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Illinois River at Morris

Highest listed crest 24.91 ftFlood stage 16.0 ft43 crests since 1900

The Illinois River at Morris crested at major flood stage 12 times among the 43 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1900 to 2020. The highest, 24.91 ft on April 19, 2013, was major flooding, 8.91 feet above flood stage. 8 other gauges on the Illinois River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 8 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
24.91 ft
April 19, 2013
Flood stage
16.0 ft
Major flooding from 22.0 ft
Crests at major
12
21st of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
May 19, 2020
24.80 ft, major flooding
Location
Grundy County
Near Morris (1.8 mi), Channahon (9.8 mi), Minooka (10.2 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Illinois River at Morris
Action stage13.05Jan 12, 2020The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)16.02May 2, 2017Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage18.024Sep 29, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage22.012May 19, 2020Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

43 crests from 1900 to 2020. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Illinois River at Morris, 1900 to 2020 14161820222426ft Flood stage 16.0 ftMajor 22.0 ft Mar 12, 1900: 19.50 ft, moderate floodingFeb 21, 1916: 23.90 ft, major floodingMar 18, 1919: 20.30 ft, moderate floodingApr 12, 1922: 18.40 ft, moderate floodingApr 20, 1927: 19.80 ft, moderate floodingApr 2, 1933: 19.20 ft, moderate floodingFeb 7, 1942: 21.60 ft, moderate floodingMay 21, 1943: 21.60 ft, moderate floodingApr 6, 1947: 21.20 ft, moderate floodingMar 20, 1948: 20.00 ft, moderate floodingApr 26, 1950: 22.40 ft, major floodingOct 12, 1954: 18.60 ft, moderate floodingJul 14, 1957: 23.91 ft, major floodingMay 13, 1966: 19.80 ft, moderate floodingMay 15, 1970: 19.80 ft, moderate floodingMay 23, 1974: 19.60 ft, moderate floodingMar 9, 1979: 19.90 ft, moderate floodingDec 4, 1982: 23.10 ft, major floodingApr 3, 1983: 18.60 ft, moderate floodingMar 21, 1984: 15.90 ft, action stageMar 3, 1985: 21.60 ft, moderate floodingSep 10, 1989: 14.20 ft, action stageNov 29, 1990: 23.13 ft, major floodingJul 19, 1996: 21.20 ft, moderate floodingFeb 22, 1997: 22.64 ft, major floodingMay 13, 2002: 21.35 ft, moderate floodingJan 14, 2005: 21.89 ft, moderate floodingAug 25, 2007: 21.69 ft, moderate floodingSep 16, 2008: 24.84 ft, major floodingDec 29, 2008: 21.31 ft, moderate floodingMar 11, 2009: 22.59 ft, major floodingMay 27, 2011: 16.60 ft, minor floodingApr 19, 2013: 24.91 ft, major floodingJun 17, 2015: 19.67 ft, moderate floodingDec 30, 2015: 20.74 ft, moderate floodingMar 31, 2017: 15.67 ft, action stage; 39,000 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2017: 17.78 ft, minor flooding; 44,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 2018: 23.71 ft, major flooding; 89,300 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2018: 14.79 ft, action stage; 36,600 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2019: 23.03 ft, major flooding; 81,200 cubic feet per secondSep 29, 2019: 18.43 ft, moderate flooding; 46,600 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 2020: 15.71 ft, action stage; 38,800 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2020: 24.80 ft, major flooding; 103,000 cubic feet per second Highest, 24.91 ft, Apr 19, 2013 1900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Illinois River at Morris 1900s: 1 1910s: 2 1920s: 2 1930s: 1 1940s: 4 1950s: 3 1960s: 1 1970s: 3 1980s: 3 1990s: 3 2000s: 6 2010s: 8 8 2020s: 1 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Illinois River at Morris
1Apr 19, 201324.91+8.91Major—
2Sep 16, 200824.84+8.84Major—
3May 19, 202024.80+8.80Major103,000
4Jul 14, 195723.91+7.91Major—
5Feb 21, 191623.90+7.90Major—
6Feb 22, 201823.71+7.71Major89,300
7Nov 29, 199023.13+7.13Major—
8Dec 4, 198223.10+7.10Major—
9May 2, 201923.03+7.03Major81,200
10Feb 22, 199722.64+6.64Major—
11Mar 11, 200922.59+6.59Major—
12Apr 26, 195022.40+6.40Major—
13Jan 14, 200521.89+5.89Moderate—
14Aug 25, 200721.69+5.69Moderate—
15Feb 7, 194221.60+5.60Moderate—
16May 21, 194321.60+5.60Moderate—
17Mar 3, 198521.60+5.60Moderate—
18May 13, 200221.35+5.35Moderate—
19Dec 29, 200821.31+5.31Moderate—
20Apr 6, 194721.20+5.20Moderate—
21Jul 19, 199621.20+5.20Moderate—
22Dec 30, 201520.74+4.74Moderate—
23Mar 18, 191920.30+4.30Moderate—
24Mar 20, 194820.00+4.00Moderate—
25Mar 9, 197919.90+3.90Moderate—
26Apr 20, 192719.80+3.80Moderate—
27May 13, 196619.80+3.80Moderate—
28May 15, 197019.80+3.80Moderate—
29Jun 17, 201519.67+3.67Moderate—
30May 23, 197419.60+3.60Moderate—
31Mar 12, 190019.50+3.50Moderate—
32Apr 2, 193319.20+3.20Moderate—
33Oct 12, 195418.60+2.60Moderate—
34Apr 3, 198318.60+2.60Moderate—
35Sep 29, 201918.43+2.43Moderate46,600
36Apr 12, 192218.40+2.40Moderate—
37May 2, 201717.78+1.78Minor44,400
38May 27, 201116.60+0.60Minor—
39Mar 21, 198415.90−0.10Action—
40Jan 12, 202015.71−0.29Action38,800
41Mar 31, 201715.67−0.33Action39,000
42Jun 23, 201814.79−1.21Action36,600
43Sep 10, 198914.20−1.80Action—

