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Mississippi River at Chester

Highest listed crest 49.74 ftFlood stage 27.0 ft92 crests since 1969

The Mississippi River at Chester crested at major flood stage 9 times among the 92 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1969 to 2026. The highest, 49.74 ft on August 7, 1993, was major flooding, 22.74 feet above flood stage. 7 other gauges on the Mississippi River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 5 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
49.74 ft
August 7, 1993; 1,000,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
27.0 ft
Major flooding from 40.0 ft
Crests at major
9
30th of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
May 2, 2026
31.42 ft, minor flooding
Location
Randolph County
Illinois

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Mississippi River at Chester
Action stage25.01Dec 29, 1988The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)27.063May 2, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage35.019Jul 2, 2015Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage40.09Jun 10, 2019Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

92 crests from 1969 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Mississippi River at Chester, 1969 to 2026 253035404550ft Flood stage 27.0 ftMajor 40.0 ft Jul 15, 1969: 35.73 ft, moderate flooding; 644,000 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1973: 43.32 ft, major flooding; 886,000 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1978: 32.86 ft, minor flooding; 632,000 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1979: 39.79 ft, moderate flooding; 760,000 cubic feet per secondAug 1, 1981: 30.80 ft, minor floodingMar 26, 1982: 29.80 ft, minor floodingJun 13, 1982: 32.20 ft, minor floodingDec 9, 1982: 39.71 ft, moderate flooding; 825,000 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 1983: 41.02 ft, major flooding; 746,000 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1984: 34.97 ft, minor flooding; 605,000 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1984: 30.70 ft, minor floodingFeb 28, 1985: 36.60 ft, moderate flooding; 749,000 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1985: 30.00 ft, minor floodingNov 23, 1985: 35.14 ft, moderate flooding; 620,000 cubic feet per secondDec 4, 1985: 28.90 ft, minor floodingMay 25, 1986: 31.40 ft, minor flooding; 515,000 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 1986: 39.54 ft, moderate flooding; 754,000 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 1988: 25.57 ft, action stage; 426,000 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 1990: 35.53 ft, moderate flooding; 661,000 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1991: 27.78 ft, minor floodingApr 24, 1992: 27.11 ft, minor floodingAug 7, 1993: 49.74 ft, major flooding; 1,000,000 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1994: 38.90 ft, moderate floodingMay 23, 1995: 44.00 ft, major flooding; 876,000 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1997: 31.80 ft, minor floodingApr 19, 1998: 35.00 ft, moderate floodingJun 30, 2000: 27.74 ft, minor flooding; 425,000 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 2001: 29.50 ft, minor floodingMar 20, 2001: 28.00 ft, minor floodingJun 11, 2001: 35.31 ft, moderate flooding; 591,000 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2002: 40.58 ft, major flooding; 728,000 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2003: 27.11 ft, minor flooding; 427,000 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 2004: 27.05 ft, minor flooding; 434,000 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2004: 29.35 ft, minor flooding; 457,000 