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Kaskaskia River at Vandalia

Highest listed crest 28.27 ftFlood stage 18.0 ft128 crests since 1935

The Kaskaskia River at Vandalia crested at major flood stage 21 times among the 128 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1935 to 2025. The highest, 28.27 ft on May 8, 2002, was major flooding, 10.27 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Kaskaskia River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
28.27 ft
May 8, 2002; 28,500 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
18.0 ft
Major flooding from 26.0 ft
Crests at major
21
9th of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
April 6, 2025
27.22 ft, major flooding
Location
Fayette 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 Vandalia
Action stage16.01May 11, 2003The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)18.079Apr 3, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage24.027May 24, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage26.021Apr 6, 2025Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

128 crests from 1935 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Kaskaskia River at Vandalia, 1935 to 2025 15202530ft Flood stage 18.0 ftMajor 26.0 ft May 16, 1935: 21.89 ft, minor flooding; 11,200 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 1937: 23.96 ft, minor flooding; 14,900 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1938: 22.85 ft, minor flooding; 40,700 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1939: 24.92 ft, moderate flooding; 16,000 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 1942: 23.37 ft, minor flooding; 13,600 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1943: 24.25 ft, moderate flooding; 52,200 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1944: 26.05 ft, major flooding; 31,000 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1945: 25.66 ft, moderate flooding; 21,500 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 1946: 22.12 ft, minor flooding; 13,000 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1947: 21.68 ft, minor flooding; 12,300 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1948: 24.58 ft, moderate flooding; 19,000 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 1950: 27.10 ft, major flooding; 51,300 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 1951: 27.39 ft, major flooding; 31,000 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 1957: 25.67 ft, moderate flooding; 62,700 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 1958: 22.18 ft, minor flooding; 12,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 1959: 23.89 ft, minor flooding; 17,200 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1960: 21.90 ft, minor flooding; 11,800 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1961: 24.90 ft, moderate flooding; 35,000 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1962: 25.00 ft, moderate flooding; 20,000 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1963: 21.00 ft, minor flooding; 11,000 cubic feet per secondDec 10, 1966: 25.50 ft, moderate flooding; 27,000 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 1967: 25.90 ft, moderate flooding; 20,800 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 1969: 25.87 ft, moderate flooding; 20,700 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1970: 25.70 ft, moderate flooding; 30,000 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 1971: 21.59 ft, minor flooding; 11,300 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1973: 23.05 ft, minor flooding; 14,100 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1974: 24.46 ft, moderate flooding; 17,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1975: 25.02 ft, moderate flooding; 18,300 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1978: 23.96 ft, minor flooding; 15,900 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1979: 26.39 ft, major flooding; 21,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1982: 24.80 ft, moderate flooding; 17,800 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 1982: 25.52 ft, moderate flooding; 19,500 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1984: 25.98 ft, moderate flooding; 20,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1985: 26.95 ft, major flooding; 24,400 cubic feet per secondDec 12, 1985: 26.71 ft, major flooding; 25,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1988: 24.96 ft, moderate flooding; 18,200 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1990: 26.45 ft, major flooding; 21,900 cubic feet per secondJan 6, 1993: 24.10 ft, moderate flooding; 16,100 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1994: 26.57 ft, major flooding; 22,200 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1995: 27.40 ft, major flooding; 24,600 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1996: 27.41 ft, major flooding; 24,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 