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Little Wabash River at Carmi

Highest listed crest 38.44 ftFlood stage 27.0 ft59 crests since 1937

The Little Wabash River at Carmi crested at major flood stage 12 times among the 59 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1937 to 2025. The highest, 38.44 ft on May 12, 1961, was major flooding, 11.44 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Little Wabash River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
38.44 ft
May 12, 1961
Flood stage
27.0 ft
Major flooding from 35.0 ft
Crests at major
12
21st of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
April 11, 2025
35.46 ft, major flooding
Location
White County
Illinois

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Little Wabash River at Carmi
Action stage24.02Mar 9, 1962The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)27.027Apr 3, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage32.018Feb 28, 2022Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage35.012Apr 11, 2025Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

59 crests from 1937 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Little Wabash River at Carmi, 1937 to 2025 25303540ft Flood stage 27.0 ftMajor 35.0 ft Jan 1, 1937: 36.23 ft, major floodingMay 1, 1940: 26.67 ft, action stageMay 2, 1944: 27.90 ft, minor floodingJan 29, 1949: 34.36 ft, moderate floodingMar 1, 1951: 30.14 ft, minor floodingMar 23, 1952: 29.78 ft, minor floodingApr 13, 1957: 31.43 ft, minor floodingDec 28, 1957: 32.92 ft, moderate floodingMay 12, 1961: 38.44 ft, major floodingMar 9, 1962: 26.92 ft, action stageMar 22, 1963: 27.41 ft, minor floodingMar 17, 1964: 30.74 ft, minor floodingDec 30, 1967: 31.68 ft, minor floodingMay 2, 1970: 31.99 ft, minor floodingApr 26, 1972: 31.44 ft, minor floodingMar 21, 1973: 30.82 ft, minor floodingJan 2, 1974: 28.70 ft, minor floodingMar 2, 1975: 30.21 ft, minor floodingApr 4, 1977: 28.86 ft, minor floodingMar 6, 1979: 33.52 ft, moderate floodingJan 1, 1983: 32.33 ft, moderate floodingApr 29, 1984: 31.62 ft, minor floodingApr 6, 1985: 32.41 ft, moderate floodingNov 28, 1985: 33.46 ft, moderate floodingFeb 10, 1988: 30.99 ft, minor floodingApr 6, 1989: 32.76 ft, moderate floodingMay 23, 1990: 34.38 ft, moderate floodingJan 8, 1991: 32.15 ft, moderate flooding; 20,900 cubic feet per secondNov 21, 1993: 36.15 ft, major floodingApr 20, 1994: 32.90 ft, moderate floodingMay 3, 1996: 35.30 ft, major floodingMar 10, 1997: 30.53 ft, minor floodingMay 8, 1998: 29.90 ft, minor floodingJan 28, 1999: 34.83 ft, moderate floodingJul 1, 2000: 27.19 ft, minor floodingDec 22, 2001: 31.24 ft, minor floodingMay 18, 2002: 36.16 ft, major floodingMay 16, 2003: 30.16 ft, minor floodingAug 28, 2004: 29.22 ft, minor floodingJan 14, 2005: 35.37 ft, major floodingMar 17, 2006: 35.03 ft, major floodingJan 23, 2007: 31.25 ft, minor floodingApr 4, 2008: 35.54 ft, major flooding; 27,455 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2009: 31.09 ft, minor floodingJan 2, 2010: 29.99 ft, minor flooding; 14,487 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 2011: 38.34 ft, major flooding; 56,244 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 2013: 33.62 ft, moderate flooding; 19,028 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 2014: 33.19 ft, moderate flooding; 18,291 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2015: 34.52 ft, moderate flooding; 21,634 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 2016: 35.74 ft, major flooding; 28,952 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2017: 36.01 ft, major flooding; 31,089 