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 2005: 30.76 ft, minor flooding; 486,000 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 2005: 29.07 ft, minor flooding; 450,000 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2007: 30.28 ft, minor flooding; 486,000 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 2008: 27.12 ft, minor floodingMar 23, 2008: 35.34 ft, moderate flooding; 596,000 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2008: 29.39 ft, minor flooding; 468,000 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2008: 34.12 ft, minor flooding; 568,000 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 2008: 28.77 ft, minor flooding; 455,000 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 2008: 39.46 ft, moderate flooding; 696,450 cubic feet per secondAug 3, 2008: 32.13 ft, minor flooding; 524,000 cubic feet per secondSep 20, 2008: 37.65 ft, moderate flooding; 651,000 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2009: 29.51 ft, minor flooding; 270,000 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 2009: 29.68 ft, minor flooding; 473,000 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2009: 34.86 ft, minor flooding; 585,000 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2009: 27.26 ft, minor flooding; 426,000 cubic feet per secondNov 3, 2009: 35.61 ft, moderate flooding; 603,000 cubic feet per secondNov 22, 2009: 31.27 ft, minor flooding; 507,000 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 2009: 27.44 ft, minor flooding; 430,000 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 2010: 30.07 ft, minor flooding; 482,000 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2010: 34.73 ft, minor flooding; 582,000 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2010: 31.55 ft, minor flooding; 508,000 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2010: 36.31 ft, moderate flooding; 619,000 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 2010: 36.34 ft, moderate flooding; 620,000 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 2010: 28.36 ft, minor flooding; 443,000 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 2011: 30.06 ft, minor flooding; 482,000 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2011: 39.74 ft, moderate flooding; 703,000 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 2013: 38.35 ft, moderate flooding; 693,700 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2013: 42.41 ft, major flooding; 801,800 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 2014: 31.80 ft, minor flooding; 517,800 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2015: 28.41 ft, minor flooding; 453,000 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 2015: 39.68 ft, moderate flooding; 703,000 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 2015: 28.41 ft, minor flooding; 449,000 cubic feet per secondJan 2, 2016: 45.99 ft, major flooding; 953,000 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2016: 27.67 ft, minor flooding; 434,000 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 2017: 30.85 ft, minor flooding; 498,000 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2017: 44.66 ft, major flooding; 902,700 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 2018: 29.33 ft, minor flooding; 470,000 cubic feet per secondOct 19, 2018: 33.92 ft, minor flooding; 564,700 cubic feet per secondJan 3, 2019: 28.61 ft, minor flooding; 460,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 2019: 27.53 ft, minor flooding; 439,000 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2019: 46.52 ft, major flooding; 974,000 cubic feet per secondOct 13, 2019: 33.04 ft, minor floodingNov 3, 2019: 29.33 ft, minor floodingJan 14, 2020: 33.07 ft, minor floodingMar 15, 2020: 27.06 ft, minor