Tinley Creek near Palos Park

Highest listed crest 10.30 ftFlood stage 9.0 ft31 crests since 1953

The Tinley Creek near Palos Park crested above flood stage 13 times among the 31 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1953 to 2020. The highest, 10.30 ft on October 10, 1954, was minor flooding, 1.30 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
10.30 ft
October 10, 1954; 1,120 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
9.0 ft
Major flooding from 12.0 ft
Crests at major
0
13 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
May 17, 2020
9.68 ft, minor flooding
Location
Cook County
Near Crestwood (1.4 mi), Palos Heights (1.9 mi), Alsip (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, Tinley Creek near Palos Park
Action stage6.518Oct 27, 2019The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)9.013May 17, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.50—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage12.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

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

Listed crests at the Tinley Creek near Palos Park, 1953 to 2020 789101112ft Flood stage 9.0 ftMajor 12.0 ft Jun 10, 1953: 8.43 ft, action stage; 530 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 1954: 10.30 ft, minor flooding; 1,120 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 1957: 10.02 ft, minor flooding; 1,730 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1966: 8.93 ft, action stage; 769 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1970: 9.83 ft, minor flooding; 1,580 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1973: 8.38 ft, action stage; 775 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1978: 9.27 ft, minor flooding; 1,220 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1981: 9.79 ft, minor flooding; 1,560 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 1982: 9.39 ft, minor flooding; 1,310 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1989: 8.13 ft, action stage; 830 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1991: 9.45 ft, minor flooding; 1,340 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1993: 8.37 ft, action stage; 820 cubic feet per secondJul 18, 1996: 10.25 ft, minor flooding; 2,010 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1997: 8.96 ft, action stage; 1,080 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2002: 8.55 ft, action stage; 830 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 2006: 9.20 ft, minor flooding; 1,210 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 2007: 8.30 ft, action stage; 808 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 2008: 8.53 ft, action stage; 907 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 2008: 9.05 ft, minor flooding; 1,190 cubic feet per secondAug 3, 2010: 8.12 ft, action stage; 756 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2011: 9.53 ft, minor flooding; 1,500 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2013: 9.29 ft, minor flooding; 1,320 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 2014: 8.92 ft, action stage; 1,170 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2015: 7.26 ft, action stage; 756 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 2016: 7.08 ft, action stage; 713 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 2017: 7.81 ft, action stage; 881 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 2018: 8.33 ft, action stage; 1,000 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2019: 7.42 ft, action stage; 791 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 2019: 8.48 ft, action stage; 1,040 cubic feet per secondOct 27, 2019: 7.19 ft, action stage; 738 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2020: 9.68 ft, minor flooding; 1,580 cubic feet per second Highest, 10.30 ft, Oct 10, 1954 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Tinley Creek near Palos Park 1950s: 2 2 1960s: 0 1970s: 2 1980s: 2 1990s: 2 2000s: 2 2010s: 2 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

Highest listed crests, Tinley Creek near Palos Park
1Oct 10, 195410.30+1.30Minor1,120
2Jul 18, 199610.25+1.25Minor2,010
3Jul 13, 195710.02+1.02Minor1,730
4Apr 30, 19709.83+0.83Minor1,580
5Jun 13, 19819.79+0.79Minor1,560
6May 17, 20209.68+0.68Minor1,580
7Jun 9, 20119.53+0.53Minor1,500
8May 25, 19919.45+0.45Minor1,340
9Dec 3, 19829.39+0.39Minor1,310
10Apr 18, 20139.29+0.29Minor1,320
11May 13, 19789.27+0.27Minor1,220
12Sep 13, 20069.20+0.20Minor1,210
13Dec 27, 20089.05+0.05Minor1,190
14Feb 21, 19978.96−0.04Action1,080
15May 12, 19668.93−0.07Action769
16Jul 12, 20148.92−0.08Action1,170
17May 12, 20028.55−0.45Action830
18Sep 14, 20088.53−0.47Action907
19Sep 28, 20198.48−0.52Action1,040
20Jun 10, 19538.43−0.57Action530
21Apr 22, 19738.38−0.62Action775
22Jun 19, 19938.37−0.63Action820
23Feb 20, 20188.33−0.67Action1,000
24Apr 25, 20078.30−0.70Action808
25Jun 1, 19898.13−0.87Action830
26Aug 3, 20108.12−0.88Action756
27Mar 1, 20177.81−1.19Action881
28May 1, 20197.42−1.58Action791
29Jun 16, 20157.26−1.74Action756
30Oct 27, 20197.19−1.81Action738
31Feb 2, 20167.08−1.92Action713

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
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
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 PSPI2, 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.