Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Kaskaskia River at Shelbyville

Highest listed crest 558.15 ftFlood stage 549.0 ft85 crests since 1908

The Kaskaskia River at Shelbyville crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 85 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1908 to 2022. The highest, 558.15 ft on June 29, 1957, was major flooding, 9.15 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Kaskaskia River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
558.15 ft
June 29, 1957; 25,900 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
549.0 ft
Major flooding from 558.0 ft
Crests at major
1
101st of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
January 31, 1969
552.20 ft, minor flooding
Location
Shelby County
Illinois

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Kaskaskia River at Shelbyville
Action stage548.012Feb 1, 2005The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)549.025Jan 31, 1969Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage557.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage558.01Jun 29, 1957Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

85 crests from 1908 to 2022. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Kaskaskia River at Shelbyville, 1908 to 2022 540545550555560ft Flood stage 549.0 ftMajor 558.0 ft May 8, 1908: 556.90 ft, minor flooding; 18,000 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1909: 551.90 ft, minor flooding; 7,580 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1910: 549.70 ft, minor flooding; 6,360 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 1911: 553.90 ft, minor flooding; 8,780 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1912: 550.50 ft, minor flooding; 6,740 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 1941: 544.42 ft, below flood stage; 2,220 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 1942: 553.00 ft, minor flooding; 14,200 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1943: 556.95 ft, minor flooding; 25,000 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1944: 554.28 ft, minor flooding; 17,600 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1945: 552.90 ft, minor flooding; 14,000 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1946: 548.42 ft, action stage; 4,750 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1947: 553.04 ft, minor flooding; 13,300 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1948: 551.86 ft, minor flooding; 11,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1949: 551.56 ft, minor flooding; 9,960 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 1950: 556.41 ft, minor flooding; 22,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1951: 554.00 ft, minor flooding; 16,000 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1952: 549.41 ft, minor flooding; 5,410 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1953: 547.10 ft, below flood stage; 3,950 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1954: 542.74 ft, below flood stageApr 22, 1955: 544.59 ft, below flood stage; 2,350 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1956: 546.41 ft, below flood stage; 3,520 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 1957: 558.15 ft, major flooding; 25,900 cubic feet per secondAug 2, 1958: 552.42 ft, minor flooding; 12,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 1959: 554.28 ft, minor flooding; 16,200 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 1960: 553.45 ft, minor flooding; 14,200 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1961: 552.31 ft, minor flooding; 11,200 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1962: 552.93 ft, minor flooding; 12,900 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1963: 544.96 ft, below flood stage; 2,690 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1964: 552.85 ft, minor flooding; 12,600 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1965: 548.79 ft, action stage; 4,730 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 1966: 549.13 ft, minor flooding; 5,060 cubic feet per secondDec 10, 1966: 553.00 ft, minor flooding; 13,000 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1968: 555.48 ft, minor flooding; 12,900 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 1969: 552.20 ft, minor flooding; 8,160 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1975: 548.52 ft, action stage; 4,760 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1976: 548.45 ft, action stage; 4,720 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1977: 544.21 ft, below flood stage; 2,780 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1978: 546.74 ft, below flood stage; 3,930 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1979: 548.50 ft, action stage; 5,000 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1980: 544.76 ft, below flood stage; 3,020 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 1981: 542.09 ft, below flood stage; 1,850 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1982: 548.60 ft, action stage; 5,090 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 1983: 547.15 ft, below flood stage; 4,120 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1984: 547.15 ft, below flood stage; 4,120 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 1985: 547.69 ft, below flood stage; 4,370 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 1985: 548.36 ft, action stage; 4,690 cubic feet per secondFeb 5, 1987: 544.61 ft, below flood stage; 2,960 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 1987: 546.52 ft, below flood stage; 3,830 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 1989: 542.03 ft, below flood stage; 1,830 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1990: 544.16 ft, below flood stage; 2,850 cubic feet per secondFeb 5, 1991: 548.18 ft, action stage; 4,600 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 1991: 542.49 ft, below flood stage; 2,030 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 1992: 547.90 ft, below flood stage; 4,470 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1994: 548.65 ft, action stage; 4,830 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1995: 543.13 ft, below flood stage; 2,470 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1996: 548.43 ft, action stage; 4,720 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1997: 546.73 ft, below flood stage; 4,410 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1998: 548.77 ft, action stage; 5,580 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1999: 545.83 ft, below flood stage; 3,870 cubic feet per secondSep 29, 2000: 540.81 ft, below flood stage; 1,420 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 2001: 544.68 ft, below flood stage; 3,250 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2002: 547.65 ft, below flood stage; 4,920 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 2003: 541.10 ft, below flood stage; 1,570 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 2004: 544.64 ft, below flood stage; 3,240 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 2005: 548.02 ft, action stage; 5,130 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2006: 545.30 ft, below flood stage; 3,590 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2007: 543.54 ft, below flood stage; 2,870 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 2008: 545.56 ft, below flood stage; 3,730 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 2008: 545.12 ft, below flood stage; 3,490 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 2010: 547.03 ft, below flood stage; 4,560 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 2012: 542.15 ft, below flood stage; 2,030 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 2013: 546.46 ft, below flood stage; 4,230 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 2014: 544.00 ft, below flood stage; 2,910 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 2015: 542.77 ft, below flood stage; 2,310 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 2016: 547.09 ft, below flood stage; 4,590 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2017: 542.62 ft, below flood stage; 2,240 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 2018: 545.64 ft, below flood stage; 3,770 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2018: 542.94 ft, below flood stage; 2,390 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2018: 540.42 ft, below flood stage; 1,400 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 2019: 544.98 ft, below flood stage; 3,420 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 2019: 545.94 ft, below flood stage; 3,940 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2019: 545.21 ft, below flood stage; 3,540 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2019: 543.48 ft, below flood stage; 2,650 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 2020: 547.34 ft, below flood stage; 4,740 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2022: 545.23 ft, below flood stage; 3,550 cubic feet per second Highest, 558.15 ft, Jun 29, 1957 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Kaskaskia River at Shelbyville 1900s: 2 1910s: 3 1920s: 0 1930s: 0 1940s: 7 1950s: 6 1960s: 8 8 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 2020s: 0 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