flooding; 418,000 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 2020: 33.32 ft, minor flooding; 545,000 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2020: 31.71 ft, minor flooding; 511,000 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2020: 33.46 ft, minor flooding; 554,000 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2021: 33.85 ft, minor flooding; 563,000 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2021: 30.76 ft, minor flooding; 496,000 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 2021: 31.04 ft, minor flooding; 499,000 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2022: 32.28 ft, minor flooding; 527,000 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 2022: 28.00 ft, minor flooding; 438,000 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 2024: 31.22 ft, minor flooding; 517,000 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 2024: 27.55 ft, minor flooding; 429,000 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 2024: 34.16 ft, minor flooding; 565,000 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 2026: 27.84 ft, minor flooding; 445,400 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2026: 31.42 ft, minor flooding; 515,900 cubic feet per second Highest, 49.74 ft, Aug 7, 1993 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Mississippi River at Chester 1960s: 1 1970s: 3 1980s: 13 1990s: 8 2000s: 26 26 2010s: 25 2020s: 15 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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. 8 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 39.83 ft on Jun 30, 1844; 33.40 ft on Jun 13, 1903; 34.41 ft on Apr 26, 1927; 38.08 ft on May 24, 1943; 37.55 ft on May 2, 1944; 38.17 ft on Jul 4, 1947; and more.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 92 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Mississippi River at Chester
1Aug 7, 199349.74+22.74Major1,000,000
2Jun 10, 201946.52+19.52Major974,000
3Jan 2, 201645.99+18.99Major953,000
4May 6, 201744.66+17.66Major902,700
5May 23, 199544.00+17.00Major876,000
6Apr 30, 197343.32+16.32Major886,000
7Jun 5, 201342.41+15.41Major801,800
8May 5, 198341.02+14.02Major746,000
9May 17, 200240.58+13.58Major728,000
10Apr 16, 197939.79+12.79Moderate760,000
11May 2, 201139.74+12.74Moderate703,000
12Dec 9, 198239.71+12.71Moderate825,000
13Jul 2, 201539.68+12.68Moderate703,000
14Oct 10, 198639.54+12.54Moderate754,000
15Jul 1, 200839.46+12.46Moderate696,450
16Apr 16, 199438.90+11.90Moderate—
17Apr 25, 201338.35+11.35Moderate693,700
18Sep 20, 200837.65+10.65Moderate651,000
19Feb 28, 198536.60+9.60Moderate749,000
20Jun 30, 201036.34+9.34Moderate620,000
21May 21, 201036.31+9.31Moderate619,000
22Jul 15, 196935.73+8.73Moderate644,000
23Nov 3, 200935.61+8.61Moderate603,000
24May 20, 199035.53+8.53Moderate661,000
25Mar 23, 200835.34+8.34Moderate596,000
26Jun 11, 200135.31+8.31Moderate591,000
27Nov 23, 198535.14+8.14Moderate620,000
28Apr 19, 199835.00+8.00Moderate—
29Apr 25, 198434.97+7.97Minor605,000
30May 22, 200934.86+7.86Minor585,000
31Mar 31, 201034.73+7.73Minor582,000
32Jul 11, 202434.16+7.16Minor565,000
33Apr 15, 200834.12+7.12Minor568,000
34Oct 19, 201833.92+6.92Minor564,700
35Mar 21, 202133.85+6.85Minor563,000
36Jun 2, 202033.46+6.46Minor554,000
37Mar 25, 202033.32+6.32Minor545,000
38Jan 14, 202033.07+6.07Minor—
39Oct 13, 201933.04+6.04Minor—
40Mar 29, 197832.86+5.86Minor632,000
41May 8, 202232.28+5.28Minor527,000
42Jun 13, 198232.20+5.20Minor—
43Aug 3, 200832.13+5.13Minor524,000
44Apr 21, 199731.80+4.80Minor—
45Jul 12, 201431.80+4.80Minor517,800
46Apr 20, 202031.71+4.71Minor511,000
47Apr 30, 201031.55+4.55Minor508,000
48May 2, 202631.42+4.42Minor515,900
49May 25, 198631.40+4.40Minor515,000
50Nov 22, 200931.27+4.27Minor507,000