1999: 26.41 ft, major flooding; 21,800 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 2000: 21.18 ft, minor flooding; 10,500 cubic feet per secondOct 8, 2000: 23.39 ft, minor flooding; 14,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 2001: 22.00 ft, minor floodingJun 8, 2001: 20.50 ft, minor floodingDec 19, 2001: 18.70 ft, minor floodingFeb 2, 2002: 18.90 ft, minor floodingMay 8, 2002: 28.27 ft, major flooding; 28,500 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 2003: 17.30 ft, action stage; 6,190 cubic feet per secondJan 6, 2004: 25.20 ft, moderate flooding; 17,907 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 2004: 18.44 ft, minor flooding; 6,900 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 2004: 21.82 ft, minor flooding; 10,828 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 2004: 20.79 ft, minor flooding; 9,479 cubic feet per secondJan 6, 2005: 27.70 ft, major flooding; 25,700 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 2005: 21.72 ft, minor flooding; 14,000 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 2007: 22.70 ft, minor floodingFeb 27, 2007: 18.81 ft, minor floodingFeb 8, 2008: 23.51 ft, minor flooding; 13,600 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 2008: 26.17 ft, major flooding; 19,900 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2008: 19.31 ft, minor flooding; 7,550 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2008: 21.98 ft, minor flooding; 10,600 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2008: 23.20 ft, minor flooding; 12,900 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2008: 21.70 ft, minor flooding; 10,200 cubic feet per secondSep 16, 2008: 18.59 ft, minor floodingDec 29, 2008: 25.50 ft, moderate flooding; 18,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 2009: 25.88 ft, moderate flooding; 20,000 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 2009: 18.14 ft, minor flooding; 7,125 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 2009: 19.82 ft, minor flooding; 8,710 cubic feet per secondNov 1, 2009: 21.88 ft, minor floodingDec 15, 2009: 18.03 ft, minor floodingDec 26, 2009: 25.91 ft, moderate flooding; 20,100 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2010: 20.05 ft, minor floodingFeb 24, 2010: 18.42 ft, minor floodingJun 16, 2010: 18.18 ft, minor floodingFeb 24, 2011: 18.28 ft, minor floodingMar 7, 2011: 23.25 ft, minor floodingApr 28, 2011: 27.45 ft, major flooding; 22,500 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 2011: 25.45 ft, moderate flooding; 18,800 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2011: 20.91 ft, minor flooding; 9,595 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 2013: 18.47 ft, minor flooding; 7,030 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 2013: 18.54 ft, minor flooding; 7,090 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 2013: 19.53 ft, minor flooding; 8,090 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2013: 27.88 ft, major flooding; 31,000 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2013: 21.81 ft, minor flooding; 10,800 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2013: 18.88 ft, minor flooding; 7,420 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 2014: 20.70 ft, minor flooding; 9,310 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2014: 19.42 ft, minor flooding; 7,970 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2015: 18.17 ft, minor flooding; 6,800 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2015: 23.74 ft, minor flooding; 14,700 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 2015: 24.26 ft, moderate flooding; 15,800 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2015: 27.83 ft, major flooding; 53,000 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2016: 18.69 ft, minor flooding; 7,240 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 2016: 18.50 ft, minor flooding; 7,050 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2017: 27.65 ft, major flooding; 25,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 2018: 20.57 ft, minor flooding; 9,220 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2018: 22.38 ft, minor flooding; 10,600 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2018: 24.81 ft, moderate flooding; 15,000 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2018: 24.07 ft, moderate flooding; 13,500 cubic feet per secondJan 3, 2019: 19.67 ft, minor flooding; 8,234 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 2019: 18.18 ft, minor flooding; 6,812 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2019: 21.47 ft, minor flooding; 10,264 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 2019: 22.37 ft, minor flooding; 11,890 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2019: 22.51 ft, minor floodingApr 1, 2019: 20.89 ft, minor floodingMay 24, 2019: 25.53 ft, moderate flooding; 16,700 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2019: 23.40 ft, minor