The worst floods along the Illinois River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Illinois River that crested above flood stage within a week.

April 19, 2013: 24.91 ft here, major flooding

  • OttawaIL · Apr 19, 2013 · 473.72 ft · Major · its highest
  • Starved Rock Lock (tailwater)IL · Apr 19, 2013 · 467.81 ft · Major · its highest
  • Peoria Lock and DamIL · Apr 23, 2013 · 456.57 ft · Major · its highest
  • La SalleIL · Apr 20, 2013 · 34.44 ft · Major · its highest
  • HenryIL · Apr 22, 2013 · 32.94 ft · Major · its highest
  • PeoriaIL · Apr 23, 2013 · 29.35 ft · Major · its highest
  • HavanaIL · Apr 25, 2013 · 27.78 ft · Major · its highest
  • Marseilles Lock (tailwater)IL · Apr 19, 2013 · 476.72 ft · Minor · its highest

September 16, 2008: 24.84 ft here, major flooding

May 19, 2020: 24.80 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Illinois River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Illinois River
BeardstownIL14.029.81 ft, Apr 27, 201310
HardinIL25.042.40 ft, Aug 3, 199320
LaGrange Lock and DamIL23.034.66 ft, Jul 2, 201517
Marseilles Lock (tailwater)IL467.0476.72 ft, Apr 19, 20130
MeredosiaIL17.028.86 ft, Jul 2, 201523
Morris this gaugeIL16.024.91 ft, Apr 19, 201312
OttawaIL463.0473.72 ft, Apr 19, 20134
PeoriaIL18.029.35 ft, Apr 23, 20135
Peoria Lock and DamIL447.0456.57 ft, Apr 23, 20135
Starved Rock Lock (tailwater)IL450.0467.81 ft, Apr 19, 20133
Valley CityIL14.027.00 ft, May 26, 194317
HavanaIL14.027.78 ft, Apr 25, 201325
HenryIL23.032.94 ft, Apr 22, 20137
La SalleIL20.034.44 ft, Apr 20, 20139

Other gauges in Grundy County

Flood gauges in Grundy County
Morris11.014.52 ft, Aug 24, 20071
Lorenzo508.0508.54 ft, May 18, 20200
Coal City12.021.00 ft, Aug 8, 19243

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MORI2, 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.