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Salt Creek (IL) at Elmhurst

Highest listed crest 15.83 ftFlood stage 11.0 ft55 crests since 1948

The Salt Creek (IL) at Elmhurst crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 55 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1948 to 2020. The highest, 15.83 ft on August 27, 1972, was major flooding, 4.83 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Salt Creek (IL) crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
15.83 ft
August 27, 1972; 2,230 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
11.0 ft
Major flooding from 14.0 ft
Crests at major
1
101st of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
May 17, 2020
13.01 ft, moderate flooding
Location
DuPage County
Near Villa Park (1.0 mi), Elmhurst (1.1 mi), Lombard (3.0 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Salt Creek (IL) at Elmhurst
Action stage10.015Feb 21, 2018The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)11.017May 1, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage12.022May 17, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage14.01Aug 27, 1972Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

55 crests from 1948 to 2020. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Salt Creek (IL) at Elmhurst, 1948 to 2020 10121416ft Flood stage 11.0 ftMajor 14.0 ft Mar 22, 1948: 12.57 ft, moderate flooding; 1,130 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1950: 12.67 ft, moderate flooding; 1,160 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 1954: 13.42 ft, moderate flooding; 1,380 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 1957: 11.67 ft, minor flooding; 895 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1960: 13.03 ft, moderate flooding; 1,260 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 1961: 10.77 ft, action stage; 688 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1962: 12.41 ft, moderate flooding; 1,090 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1963: 10.39 ft, action stage; 608 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1964: 10.42 ft, action stage; 614 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1965: 10.17 ft, action stage; 688 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1966: 13.42 ft, moderate flooding; 1,400 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1967: 13.75 ft, moderate flooding; 1,480 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 1968: 11.83 ft, minor flooding; 934 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1969: 12.02 ft, moderate flooding; 982 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1970: 11.31 ft, minor flooding; 808 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1971: 11.95 ft, minor flooding; 964 cubic feet per secondAug 27, 1972: 15.83 ft, major flooding; 2,230 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1973: 10.96 ft, action stage; 729 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1974: 12.20 ft, moderate flooding; 1,030 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1975: 11.87 ft, minor flooding; 944 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1976: 12.45 ft, moderate flooding; 1,100 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1977: 10.38 ft, action stage; 606 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1978: 11.75 ft, minor flooding; 914 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1979: 13.88 ft, moderate flooding; 1,520 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1980: 10.84 ft, action stage; 703 cubic feet per secondAug 6, 1989: 13.56 ft, moderate flooding; 1,580 cubic feet per secondAug 21, 1990: 13.37 ft, moderate flooding; 1,530 cubic feet per secondNov 27, 1990: 12.62 ft, moderate flooding; 1,270 cubic feet per secondOct 26, 1991: 10.14 ft, action stage; 645 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1993: 11.94 ft, minor flooding; 1,130 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 1994: 13.17 ft, moderate flooding; 1,500 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1995: 12.80 ft, moderate flooding; 1,390 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1996: 12.10 ft, moderate flooding; 1,250 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1997: 11.95 ft, minor flooding; 1,460 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 1998: 10.47 ft, action stage; 1,050 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1999: 11.41 ft, minor flooding; 1,300 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2000: 11.21 ft, minor flooding; 1,250 cubic feet per secondSep 20, 2001: 10.69 ft, action stage; 1,110 cubic feet per secondOct 13, 2001: 11.73 ft, minor flooding; 1,520 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2003: 10.61 ft, action stage; 1,170 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2004: 10.20 ft, action stage; 1,070 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 2005: 10.14 ft, action stage; 1,040 cubic feet per secondOct 2, 2006: 11.07 ft, minor flooding; 1,310 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 2008: 13.27 ft, moderate flooding; 1,940 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 2009: 11.45 ft, minor flooding; 1,430 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 2010: 13.68 ft, moderate flooding; 2,210 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 2011: 11.39 ft, minor flooding; 1,410 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2013: 13.90 ft, moderate flooding; 2,290 cubic feet per secondAug 22, 2014: 11.64 ft, minor flooding; 1,490 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2017: 10.99 ft, action stage; 1,500 cubic feet per secondOct 14, 2017: 11.31 ft, minor flooding; 1,610 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 2018: 10.86 ft, action stage; 1,350 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 2018: 12.28 ft, moderate flooding; 1,820 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2019: 11.68 ft, minor flooding; 1,510 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2020: 13.01 ft, moderate flooding; 1,840 cubic feet per second Highest, 15.83 ft, Aug 27, 1972 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Salt Creek (IL) at Elmhurst 1940s: 1 1950s: 3 1960s: 6 1970s: 8 8 1980s: 1 1990s: 8 2000s: 5 2010s: 7 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

