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Sugar Creek (E-IL) at Milford

Highest listed crest 28.66 ftFlood stage 18.0 ft76 crests since 1949

The Sugar Creek (E-IL) at Milford crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 76 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1949 to 2021. The highest, 28.66 ft on January 8, 2008, was major flooding, 10.66 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
28.66 ft
January 8, 2008; 19,700 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
18.0 ft
Major flooding from 26.0 ft
Crests at major
4
65th of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
May 18, 2020
20.64 ft, minor flooding
Location
Iroquois County
Illinois

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Sugar Creek (E-IL) at Milford
Action stage15.021Mar 28, 2021The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)18.033May 18, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage22.014Nov 19, 2017Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage26.04Feb 21, 2018Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

76 crests from 1949 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Sugar Creek (E-IL) at Milford, 1949 to 2021 1015202530ft Flood stage 18.0 ftMajor 26.0 ft Dec 22, 1949: 19.28 ft, minor flooding; 14,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1951: 20.90 ft, minor flooding; 22,900 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1952: 19.23 ft, minor flooding; 14,400 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 1953: 20.95 ft, minor floodingApr 12, 1954: 13.60 ft, below flood stage; 1,890 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1956: 16.70 ft, action stage; 4,180 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 1957: 23.22 ft, moderate flooding; 16,700 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1958: 20.70 ft, minor flooding; 9,450 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 1959: 23.74 ft, moderate floodingJun 24, 1960: 17.30 ft, action stageApr 23, 1961: 15.50 ft, action stageMar 22, 1962: 19.15 ft, minor floodingMar 5, 1963: 19.60 ft, minor floodingApr 21, 1964: 17.95 ft, action stageJan 24, 1965: 14.09 ft, below flood stageDec 9, 1966: 16.10 ft, action stageFeb 2, 1968: 21.00 ft, minor flooding; 10,600 cubic feet per secondJan 30, 1969: 18.30 ft, minor floodingMay 14, 1970: 19.10 ft, minor floodingFeb 5, 1971: 16.94 ft, action stageApr 22, 1972: 14.56 ft, below flood stageApr 23, 1973: 18.85 ft, minor floodingJan 11, 1975: 19.01 ft, minor floodingFeb 17, 1976: 16.32 ft, action stageSep 14, 1977: 18.34 ft, minor floodingMar 21, 1978: 16.31 ft, action stageMar 5, 1979: 23.33 ft, moderate flooding; 12,000 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1980: 22.66 ft, moderate floodingSep 1, 1981: 20.74 ft, minor floodingMar 13, 1982: 17.88 ft, action stageMay 2, 1983: 20.45 ft, minor flooding; 12,300 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1984: 21.15 ft, minor flooding; 14,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1985: 22.97 ft, moderate flooding; 10,900 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 1987: 16.00 ft, action stage; 2,650 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1989: 15.05 ft, action stage; 2,200 cubic feet per secondJul 27, 1992: 14.72 ft, below flood stage; 1,980 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 1993: 22.07 ft, moderate flooding; 8,450 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1994: 28.16 ft, major flooding; 19,400 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1996: 25.85 ft, moderate flooding; 14,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 1997: 20.16 ft, minor flooding; 5,750 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1998: 21.30 ft, minor flooding; 9,240 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1999: 18.91 ft, minor flooding; 6,080 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 2000: 16.41 ft, action stage; 3,650 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2002: 20.36 ft, minor flooding; 7,500 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 2003: 19.93 ft, minor flooding; 6,670 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2004: 24.28 ft, moderate flooding; 10,400 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 2005: 22.66 ft, moderate flooding; 11,300 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2006: 18.85 ft, minor flooding; 6,010 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 2008: 28.66 ft, major flooding; 19,700 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2009: 23.63 ft, moderate flooding; 