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Little Calumet River at South Holland

Highest listed crest 20.50 ftFlood stage 16.0 ft58 crests since 1947

The Little Calumet River at South Holland crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 58 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1947 to 2020. The highest, 20.50 ft on November 28, 1990, was major flooding, 4.50 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Little Calumet River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
20.50 ft
November 28, 1990; 4,150 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
16.0 ft
Major flooding from 19.5 ft
Crests at major
5
56th of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
May 2, 2019
16.49 ft, minor flooding
Location
Cook County
Near South Holland (0.6 mi), Dolton (1.6 mi), Harvey (2.8 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Little Calumet River at South Holland
Action stage12.022May 18, 2020The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)16.016May 2, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage17.515Feb 21, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage19.55Sep 14, 2008Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

58 crests from 1947 to 2020. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Little Calumet River at South Holland, 1947 to 2020 1416182022ft Flood stage 16.0 ftMajor 19.5 ft Apr 6, 1947: 19.24 ft, moderate flooding; 4,760 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 1948: 17.33 ft, minor flooding; 3,810 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1950: 15.20 ft, action stage; 2,780 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 1951: 16.52 ft, minor flooding; 3,360 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1953: 14.42 ft, action stage; 2,420 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1954: 14.41 ft, action stage; 2,100 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 1954: 19.39 ft, moderate flooding; 4,210 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1956: 15.22 ft, action stage; 2,420 cubic feet per secondJul 14, 1957: 20.11 ft, major flooding; 4,440 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1959: 16.32 ft, minor flooding; 2,820 cubic feet per secondSep 26, 1961: 16.72 ft, minor flooding; 2,410 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 1965: 18.72 ft, moderate flooding; 3,490 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1967: 14.97 ft, action stage; 1,890 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 1968: 18.32 ft, moderate flooding; 3,060 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 1970: 15.69 ft, action stage; 2,340 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1972: 14.19 ft, action stage; 1,820 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1972: 18.76 ft, moderate flooding; 3,500 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1974: 17.45 ft, minor flooding; 2,980 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 1975: 16.14 ft, minor flooding; 2,480 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1976: 16.61 ft, minor flooding; 2,650 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 1977: 15.10 ft, action stage; 2,050 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1978: 17.16 ft, minor flooding; 2,860 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1979: 17.82 ft, moderate flooding; 3,100 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1980: 15.68 ft, action stage; 2,320 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1981: 20.20 ft, major flooding; 4,070 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1982: 16.90 ft, minor flooding; 2,790 cubic feet per secondDec 4, 1982: 19.46 ft, moderate flooding; 3,520 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1984: 16.46 ft, minor flooding; 2,550 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1985: 17.82 ft, moderate flooding; 2,980 cubic feet per secondNov 20, 1985: 16.33 ft, minor flooding; 2,510 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1987: 14.45 ft, action stage; 1,950 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1989: 18.58 ft, moderate flooding; 3,390 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1990: 15.01 ft, action stage; 2,070 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1990: 20.50 ft, major flooding; 4,150 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1993: 17.58 ft, moderate flooding; 3,020 cubic feet per secondOct 18, 1993: 14.74 ft, action stage; 2,120 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 1995: 14.36 ft, action stage; 2,010 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1996: 18.07 ft, moderate flooding; 3,200 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 1996: 20.01 ft, major flooding; 3,870 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1997: 19.10 ft, moderate flooding; 3,540 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1998: 16.96 ft, minor flooding; 2,820 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1999: 16.59 ft, minor flooding; 2,630 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2000: 15.12 ft, action stage; 2,160 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 2001: 15.92 ft, action stage; 2,410 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2002: 18.37 ft, moderate flooding; 3,280 cubic feet per secondNov 18, 2003: 14.00 ft, action stage; 1,820 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 2005: 15.59 ft, action stage; 2,310 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2006: 16.61 ft, minor flooding; 2,600 cubic feet per secondAug 25, 2007: 15.75 ft, action stage; 2,300 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 2008: 20.16 ft, major flooding; 3,930 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2008: 16.63 ft, minor flooding; 2,650 cubic feet per secondOct 31, 2009: 14.44 ft, action stage; 1,950 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2011: 15.49 ft, action stage; 2,270 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2013: 18.59 ft, moderate flooding; 3,340 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 2018: 19.23 ft, moderate flooding; 3,580 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2019: 16.49 ft, minor flooding; 2,440 cubic feet per secondSep 29, 2019: 15.83 ft, action stage; 2,360 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2020: 15.50 ft, action stage; 2,280 cubic feet per second Highest, 20.50 ft, Nov 28, 1990 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Little Calumet River at South Holland 1940s: 2 1950s: 4 1960s: 3 1970s: 6 1980s: 7 7 1990s: 7 2000s: 4 2010s: 3 2020s: 0 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 58 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Little Calumet River at South Holland
1Nov 28, 199020.50+4.50Major4,150
2Jun 14, 198120.20+4.20Major4,070
3Sep 14, 200820.16+4.16Major3,930
4Jul 14, 195720.11+4.11Major4,440
5Jul 19, 199620.01+4.01Major3,870
6Dec 4, 198219.46+3.46Moderate3,520
7Oct 11, 195419.39+3.39Moderate4,210
8Apr 6, 194719.24+3.24Moderate4,760
9Feb 21, 201819.23+3.23Moderate3,580
10Feb 22, 199719.10+3.10Moderate3,540
11Dec 31, 197218.76+2.76Moderate3,500
12Dec 25, 196518.72+2.72Moderate3,490
13Apr 18, 201318.59+2.59Moderate3,340
14Jun 2, 198918.58+2.58Moderate3,390
15May 13, 200218.37+2.37Moderate3,280
16Aug 18, 196818.32+2.32Moderate3,060
17May 29, 199618.07+2.07Moderate3,200
18Mar 5, 197917.82+1.82Moderate3,100
19Feb 24, 198517.82+1.82Moderate2,980
20Jun 9, 199317.58+1.58Moderate3,020
21May 18, 197417.45+1.45Minor2,980
22May 11, 194817.33+1.33Minor3,810
23May 13, 197817.16+1.16Minor2,860
24May 8, 199816.96+0.96Minor2,820
25Mar 13, 198216.90+0.90Minor2,790
26Sep 26, 196116.72+0.72Minor2,410
27Dec 28, 200816.63+0.63Minor2,650
28Mar 5, 197616.61+0.61Minor2,650
29Apr 17, 200616.61+0.61Minor2,600
30Jan 24, 199916.59+0.59Minor2,630
31May 11, 195116.52+0.52Minor3,360
32May 2, 201916.49+0.49Minor2,440
33Mar 16, 198416.46+0.46Minor2,550
34Nov 20, 198516.33+0.33Minor2,510
35Apr 29, 195916.32+0.32Minor2,820
36Jan 11, 197516.14+0.14Minor2,480
37Feb 10, 200115.92−0.08Action2,410
38Sep 29, 201915.83−0.17Action2,360
39Aug 25, 200715.75−0.25Action2,300
40May 15, 197015.69−0.31Action2,340
41Jun 2, 198015.68−0.32Action2,320
42Jan 14, 200515.59−0.41Action2,310
43May 18, 202015.50−0.50Action2,280
44Jun 10, 201115.49−0.51Action2,270
45Apr 30, 195615.22−0.78Action2,420
46Apr 26, 195015.20−0.80Action2,780
47Jun 26, 200015.12−0.88Action2,160
48Sep 19, 197715.10−0.90Action2,050
49May 10, 199015.01−0.99Action2,070
50Apr 2, 196714.97−1.03Action1,890

