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McDonald Creek near Mount Prospect

Highest listed crest 8.08 ftFlood stage 5.0 ft74 crests since 1953

The McDonald Creek near Mount Prospect crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 74 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1953 to 2020. The highest, 8.08 ft on August 14, 1987, was major flooding, 3.08 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
8.08 ft
August 14, 1987; 806 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
5.0 ft
Major flooding from 8.0 ft
Crests at major
2
82nd of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
May 17, 2020
6.40 ft, minor flooding
Location
Cook County
Near Prospect Heights (1.0 mi), Wheeling (2.4 mi), Mount Prospect (2.5 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, McDonald Creek near Mount Prospect
Action stage3.026Sep 13, 2019The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)5.035May 17, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage7.011Jul 23, 2011Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage8.02Aug 14, 1987Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

74 crests from 1953 to 2020. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the McDonald Creek near Mount Prospect, 1953 to 2020 246810ft Flood stage 5.0 ftMajor 8.0 ft Mar 15, 1953: 4.42 ft, action stage; 27 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1954: 6.46 ft, minor flooding; 103 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 1954: 7.31 ft, moderate flooding; 146 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1956: 4.66 ft, action stage; 45 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 1957: 8.04 ft, major flooding; 430 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1958: 4.12 ft, action stage; 42 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1959: 4.80 ft, action stage; 76 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1960: 7.03 ft, moderate flooding; 261 cubic feet per secondSep 26, 1961: 6.60 ft, minor flooding; 194 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1962: 6.27 ft, minor flooding; 154 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1963: 3.97 ft, action stage; 44 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1964: 4.67 ft, action stage; 74 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1965: 4.94 ft, action stage; 93 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1966: 6.19 ft, minor flooding; 175 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1967: 7.73 ft, moderate flooding; 618 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 1968: 5.23 ft, minor flooding; 134 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1969: 6.65 ft, minor flooding; 239 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1970: 7.41 ft, moderate flooding; 434 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1972: 7.58 ft, moderate flooding; 664 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1973: 7.14 ft, moderate flooding; 396 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1974: 6.78 ft, minor flooding; 291 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1975: 6.71 ft, minor flooding; 276 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1976: 6.82 ft, minor flooding; 305 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1977: 4.06 ft, action stage; 86 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1978: 6.19 ft, minor flooding; 204 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1979: 6.55 ft, minor flooding; 246 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 1980: 5.27 ft, minor flooding; 144 cubic feet per secondAug 15, 1981: 6.56 ft, minor flooding; 247 cubic feet per secondJul 22, 1982: 7.31 ft, moderate flooding; 484 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 1982: 7.46 ft, moderate flooding; 548 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1983: 5.34 ft, minor flooding; 148 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1985: 6.95 ft, minor flooding; 346 cubic feet per secondNov 20, 1985: 7.11 ft, moderate flooding; 403 cubic feet per secondAug 14, 1987: 8.08 ft, major flooding; 806 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1988: 5.18 ft, minor flooding; 146 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 1989: 6.45 ft, minor flooding; 232 cubic feet per secondAug 21, 1990: 6.23 ft, minor flooding; 208 cubic feet per secondNov 27, 1990: 4.59 ft, action stage; 121 cubic feet per secondOct 4, 1991: 4.45 ft, action stage; 115 cubic feet per secondJul 18, 1993: 5.50 ft, minor flooding; 160 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1994: 5.85 ft, minor floodingApr 27, 1995: 5.34 ft, minor flooding; 202 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 1996: 5.18 ft, minor flooding; 194 