9,290 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2010: 22.92 ft, moderate flooding; 8,470 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2011: 19.71 ft, minor flooding; 5,480 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2012: 17.16 ft, action stage; 2,870 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2013: 22.46 ft, moderate flooding; 8,920 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2015: 20.46 ft, minor flooding; 6,540 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 2015: 23.14 ft, moderate flooding; 9,850 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 2015: 26.32 ft, major flooding; 15,100 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 2016: 18.04 ft, minor flooding; 4,280 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 2017: 17.94 ft, action stage; 4,200 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 2017: 18.71 ft, minor flooding; 4,840 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2017: 19.77 ft, minor flooding; 5,830 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 2017: 18.93 ft, minor flooding; 5,040 cubic feet per secondNov 19, 2017: 22.04 ft, moderate flooding; 8,380 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 2018: 28.49 ft, major flooding; 19,500 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2018: 16.85 ft, action stage; 3,440 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2018: 17.25 ft, action stage; 3,680 cubic feet per secondJan 2, 2019: 18.74 ft, minor flooding; 4,870 cubic feet per secondFeb 5, 2019: 17.22 ft, action stage; 3,660 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2019: 18.84 ft, minor flooding; 4,960 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2019: 18.95 ft, minor flooding; 5,450 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 2020: 19.08 ft, minor flooding; 5,170 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2020: 16.76 ft, action stage; 3,160 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2020: 20.64 ft, minor flooding; 7,510 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 2020: 16.36 ft, action stage; 3,450 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 2021: 16.25 ft, action stage; 3,180 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 2021: 15.88 ft, action stage; 3,030 cubic feet per second Highest, 28.66 ft, Jan 8, 2008 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Sugar Creek (E-IL) at Milford 1940s: 1 1950s: 6 1960s: 4 1970s: 5 1980s: 5 1990s: 6 2000s: 7 2010s: 15 15 2020s: 2 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 76 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Sugar Creek (E-IL) at Milford
1Jan 8, 200828.66+10.66Major19,700
2Feb 21, 201828.49+10.49Major19,500
3Apr 12, 199428.16+10.16Major19,400
4Dec 29, 201526.32+8.32Major15,100
5Jun 18, 199625.85+7.85Moderate14,300
6Jun 12, 200424.28+6.28Moderate10,400
7Feb 10, 195923.74+5.74Moderate—
8Mar 11, 200923.63+5.63Moderate9,290
9Mar 5, 197923.33+5.33Moderate12,000
10Jul 13, 195723.22+5.22Moderate16,700
11Jul 12, 201523.14+5.14Moderate9,850
12Feb 24, 198522.97+4.97Moderate10,900
13Jun 23, 201022.92+4.92Moderate8,470
14Jun 3, 198022.66+4.66Moderate—
15Jan 14, 200522.66+4.66Moderate11,300
16Apr 19, 201322.46+4.46Moderate8,920
17Jan 5, 199322.07+4.07Moderate8,450
18Nov 19, 201722.04+4.04Moderate8,380
19May 8, 199821.30+3.30Minor9,240
20May 26, 198421.15+3.15Minor14,600
21Feb 2, 196821.00+3.00Minor10,600
22Jul 6, 195320.95+2.95Minor—
23Feb 21, 195120.90+2.90Minor22,900
24Sep 1, 198120.74+2.74Minor—
25Jun 13, 195820.70+2.70Minor9,450
26May 18, 202020.64+2.64Minor7,510
27Jun 9, 201520.46+2.46Minor6,540
28May 2, 198320.45+2.45Minor12,300
29May 13, 200220.36+2.36Minor7,500
30Feb 27, 199720.16+2.16Minor5,750
31Jul 11, 200319.93+1.93Minor6,670
32May 2, 201719.77+1.77Minor5,830
33Apr 28, 201119.71+1.71Minor5,480
34Mar 5, 196319.60+1.60Minor—
35Dec 22, 194919.28+1.28Minor14,900
36Jun 14, 195219.23+1.23Minor14,400
37Mar 22, 196219.15+1.15Minor—
38May 14, 197019.10+1.10Minor—
39Jan 12, 202019.08+1.08Minor5,170
40Jan 11, 197519.01+1.01Minor—
41May 2, 201918.95+0.95Minor5,450
42Jun 15, 201718.93+0.93Minor5,040
43Apr 17, 199918.91+0.91Minor6,080
44Apr 23, 197318.85+0.85Minor—
45Apr 19, 200618.85+0.85Minor6,010
46Mar 31, 201918.84+0.84Minor4,960
47Jan 2, 201918.74+0.74Minor4,870
48Apr 7, 201718.71+0.71Minor4,840
49Sep 14, 197718.34+0.34Minor—
50Jan 30, 196918.30+0.30Minor—

Other gauges in Iroquois County

Flood gauges in Iroquois County
Iroquois18.026.31 ft, Jun 13, 19586

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MILI2, 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.