The worst floods along the Little Calumet River

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

November 28, 1990: 20.50 ft here, major flooding

  • MunsterIN · Nov 28, 1990 · 17.03 ft · Major

June 14, 1981: 20.20 ft here, major flooding

  • MunsterIN · Jun 14, 1981 · 16.40 ft · Moderate

September 14, 2008: 20.16 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Little Calumet River

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

Flood gauges on the Little Calumet River
Gary (Grant St)IN11.016.00 ft, Sep 14, 20080
Lake StationIN13.017.50 ft, Sep 14, 20081
Hammond (Indianapolis Boulevard)IN14.015.50 ft, Sep 14, 20080
Highland (Kennedy Avenue)IN15.017.50 ft, Sep 14, 20080
Munster (Northcote Avenue)IN18.020.00 ft, Sep 14, 20080
MunsterIN12.017.29 ft, Sep 14, 20082
South Holland this gaugeIL16.020.50 ft, Nov 28, 19905
Gary (Burr Street)IN11.014.50 ft, Sep 14, 20080

Other gauges in Cook County

Flood gauges in Cook County
Bellwood9.013.57 ft, Jul 24, 20104
Wheeling5.08.46 ft, Jun 26, 20136
Flossmoor9.013.08 ft, Apr 17, 20060
Markham10.012.00 ft, Oct 11, 19542
Chicago (Columbus Dr)3.05.50 ft, Oct 10, 19542
Chicago (Western Ave)4.05.26 ft, May 17, 20200
Chicago Heights10.012.87 ft, Sep 15, 20080
Des Plaines (Algonquin Road)13.021.00 ft, Sep 14, 20082
Lyons18.022.87 ft, Apr 18, 20132
River Forest16.018.98 ft, Apr 19, 20131
Riverside7.511.28 ft, Apr 18, 20137
Des Plaines15.020.92 ft, Apr 19, 20135
Lemont10.013.24 ft, May 18, 20200
Willow Springs10.010.57 ft, Apr 18, 20130
Lake Michigan at Calumet Harbor5.06.07 ft, Aug 11, 20200
Lake Michigan at Chicago (Chicago Lock)4.05.98 ft, Apr 29, 20200
Lansing7.010.18 ft, Oct 11, 19540
Lemont6.011.10 ft, Jul 18, 19961
Mount Prospect5.08.08 ft, Aug 14, 19872
Oak Forest6.09.50 ft, Apr 5, 19472
Midlothian8.59.98 ft, Feb 2, 20160
Chicago (Grand Ave)3.05.70 ft, Oct 10, 19543
Chicago (Pulaski Rd)18.022.50 ft, Aug 14, 19871
Niles10.012.13 ft, Sep 14, 20082
Elgin5.57.69 ft, Sep 13, 20080
Elk Grove Village17.020.80 ft, May 18, 20200
Rolling Meadows8.514.03 ft, Aug 14, 19870
Western Springs7.510.65 ft, Apr 18, 20130
Worth31.036.50 ft, Oct 11, 19542
Glenwood8.511.14 ft, Jul 13, 19570
Thornton9.017.06 ft, Jun 14, 19816
Palos Park9.010.30 ft, Oct 10, 19540
Des Plaines9.015.09 ft, Jun 10, 19677
Northbrook7.010.10 ft, Aug 14, 19877

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SHLI2, 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.