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2018: 34.06 ft, moderate flooding; 20,271 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 2019: 33.99 ft, moderate flooding; 20,070 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 2020: 34.64 ft, moderate flooding; 21,888 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 2021: 30.40 ft, minor flooding; 14,937 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 2022: 32.94 ft, moderate flooding; 17,968 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 2023: 29.28 ft, minor flooding; 13,579 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2023: 31.97 ft, minor flooding; 16,736 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 2025: 35.46 ft, major flooding Highest, 38.44 ft, May 12, 1961 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Little Wabash River at Carmi 1930s: 1 1940s: 2 1950s: 4 1960s: 4 1970s: 7 1980s: 6 1990s: 8 2000s: 10 10 2010s: 9 2020s: 6 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.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 59 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Little Wabash River at Carmi
1May 12, 196138.44+11.44Major—
2May 3, 201138.34+11.34Major56,244
3Jan 1, 193736.23+9.23Major—
4May 18, 200236.16+9.16Major—
5Nov 21, 199336.15+9.15Major—
6May 8, 201736.01+9.01Major31,089
7Jan 4, 201635.74+8.74Major28,952
8Apr 4, 200835.54+8.54Major27,455
9Apr 11, 202535.46+8.46Major—
10Jan 14, 200535.37+8.37Major—
11May 3, 199635.30+8.30Major—
12Mar 17, 200635.03+8.03Major—
13Jan 28, 199934.83+7.83Moderate—
14Jan 20, 202034.64+7.64Moderate21,888
15Jun 28, 201534.52+7.52Moderate21,634
16May 23, 199034.38+7.38Moderate—
17Jan 29, 194934.36+7.36Moderate—
18Apr 5, 201834.06+7.06Moderate20,271
19Feb 15, 201933.99+6.99Moderate20,070
20Jul 8, 201333.62+6.62Moderate19,028
21Mar 6, 197933.52+6.52Moderate—
22Nov 28, 198533.46+6.46Moderate—
23Apr 11, 201433.19+6.19Moderate18,291
24Feb 28, 202232.94+5.94Moderate17,968
25Dec 28, 195732.92+5.92Moderate—
26Apr 20, 199432.90+5.90Moderate—
27Apr 6, 198932.76+5.76Moderate—
28Apr 6, 198532.41+5.41Moderate—
29Jan 1, 198332.33+5.33Moderate—
30Jan 8, 199132.15+5.15Moderate20,900
31May 2, 197031.99+4.99Minor—
32Apr 3, 202331.97+4.97Minor16,736
33Dec 30, 196731.68+4.68Minor—
34Apr 29, 198431.62+4.62Minor—
35Apr 26, 197231.44+4.44Minor—
36Apr 13, 195731.43+4.43Minor—
37Jan 23, 200731.25+4.25Minor—
38Dec 22, 200131.24+4.24Minor—
39Apr 17, 200931.09+4.09Minor—
40Feb 10, 198830.99+3.99Minor—
41Mar 21, 197330.82+3.82Minor—
42Mar 17, 196430.74+3.74Minor—
43Mar 10, 199730.53+3.53Minor—
44Mar 25, 202130.40+3.40Minor14,937
45Mar 2, 197530.21+3.21Minor—
46May 16, 200330.16+3.16Minor—
47Mar 1, 195130.14+3.14Minor—
48Jan 2, 201029.99+2.99Minor14,487
49May 8, 199829.90+2.90Minor—
50Mar 23, 195229.78+2.78Minor—

The worst floods along the Little Wabash River

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

May 12, 1961: 38.44 ft here, major flooding

  • Clay CityIL · May 10, 1961 · 26.61 ft · Major

May 3, 2011: 38.34 ft here, major flooding

  • Clay CityIL · Apr 29, 2011 · 24.40 ft · Moderate
  • EffinghamIL · Apr 26, 2011 · 18.78 ft · Moderate

May 18, 2002: 36.16 ft here, major flooding

  • Clay CityIL · May 15, 2002 · 24.66 ft · Moderate
  • EffinghamIL · May 13, 2002 · 24.27 ft · Moderate · its highest

Gauges on the Little Wabash River

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

Flood gauges on the Little Wabash River
EffinghamIL16.024.27 ft, May 13, 20020
Clay CityIL18.026.67 ft, Jan 5, 19508
Carmi this gaugeIL27.038.44 ft, May 12, 196112

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CARI2, 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.