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron and Jefferson Davis parishes counts, and since October 24, 2026 so does every coastal flood, storm surge, tropical storm or hurricane watch, warning or advisory; alerts that start within 24 hours of the previous one ending are one event. Each gauge's peak is its highest reading from 12 hours before the first alert to 48 hours after the last one ended: Oct 31, 2026 at 7:34 PM CDT to Nov 9, 2026 at 12:00 AM CST. Large rivers crest a day or more after the rain, which is why the window runs past the alerts.
2026-11-01.csv (CSV): the table above, one row per gauge, with times in UTC and local time.