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Hickory Creek at Joliet

Highest listed crest 19.50 ftFlood stage 16.5 ft14 crests since 2004

The Hickory Creek at Joliet crested above flood stage 7 times among the 14 crests the National Weather Service lists from 2004 to 2017. The highest, 19.50 ft on April 18, 2013, was moderate flooding, 3.00 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
19.50 ft
April 18, 2013; 8,890 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
16.5 ft
Major flooding from 24.0 ft
Crests at major
0
7 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
March 1, 2017
16.70 ft, minor flooding
Location
Will County
Near Joliet (3.9 mi), Crest Hill (4.6 mi), New Lenox (5.4 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Hickory Creek at Joliet
Action stage16.02Jul 13, 2014The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)16.56Mar 1, 2017Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage19.01Apr 18, 2013Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage24.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

14 crests from 2004 to 2017. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Hickory Creek at Joliet, 2004 to 2017 141618202224ft Flood stage 16.5 ftMajor 24.0 ft Jun 12, 2004: 16.82 ft, minor flooding; 4,630 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 2005: 15.92 ft, below flood stage; 3,290 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2006: 15.90 ft, below flood stage; 3,270 cubic feet per secondAug 24, 2007: 16.86 ft, minor flooding; 4,120 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 2008: 18.39 ft, minor flooding; 7,150 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 2008: 17.22 ft, minor flooding; 4,920 cubic feet per secondAug 3, 2010: 16.39 ft, action stage; 3,360 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2011: 16.93 ft, minor flooding; 4,220 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2012: 14.30 ft, below flood stage; 1,370 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2013: 19.50 ft, moderate flooding; 8,890 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 2014: 16.09 ft, action stage; 2,970 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2015: 15.84 ft, below flood stage; 2,820 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 2015: 15.12 ft, below flood stage; 2,070 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 2017: 16.70 ft, minor flooding; 3,840 cubic feet per second Highest, 19.50 ft, Apr 18, 2013 200520102015

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Hickory Creek at Joliet 2000s: 4 4 2010s: 3 2000s2010s
  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.
  3. 17 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 31.00 ft on Jan 1, 1902; 30.50 ft on Apr 5, 1947; 26.70 ft on Mar 19, 1948; 28.80 ft on Oct 11, 1954; 32.80 ft on Jul 13, 1957; 26.40 ft on Sep 24, 1961; and more.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Hickory Creek at Joliet
1Apr 18, 201319.50+3.00Moderate8,890
2Sep 14, 200818.39+1.89Minor7,150
3Dec 27, 200817.22+0.72Minor4,920
4Jun 9, 201116.93+0.43Minor4,220
5Aug 24, 200716.86+0.36Minor4,120
6Jun 12, 200416.82+0.32Minor4,630
7Mar 1, 201716.70+0.20Minor3,840
8Aug 3, 201016.39−0.11Action3,360
9Jul 13, 201416.09−0.41Action2,970
10Jan 13, 200515.92−0.58Below flood stage3,290
11Apr 17, 200615.90−0.60Below flood stage3,270
12Jun 16, 201515.84−0.66Below flood stage2,820
13Dec 29, 201515.12−1.38Below flood stage2,070
14May 7, 201214.30−2.20Below flood stage1,370

Other gauges in Will County

Flood gauges in Will County
Lockport Lock (tailwater)541.0546.59 ft, Dec 4, 19820
Brandon Road Lock (tailwater)507.0513.30 ft, Jul 13, 19570
Joliet541.0542.00 ft, Jul 1, 19570
Shorewood15.524.03 ft, Jul 18, 19967
Plainfield12.016.57 ft, Apr 19, 20132
Bolingbrook20.025.54 ft, Apr 18, 20132
Wilmington6.516.70 ft, Feb 5, 188317
Crete14.017.72 ft, Jun 9, 20110

Will County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Illinois

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge JHCI2, 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.