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1997: 6.69 ft, minor flooding; 322 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1998: 3.83 ft, action stage; 111 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1999: 6.23 ft, minor flooding; 286 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 2000: 4.51 ft, action stage; 153 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 2001: 5.27 ft, minor flooding; 206 cubic feet per secondAug 22, 2002: 6.59 ft, minor flooding; 345 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2003: 4.26 ft, action stage; 135 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2004: 4.80 ft, action stage; 171 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 2005: 4.35 ft, action stage; 141 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2006: 3.49 ft, action stage; 90 cubic feet per secondAug 23, 2007: 5.34 ft, minor flooding; 220 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 2008: 7.40 ft, moderate flooding; 474 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 2008: 5.81 ft, minor flooding; 252 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2010: 5.71 ft, minor flooding; 243 cubic feet per secondJul 23, 2011: 7.17 ft, moderate flooding; 419 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2012: 3.14 ft, action stage; 72 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2013: 6.96 ft, minor flooding; 373 cubic feet per secondJan 30, 2014: 4.40 ft, action stage; 144 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 2014: 4.29 ft, action stage; 137 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2015: 4.13 ft, action stage; 127 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 2015: 4.10 ft, action stage; 125 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 2016: 3.90 ft, action stage; 113 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 2016: 4.25 ft, action stage; 134 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 2017: 6.19 ft, minor flooding; 332 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 2017: 5.11 ft, minor flooding; 234 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2018: 4.89 ft, action stage; 199 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2018: 6.78 ft, minor flooding; 342 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2019: 4.92 ft, action stage; 200 cubic feet per secondJul 21, 2019: 5.05 ft, minor flooding; 208 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 2019: 4.41 ft, action stage; 172 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2020: 6.40 ft, minor flooding; 339 cubic feet per second Highest, 8.08 ft, Aug 14, 1987 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, McDonald Creek near Mount Prospect 1950s: 3 1960s: 7 1970s: 8 1980s: 10 10 1990s: 7 2000s: 5 2010s: 7 2020s: 1 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 74 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, McDonald Creek near Mount Prospect
1Aug 14, 19878.08+3.08Major806
2Jul 13, 19578.04+3.04Major430
3Jun 11, 19677.73+2.73Moderate618
4Jun 20, 19727.58+2.58Moderate664
5Dec 3, 19827.46+2.46Moderate548
6Jun 2, 19707.41+2.41Moderate434
7Sep 13, 20087.40+2.40Moderate474
8Oct 11, 19547.31+2.31Moderate146
9Jul 22, 19827.31+2.31Moderate484
10Jul 23, 20117.17+2.17Moderate419
11Apr 22, 19737.14+2.14Moderate396
12Nov 20, 19857.11+2.11Moderate403
13Mar 30, 19607.03+2.03Moderate261
14Apr 18, 20136.96+1.96Minor373
15Mar 4, 19856.95+1.95Minor346
16Mar 5, 19766.82+1.82Minor305
17Jan 27, 19746.78+1.78Minor291
18Jun 9, 20186.78+1.78Minor342
19Apr 28, 19756.71+1.71Minor276
20Feb 21, 19976.69+1.69Minor322
21Jun 8, 19696.65+1.65Minor239
22Sep 26, 19616.60+1.60Minor194
23Aug 22, 20026.59+1.59Minor345
24Aug 15, 19816.56+1.56Minor247
25Apr 12, 19796.55+1.55Minor246
26Jun 3, 19546.46+1.46Minor103
27Aug 4, 19896.45+1.45Minor232
28May 17, 20206.40+1.40Minor339
29Mar 19, 19626.27+1.27Minor154
30Aug 21, 19906.23+1.23Minor208
31Apr 23, 19996.23+1.23Minor286
32May 12, 19666.19+1.19Minor175
33Jul 2, 19786.19+1.19Minor204
34Jul 12, 20176.19+1.19Minor332
35Jun 24, 19945.85+0.85Minor—
36Dec 27, 20085.81+0.81Minor252
37May 13, 20105.71+0.71Minor243
38Jul 18, 19935.50+0.50Minor160
39Nov 28, 19835.34+0.34Minor148
40Apr 27, 19955.34+0.34Minor202
41Aug 23, 20075.34+0.34Minor220
42Sep 17, 19805.27+0.27Minor144
43Sep 19, 20015.27+0.27Minor206
44Aug 17, 19685.23+0.23Minor134
45Apr 6, 19885.18+0.18Minor146
46May 20, 19965.18+0.18Minor194
47Oct 15, 20175.11+0.11Minor234
48Jul 21, 20195.05+0.05Minor208
49Apr 6, 19654.94−0.06Action93
50May 1, 20194.92−0.08Action200

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
South Holland16.020.50 ft, Nov 28, 19905
Lemont6.011.10 ft, Jul 18, 19961
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 MCDI2, 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.