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Big Elk Creek at Elk Mills

Highest listed crest 19.00 ftFlood stage 9.0 ft37 crests since 1884

The Big Elk Creek at Elk Mills crested at major flood stage 8 times among the 37 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1884 to 2024. The highest, 19.00 ft on June 1, 1884, was major flooding, 10.00 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
19.00 ft
June 1, 1884; 18,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
9.0 ft
Major flooding from 12.0 ft
Crests at major
8
9th of 108 gauges in Maryland
Most recent flood crest
January 10, 2024
9.95 ft, minor flooding
Location
Cecil County
Near Newark (3.7 mi), Elkton (4.3 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Big Elk Creek at Elk Mills
Action stage8.08Feb 25, 2016The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)9.011Jan 10, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.010Jul 23, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage12.08Sep 2, 2021Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

37 crests from 1884 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Big Elk Creek at Elk Mills, 1884 to 2024 8101214161820ft Flood stage 9.0 ftMajor 12.0 ft Jun 1, 1884: 19.00 ft, major flooding; 18,000 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1932: 8.00 ft, action stage; 3,020 cubic feet per secondAug 23, 1933: 12.40 ft, major flooding; 7,530 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 1935: 9.80 ft, minor flooding; 4,720 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 1937: 14.50 ft, major flooding; 10,600 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1941: 10.35 ft, moderate flooding; 5,680 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 1942: 8.36 ft, action stage; 3,380 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 1945: 10.48 ft, moderate flooding; 6,030 cubic feet per secondJul 23, 1946: 11.14 ft, moderate flooding; 7,080 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 1947: 9.64 ft, minor flooding; 5,220 cubic feet per secondAug 14, 1955: 10.13 ft, moderate flooding; 5,860 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 1960: 10.40 ft, moderate flooding; 6,180 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1966: 8.19 ft, action stage; 3,690 cubic feet per secondAug 10, 1967: 10.35 ft, moderate flooding; 6,120 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1971: 8.53 ft, action stage; 4,030 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1972: 13.46 ft, major flooding; 8,720 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 1975: 9.64 ft, minor flooding; 4,540 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1978: 10.21 ft, moderate flooding; 5,120 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1979: 9.36 ft, minor flooding; 4,250 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 1985: 8.93 ft, action stage; 5,410 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 1989: 8.64 ft, action stage; 5,030 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1994: 9.25 ft, minor flooding; 5,220 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1996: 11.29 ft, moderate flooding; 7,030 cubic feet per secondOct 19, 1996: 9.12 ft, minor flooding; 5,110 cubic feet per secondSep 16, 1999: 14.54 ft, major flooding; 9,780 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2000: 8.30 ft, action stage; 4,370 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 2004: 9.30 ft, minor flooding; 5,270 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2011: 10.30 ft, moderate flooding; 6,170 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2013: 9.28 ft, minor flooding; 5,250 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2014: 12.65 ft, major flooding; 5,217 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2016: 8.62 ft, action stage; 2,510 cubic feet per secondJul 23, 2018: 11.51 ft, moderate flooding; 6,020 cubic feet per secondNov 25, 2018: 9.04 ft, minor flooding; 2,260 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 2020: 12.90 ft, major flooding; 5,436 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2021: 15.06 ft, major flooding; 13,600 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2023: 9.51 ft, minor flooding; 2,587 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 9.95 ft, minor flooding; 2,886 cubic feet per second Highest, 19.00 ft, Jun 1, 1884 1900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Big Elk Creek at Elk Mills 1880s: 1 1890s: 0 1900s: 0 1910s: 0 1920s: 0 1930s: 3 1940s: 4 1950s: 1 1960s: 2 1970s: 4 1980s: 0 1990s: 4 2000s: 1 2010s: 5 5 2020s: 4 1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
  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, Big Elk Creek at Elk Mills
1Jun 1, 188419.00+10.00Major18,000
2Sep 2, 202115.06+6.06Major13,600
3Sep 16, 199914.54+5.54Major9,780
4Jul 5, 193714.50+5.50Major10,600
5Jun 22, 197213.46+4.46Major8,720
6Aug 4, 202012.90+3.90Major5,436
7May 1, 201412.65+3.65Major5,217
8Aug 23, 193312.40+3.40Major7,530
9Jul 23, 201811.51+2.51Moderate6,020
10Jan 19, 199611.29+2.29Moderate7,030
11Jul 23, 194611.14+2.14Moderate7,080
12Sep 18, 194510.48+1.48Moderate6,030
13Sep 12, 196010.40+1.40Moderate6,180
14Jul 2, 194110.35+1.35Moderate5,680
15Aug 10, 196710.35+1.35Moderate6,120
16Aug 28, 201110.30+1.30Moderate6,170
17Jan 26, 197810.21+1.21Moderate5,120
18Aug 14, 195510.13+1.13Moderate5,860
19Jan 10, 20249.95+0.95Minor2,886
20Jul 9, 19359.80+0.80Minor4,720
21Jul 7, 19479.64+0.64Minor5,220
22Jan 14, 19759.64+0.64Minor4,540
23Dec 18, 20239.51+0.51Minor2,587
24Jan 24, 19799.36+0.36Minor4,250
25Sep 28, 20049.30+0.30Minor5,270
26Jun 28, 20139.28+0.28Minor5,250
27Jan 28, 19949.25+0.25Minor5,220
28Oct 19, 19969.12+0.12Minor5,110
29Nov 25, 20189.04+0.04Minor2,260
30Feb 12, 19858.93−0.07Action5,410
31Jul 5, 19898.64−0.36Action5,030
32Feb 25, 20168.62−0.38Action2,510
33Feb 13, 19718.53−0.47Action4,030
34Aug 13, 19428.36−0.64Action3,380
35Mar 22, 20008.30−0.70Action4,370
36Feb 13, 19668.19−0.81Action3,690
37Jun 15, 19328.00−1.00Action3,020

Other gauges in Cecil County

Flood gauges in Cecil County
Chesapeake City (IN MLLW)5.58.67 ft, Sep 19, 20031

Cecil County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Maryland

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge EKMM2, 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.