The 50 highest of 85 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Kaskaskia River at Shelbyville
1Jun 29, 1957558.15+9.15Major25,900
2May 19, 1943556.95+7.95Minor25,000
3May 8, 1908556.90+7.90Minor18,000
4Jan 5, 1950556.41+7.41Minor22,000
5May 27, 1968555.48+6.48Minor12,900
6Apr 24, 1944554.28+5.28Minor17,600
7Feb 11, 1959554.28+5.28Minor16,200
8Feb 22, 1951554.00+5.00Minor16,000
9Sep 30, 1911553.90+4.90Minor8,780
10Jun 25, 1960553.45+4.45Minor14,200
11Jun 7, 1947553.04+4.04Minor13,300
12Jul 11, 1942553.00+4.00Minor14,200
13Dec 10, 1966553.00+4.00Minor13,000
14Mar 22, 1962552.93+3.93Minor12,900
15Apr 4, 1945552.90+3.90Minor14,000
16Apr 24, 1964552.85+3.85Minor12,600
17Aug 2, 1958552.42+3.42Minor12,600
18May 12, 1961552.31+3.31Minor11,200
19Jan 31, 1969552.20+3.20Minor8,160
20Apr 14, 1909551.90+2.90Minor7,580
21Mar 28, 1948551.86+2.86Minor11,400
22Feb 16, 1949551.56+2.56Minor9,960
23Mar 21, 1912550.50+1.50Minor6,740
24Jan 20, 1910549.70+0.70Minor6,360
25Jun 24, 1952549.41+0.41Minor5,410
26May 20, 1966549.13+0.13Minor5,060
27Jun 4, 1965548.79−0.21Action4,730
28Mar 22, 1998548.77−0.23Action5,580
29Feb 2, 1994548.65−0.35Action4,830
30Mar 8, 1982548.60−0.40Action5,090
31Feb 28, 1975548.52−0.48Action4,760
32Apr 12, 1979548.50−0.50Action5,000
33Feb 22, 1976548.45−0.55Action4,720
34May 18, 1996548.43−0.57Action4,720
35May 18, 1946548.42−0.58Action4,750
36Dec 18, 1985548.36−0.64Action4,690
37Feb 5, 1991548.18−0.82Action4,600
38Feb 1, 2005548.02−0.98Action5,130
39Dec 22, 1992547.90−1.10Below flood stage4,470
40Feb 23, 1985547.69−1.31Below flood stage4,370
41Jun 1, 2002547.65−1.35Below flood stage4,920
42Jan 19, 2020547.34−1.66Below flood stage4,740
43Jan 10, 1983547.15−1.85Below flood stage4,120
44Feb 17, 1984547.15−1.85Below flood stage4,120
45Apr 6, 1953547.10−1.90Below flood stage3,950
46Jan 23, 2016547.09−1.91Below flood stage4,590
47Jan 5, 2010547.03−1.97Below flood stage4,560
48Mar 29, 1978546.74−2.26Below flood stage3,930
49Mar 10, 1997546.73−2.27Below flood stage4,410
50Dec 28, 1987546.52−2.48Below flood stage3,830

The worst floods along the Kaskaskia River

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

June 29, 1957: 558.15 ft here, major flooding

  • CarlyleIL · Jul 2, 1957 · 30.56 ft · Major
  • VandaliaIL · Jun 29, 1957 · 25.67 ft · Moderate

May 19, 1943: 556.95 ft here, minor flooding

  • CarlyleIL · May 21, 1943 · 33.69 ft · Major · its highest
  • VandaliaIL · May 18, 1943 · 24.25 ft · Moderate

May 8, 1908: 556.90 ft here, minor flooding

  • CarlyleIL · May 9, 1908 · 30.80 ft · Major

Gauges on the Kaskaskia River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Kaskaskia River
Shelbyville this gaugeIL549.0558.15 ft, Jun 29, 19571
CowdenIL15.020.36 ft, May 12, 20020
VandaliaIL18.028.27 ft, May 8, 200221
CarlyleIL16.533.69 ft, May 21, 19439
Carlyle Dam TailwaterIL423.5428.20 ft, Dec 15, 19660
New AthensIL79.095.63 ft, Jan 2, 201610

Other gauges in Shelby County

Flood gauges in Shelby County
Cowden15.020.36 ft, May 12, 20020

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SLVI2, 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.