The 50 highest of 55 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Salt Creek (IL) at Elmhurst
1Aug 27, 197215.83+4.83Major2,230
2Apr 18, 201313.90+2.90Moderate2,290
3Mar 4, 197913.88+2.88Moderate1,520
4Jun 12, 196713.75+2.75Moderate1,480
5Jul 24, 201013.68+2.68Moderate2,210
6Aug 6, 198913.56+2.56Moderate1,580
7Oct 10, 195413.42+2.42Moderate1,380
8May 12, 196613.42+2.42Moderate1,400
9Aug 21, 199013.37+2.37Moderate1,530
10Sep 14, 200813.27+2.27Moderate1,940
11Jun 25, 199413.17+2.17Moderate1,500
12Mar 30, 196013.03+2.03Moderate1,260
13May 17, 202013.01+2.01Moderate1,840
14Apr 28, 199512.80+1.80Moderate1,390
15Apr 26, 195012.67+1.67Moderate1,160
16Nov 27, 199012.62+1.62Moderate1,270
17Mar 22, 194812.57+1.57Moderate1,130
18Mar 5, 197612.45+1.45Moderate1,100
19Mar 21, 196212.41+1.41Moderate1,090
20Jun 22, 201812.28+1.28Moderate1,820
21May 17, 197412.20+1.20Moderate1,030
22May 29, 199612.10+1.10Moderate1,250
23Jun 9, 196912.02+1.02Moderate982
24Feb 20, 197111.95+0.95Minor964
25Feb 22, 199711.95+0.95Minor1,460
26Apr 2, 199311.94+0.94Minor1,130
27Apr 18, 197511.87+0.87Minor944
28Aug 17, 196811.83+0.83Minor934
29Jul 2, 197811.75+0.75Minor914
30Oct 13, 200111.73+0.73Minor1,520
31May 1, 201911.68+0.68Minor1,510
32Jul 12, 195711.67+0.67Minor895
33Aug 22, 201411.64+0.64Minor1,490
34Feb 26, 200911.45+0.45Minor1,430
35Apr 24, 199911.41+0.41Minor1,300
36Jul 24, 201111.39+0.39Minor1,410
37May 14, 197011.31+0.31Minor808
38Oct 14, 201711.31+0.31Minor1,610
39Apr 20, 200011.21+0.21Minor1,250
40Oct 2, 200611.07+0.07Minor1,310
41Apr 30, 201710.99−0.01Action1,500
42Apr 22, 197310.96−0.04Action729
43Feb 21, 201810.86−0.14Action1,350
44Jun 1, 198010.84−0.16Action703
45Sep 14, 196110.77−0.23Action688
46Sep 20, 200110.69−0.31Action1,110
47May 2, 200310.61−0.39Action1,170
48Sep 7, 199810.47−0.53Action1,050
49Apr 6, 196410.42−0.58Action614
50Apr 30, 196310.39−0.61Action608

The worst floods along the Salt Creek (IL)

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Salt Creek (IL) that crested above flood stage within a week.

August 27, 1972: 15.83 ft here, major flooding

April 18, 2013: 13.90 ft here, moderate flooding

March 4, 1979: 13.88 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Salt Creek (IL)

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

Flood gauges on the Salt Creek (IL)
Rolling MeadowsIL8.514.03 ft, Aug 14, 19870
Elk Grove VillageIL17.020.80 ft, May 18, 20200
Wood DaleIL12.516.58 ft, Sep 14, 20082
Elmhurst this gaugeIL11.015.83 ft, Aug 27, 19721
Oak BrookIL54.057.40 ft, Apr 18, 20130
Western SpringsIL7.510.65 ft, Apr 18, 20130

Other gauges in DuPage County

Flood gauges in DuPage County
Lisle13.017.50 ft, Apr 18, 20131
Downers Grove14.517.79 ft, Apr 18, 20133
West Chicago6.59.37 ft, Sep 14, 20080
Oak Brook54.057.40 ft, Apr 18, 20130
Wood Dale12.516.58 ft, Sep 14, 20082
Lemont14.017.53 ft, Jul 18, 19960
Lisle11.015.20 ft, Jul 1, 19573
Naperville (Fawell Dam)686.5692.10 ft, Sep 14, 20081
Naperville (Webster St)667.0672.00 ft, Apr 19, 20130
Warrenville12.517.08 ft, Apr 18, 20130
West Chicago7.012.28 ft, Sep 13, 20084

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge EMHI2, 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.