floodingDec 1, 2019: 18.95 ft, minor floodingJan 12, 2020: 27.84 ft, major floodingJan 20, 2020: 22.11 ft, minor floodingFeb 12, 2020: 18.23 ft, minor floodingMar 21, 2020: 21.83 ft, minor flooding; 9,410 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2020: 21.63 ft, minor flooding; 10,900 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2020: 18.50 ft, minor flooding; 6,590 cubic feet per secondAug 3, 2020: 21.85 ft, minor flooding; 9,120 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 2021: 19.31 ft, minor flooding; 7,090 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 2021: 23.63 ft, minor flooding; 12,400 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 2021: 18.49 ft, minor flooding; 6,620 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 2022: 23.70 ft, minor flooding; 12,500 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 2022: 22.87 ft, minor flooding; 10,900 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 2022: 26.21 ft, major flooding; 18,600 cubic feet per secondAug 7, 2022: 20.70 ft, minor flooding; 7,980 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 2023: 18.99 ft, minor flooding; 6,820 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 2023: 23.93 ft, minor flooding; 12,800 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2023: 18.26 ft, minor flooding; 6,450 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2024: 18.15 ft, minor flooding; 6,050 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2024: 18.24 ft, minor flooding; 6,590 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2025: 27.22 ft, major flooding; 21,400 cubic feet per second Highest, 28.27 ft, May 8, 2002 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Kaskaskia River at Vandalia 1930s: 4 1940s: 7 1950s: 5 1960s: 7 1970s: 7 1980s: 6 1990s: 6 2000s: 29 2010s: 36 36 2020s: 20 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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. 16 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 23.50 ft on May 6, 1908; 23.10 ft on Apr 14, 1909; 21.80 ft on Mar 1, 1910; 22.00 ft on Oct 4, 1911; 24.70 ft on Aug 21, 1915; 24.00 ft on Jan 31, 1916; and more.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 128 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Kaskaskia River at Vandalia
1May 8, 200228.27+10.27Major28,500
2Apr 19, 201327.88+9.88Major31,000
3Jan 12, 202027.84+9.84Major—
4Dec 28, 201527.83+9.83Major53,000
5Jan 6, 200527.70+9.70Major25,700
6May 1, 201727.65+9.65Major25,500
7Apr 28, 201127.45+9.45Major22,500
8Apr 30, 199627.41+9.41Major24,600
9May 18, 199527.40+9.40Major24,600
10Jun 29, 195127.39+9.39Major31,000
11Apr 6, 202527.22+9.22Major21,400
12Jan 4, 195027.10+9.10Major51,300
13Feb 24, 198526.95+8.95Major24,400
14Dec 12, 198526.71+8.71Major25,200
15Apr 13, 199426.57+8.57Major22,200
16May 18, 199026.45+8.45Major21,900
17Feb 8, 199926.41+8.41Major21,800
18Mar 4, 197926.39+8.39Major21,800
19Apr 1, 202226.21+8.21Major18,600
20Mar 20, 200826.17+8.17Major19,900
21Apr 24, 194426.05+8.05Major31,000
22Apr 23, 198425.98+7.98Moderate20,700
23Dec 26, 200925.91+7.91Moderate20,100
24Dec 23, 196725.90+7.90Moderate20,800
25Feb 13, 200925.88+7.88Moderate20,000
26Jan 31, 196925.87+7.87Moderate20,700
27Jun 16, 197025.70+7.70Moderate30,000
28Jun 29, 195725.67+7.67Moderate62,700
29Jun 10, 194525.66+7.66Moderate21,500
30May 24, 201925.53+7.53Moderate16,700
31Dec 26, 198225.52+7.52Moderate19,500
32Dec 10, 196625.50+7.50Moderate27,000
33Dec 29, 200825.50+7.50Moderate18,900
34Jun 20, 201125.45+7.45Moderate18,800
35Jan 6, 200425.20+7.20Moderate17,907
36Feb 24, 197525.02+7.02Moderate18,300
37Mar 22, 196225.00+7.00Moderate20,000
38Feb 2, 198824.96+6.96Moderate18,200
39Mar 14, 193924.92+6.92Moderate16,000
40May 9, 196124.90+6.90Moderate35,000
41Apr 5, 201824.81+6.81Moderate15,000
42Feb 22, 198224.80+6.80Moderate17,800
43Mar 28, 194824.58+6.58Moderate19,000
44Jun 1, 197424.46+6.46Moderate17,300
45Jun 21, 201524.26+6.26Moderate15,800
46May 18, 194324.25+6.25Moderate52,200
47Jan 6, 199324.10+6.10Moderate16,100
48Jun 14, 201824.07+6.07Moderate13,500
49Jan 15, 193723.96+5.96Minor14,900
50Mar 25, 197823.96+5.96Minor15,900

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.

May 8, 2002: 28.27 ft here, major flooding

  • CowdenIL · May 12, 2002 · 20.36 ft · Minor · its highest

April 19, 2013: 27.88 ft here, major flooding

  • New AthensIL · Apr 25, 2013 · 86.95 ft · Major
  • CarlyleIL · Apr 26, 2013 · 22.85 ft · Minor
  • CowdenIL · Apr 19, 2013 · 19.56 ft · Minor

January 12, 2020: 27.84 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Kaskaskia River

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

Flood gauges on the Kaskaskia River
ShelbyvilleIL549.0558.15 ft, Jun 29, 19571
CowdenIL15.020.36 ft, May 12, 20020
Vandalia this gaugeIL18.028.27 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

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge VNDI2, 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.