The worst floods along the Mississippi River

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

August 7, 1993: 49.74 ft here, major flooding

June 10, 2019: 46.52 ft here, major flooding

January 2, 2016: 45.99 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Mississippi River

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

Flood gauges on the Mississippi River
TiptonvilleMO37.048.35 ft, May 5, 20112
Alma - Pool 5MN672.0672.13 ft, Apr 16, 20010
AltonIL21.039.55 ft, Aug 1, 19937
Baton RougeLA35.047.28 ft, May 15, 192731
BellevueIL17.023.51 ft, Apr 26, 196511
BrainerdMN16.017.61 ft, Jun 28, 20120
BrownsvilleMN635.0640.20 ft, Apr 22, 19650
BurlingtonIL15.025.73 ft, Jun 17, 200836
CamancheIA17.024.65 ft, Apr 28, 196520
Canton Lock and Dam 20MO15.027.88 ft, Jul 9, 19933
Cape GirardeauMO32.048.86 ft, Jan 2, 201615
CaruthersvilleMO32.047.61 ft, May 7, 20112
Chester this gaugeIL27.049.74 ft, Aug 7, 19939
Clarksville Lock and Dam 24MO25.037.73 ft, Jul 29, 199310
ClaytonIA620.0627.28 ft, Apr 24, 19650
DakotaMN644.0649.08 ft, Apr 21, 19650
DonaldsonvilleLA27.036.01 ft, May 15, 19273
Dubuque (LD11)IA16.025.69 ft, Apr 26, 196513
Dubuque (Railroad Bridge)IA17.026.81 ft, Apr 26, 196518
Fort RipleyMN10.514.15 ft, Apr 8, 19970
Fridley abv 37th Ave NEMN16.020.00 ft, Apr 17, 19656
FultonIL16.024.75 ft, Apr 28, 196513
GladstoneIL10.022.46 ft, Jun 17, 200824
GraftonIL20.038.17 ft, Aug 1, 199315
Gregory LandingMO15.028.49 ft, Jul 9, 19934
HannibalMO17.031.80 ft, Jul 15, 199310
HelenaAR44.060.21 ft, Feb 12, 19374
HerculaneumMO26.029.79 ft, Jul 10, 20240
HickmanKY34.054.29 ft, May 2, 20113
Hwy 169 at ChamplinMN12.017.96 ft, Apr 12, 19653
Hwy 610 in Brooklyn ParkMN12.019.53 ft, Apr 17, 19654
Illinois CityIA15.024.10 ft, Jul 9, 199321
KeithsburgIA14.024.49 ft, Jun 17, 200822
KeokukIA16.027.58 ft, Jul 10, 199324
La Crosse - Pool 8WI12.017.89 ft, Apr 22, 19654
LaGrangeMO17.030.00 ft, Jul 13, 19934
Lake CityWI16.022.18 ft, Apr 19, 19653
Lansing - Pool 9IA17.022.50 ft, Apr 24, 19651
LeClaireIA11.017.75 ft, Apr 28, 196516
LouisianaMO15.028.40 ft, Jul 28, 19934
McGregorIA16.025.38 ft, Apr 24, 19653
Mel Price (Alton) Lock and DamIL21.042.72 ft, Aug 1, 19938
MemphisTN34.048.70 ft, Feb 10, 19372
MuscatineIA16.025.61 ft, Jul 9, 199321
NatchezMS48.061.95 ft, May 19, 20116
New BostonIL15.025.90 ft, Jul 9, 199322
New MadridMO34.048.35 ft, May 6, 20114
New OrleansLA17.021.27 ft, Apr 25, 19225
OsceolaAR28.050.90 ft, Feb 7, 193742
QuincyIL19.032.13 ft, Jul 13, 19937
Quincy Lock and Dam 21IL18.031.30 ft, Jul 13, 19937
Red River LandingLA48.063.39 ft, May 18, 20110
Red WingMN14.020.70 ft, Apr 18, 19659
ReserveLA22.026.00 ft, Jun 11, 19291
Rock IslandIL15.022.70 ft, May 2, 201920
Saverton Lock and Dam 22MO16.029.58 ft, Jul 25, 19939
St. CloudMN9.011.44 ft, Apr 8, 19971
St. LouisMO30.049.58 ft, Aug 1, 19939
St. PaulMN14.026.01 ft, Apr 16, 196516
ThebesIL33.047.74 ft, Jan 2, 201612
Tunica Mhoon LandingMS30.053.20 ft, Feb 10, 19375
VicksburgLA43.057.10 ft, May 19, 201112
Wabasha - Pool 4MN12.020.05 ft, Apr 19, 19657
Winfield Lock and Dam 25MO26.039.62 ft, Aug 1, 19939
Winona - Pool 6MN13.020.77 ft, Apr 19, 19655
Lock and Dam 10 - GuttenbergIA15.023.65 ft, Apr 24, 19652
Lock and Dam 2 - HastingsMN15.025.90 ft, Apr 17, 196512
Lock and Dam 3 - Red WingMN680.5687.77 ft, Apr 19, 19658
Lock and Dam 4 - AlmaWI16.019.78 ft, Apr 19, 19652
Lock and Dam 5 - Minnesota CityMN660.0667.85 ft, Apr 19, 19654
Lock and Dam 5a - WinonaMN655.0663.35 ft, Apr 19, 19654
Lock and Dam 6 - TrempealeauMN647.0653.02 ft, Apr 21, 19654
Lock and Dam 7 - La CrescentMN641.0647.38 ft, Apr 21, 19652
Lock and Dam 8 - GenoaWI631.0638.40 ft, Apr 22, 19653
Lock and Dam 9 - LynxvilleWI625.0633.16 ft, Apr 24, 19653
AitkinMN13.022.49 ft, May 20, 195011
Arkansas CityAR37.059.20 ft, Apr 21, 192715
GreenvilleAR48.065.40 ft, Apr 21, 192718

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CHSI2, 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.