Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Midlothian Creek at Oak Forest

Highest listed crest 9.50 ftFlood stage 6.0 ft37 crests since 1947

The Midlothian Creek at Oak Forest crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 37 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1947 to 2020. The highest, 9.50 ft on April 5, 1947, was major flooding, 3.50 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
9.50 ft
April 5, 1947
Flood stage
6.0 ft
Major flooding from 8.5 ft
Crests at major
2
82nd of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
May 17, 2020
6.15 ft, minor flooding
Location
Cook County
Near Midlothian (0.8 mi), Oak Forest (1.3 mi), Markham (2.2 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Midlothian Creek at Oak Forest
Action stage5.55Apr 18, 2013The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)6.06May 17, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage7.02Apr 22, 1973Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage8.52Jul 13, 1957Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

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

Listed crests at the Midlothian Creek at Oak Forest, 1947 to 2020 46810ft Flood stage 6.0 ftMajor 8.5 ft Apr 5, 1947: 9.50 ft, major floodingSep 26, 1951: 6.32 ft, minor flooding; 375 cubic feet per secondNov 14, 1951: 4.91 ft, below flood stage; 256 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1953: 6.38 ft, minor flooding; 384 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1954: 4.81 ft, below flood stage; 248 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 1954: 8.49 ft, moderate flooding; 569 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 1957: 9.00 ft, major flooding; 550 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1959: 4.77 ft, below flood stage; 228 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 1961: 6.36 ft, minor flooding; 328 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1966: 6.70 ft, minor flooding; 391 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1967: 4.78 ft, below flood stage; 237 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 1968: 5.74 ft, action stage; 314 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1970: 5.02 ft, below flood stage; 296 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1972: 4.64 ft, below flood stage; 271 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1973: 7.67 ft, moderate flooding; 501 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1981: 5.73 ft, action stage; 350 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1983: 5.07 ft, below flood stage; 300 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1987: 4.50 ft, below flood stage; 267 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1989: 5.14 ft, below flood stage; 305 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1991: 5.59 ft, action stage; 339 cubic feet per secondJul 18, 1996: 6.15 ft, minor flooding; 382 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1997: 4.52 ft, below flood stage; 259 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1999: 4.94 ft, below flood stage; 197 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 2000: 5.12 ft, below flood stage; 298 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2002: 4.53 ft, below flood stage; 260 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2004: 5.00 ft, below flood stage; 295 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 2008: 5.40 ft, below flood stage; 325 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 2008: 5.31 ft, below flood stage; 318 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2010: 5.23 ft, below flood stage; 312 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2011: 5.69 ft, action stage; 347 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2013: 5.65 ft, action stage; 344 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 2014: 5.17 ft, below flood stage; 307 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2014: 4.61 ft, below flood stage; 266 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 2014: 4.85 ft, below flood stage; 283 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 2018: 4.85 ft, below flood stage; 283 cubic feet per secondSep 29, 2019: 4.62 ft, below flood stage; 311 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2020: 6.15 ft, minor flooding; 419 cubic feet per second Highest, 9.50 ft, Apr 5, 1947 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Midlothian Creek at Oak Forest 1940s: 1 1950s: 4 4 1960s: 2 1970s: 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 2020s: 1 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

Highest listed crests, Midlothian Creek at Oak Forest
1Apr 5, 19479.50+3.50Major—
2Jul 13, 19579.00+3.00Major550
3Oct 10, 19548.49+2.49Moderate569
4Apr 22, 19737.67+1.67Moderate501
5May 12, 19666.70+0.70Minor391
6Jun 10, 19536.38+0.38Minor384
7Sep 24, 19616.36+0.36Minor328
8Sep 26, 19516.32+0.32Minor375
9Jul 18, 19966.15+0.15Minor382
10May 17, 20206.15+0.15Minor419
11Aug 17, 19685.74−0.26Action314
12Jun 13, 19815.73−0.27Action350
13Jun 9, 20115.69−0.31Action347
14Apr 18, 20135.65−0.35Action344
15May 25, 19915.59−0.41Action339
16Sep 14, 20085.40−0.60Below flood stage325
17Dec 27, 20085.31−0.69Below flood stage318
18May 31, 20105.23−0.77Below flood stage312
19Feb 22, 20145.17−0.83Below flood stage307
20Jun 1, 19895.14−0.86Below flood stage305
21Sep 11, 20005.12−0.88Below flood stage298
22Jul 2, 19835.07−0.93Below flood stage300
23Apr 30, 19705.02−0.98Below flood stage296
24May 30, 20045.00−1.00Below flood stage295
25Apr 23, 19994.94−1.06Below flood stage197
26Nov 14, 19514.91−1.09Below flood stage256
27Jul 12, 20144.85−1.15Below flood stage283
28Feb 20, 20184.85−1.15Below flood stage283
29Mar 25, 19544.81−1.19Below flood stage248
30Apr 1, 19674.78−1.22Below flood stage237
31Apr 28, 19594.77−1.23Below flood stage228
32Mar 13, 19724.64−1.36Below flood stage271
33Sep 29, 20194.62−1.38Below flood stage311
34May 20, 20144.61−1.39Below flood stage266
35May 12, 20024.53−1.47Below flood stage260
36Feb 21, 19974.52−1.48Below flood stage259
37May 19, 19874.50−1.50Below flood stage267

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
Mount Prospect5.08.08 ft, Aug 14, 19872
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 OAKI2, 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.