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Oak Creek at South Milwaukee

Highest listed crest 11.56 ftFlood stage 8.0 ft42 crests since 1968

The Oak Creek at South Milwaukee crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 42 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1968 to 2026. The highest, 11.56 ft on June 7, 2008, was major flooding, 3.56 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
11.56 ft
June 7, 2008; 2,370 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
8.0 ft
Major flooding from 11.0 ft
Crests at major
2
46th of 143 gauges in Wisconsin
Most recent flood crest
April 16, 2026
8.78 ft, minor flooding
Location
Milwaukee County
Near South Milwaukee (0.9 mi), Cudahy (1.5 mi), Oak Creek (3.5 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Oak Creek at South Milwaukee
Action stage5.518Feb 20, 2018The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)8.020Apr 16, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.01Aug 10, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage11.02Jul 22, 2010Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

42 crests from 1968 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Oak Creek at South Milwaukee, 1968 to 2026 4681012ft Flood stage 8.0 ftMajor 11.0 ft Jun 26, 1968: 7.52 ft, action stage; 704 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1969: 7.58 ft, action stage; 704 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 1972: 8.23 ft, minor flooding; 916 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1974: 7.33 ft, action stage; 839 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1976: 7.90 ft, action stage; 935 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 1978: 8.19 ft, minor flooding; 1,020 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1983: 8.00 ft, minor flooding; 670 cubic feet per secondAug 6, 1986: 9.88 ft, minor flooding; 1,140 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1988: 7.62 ft, action stage; 568 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 1990: 8.70 ft, minor flooding; 817 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1991: 7.02 ft, action stage; 451 cubic feet per secondOct 24, 1992: 7.32 ft, action stage; 508 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1993: 8.89 ft, minor flooding; 887 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1994: 8.78 ft, minor floodingAug 30, 1995: 6.90 ft, action stage; 438 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1996: 7.53 ft, action stage; 573 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1997: 9.71 ft, minor flooding; 1,110 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1998: 7.39 ft, action stage; 542 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1999: 9.19 ft, minor flooding; 1,060 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 2000: 9.38 ft, minor flooding; 1,120 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 2001: 8.18 ft, minor flooding; 798 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2004: 7.90 ft, action stage; 732 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2004: 7.34 ft, action stageSep 25, 2005: 7.35 ft, action stage; 611 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2006: 8.07 ft, minor flooding; 772 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2007: 7.25 ft, action stage; 590 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2008: 11.56 ft, major flooding; 2,370 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2008: 7.33 ft, action stageJul 22, 2010: 11.25 ft, major flooding; 2,550 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2013: 8.25 ft, minor flooding; 967 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 2014: 6.88 ft, action stage; 645 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2015: 8.28 ft, minor flooding; 901 cubic feet per secondAug 30, 2016: 6.32 ft, action stage; 530 cubic feet per secondOct 26, 2016: 5.05 ft, below flood stage; 308 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 2018: 7.02 ft, action stageMay 18, 2020: 8.97 ft, minor flooding; 1,040 cubic feet per secondAug 2, 2020: 9.67 ft, minor flooding; 1,200 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 2022: 9.97 ft, minor flooding; 1,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 2023: 9.13 ft, minor flooding; 1,050 cubic feet per secondAug 10, 2025: 10.52 ft, moderate flooding; 1,935 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2026: 8.33 ft, minor flooding; 797 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2026: 8.78 ft, minor flooding; 943 cubic feet per second Highest, 11.56 ft, Jun 7, 2008 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Oak Creek at South Milwaukee 1960s: 0 1970s: 2 1980s: 2 1990s: 5 2000s: 4 2010s: 3 2020s: 7 7 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.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Oak Creek at South Milwaukee
1Jun 7, 200811.56+3.56Major2,370
2Jul 22, 201011.25+3.25Major2,550
3Aug 10, 202510.52+2.52Moderate1,935
4Sep 12, 20229.97+1.97Minor1,500
5Aug 6, 19869.88+1.88Minor1,140
6Jun 21, 19979.71+1.71Minor1,110
7Aug 2, 20209.67+1.67Minor1,200
8Jul 2, 20009.38+1.38Minor1,120
9Apr 23, 19999.19+1.19Minor1,060
10Feb 27, 20239.13+1.13Minor1,050
11May 18, 20208.97+0.97Minor1,040
12Apr 19, 19938.89+0.89Minor887
13Feb 20, 19948.78+0.78Minor—
14Apr 16, 20268.78+0.78Minor943
15Aug 18, 19908.70+0.70Minor817
16Apr 4, 20268.33+0.33Minor797
17Apr 9, 20158.28+0.28Minor901
18Apr 18, 20138.25+0.25Minor967
19Sep 18, 19728.23+0.23Minor916
20Sep 13, 19788.19+0.19Minor1,020
21Feb 9, 20018.18+0.18Minor798
22Mar 13, 20068.07+0.07Minor772
23Apr 2, 19838.000.00Minor670
24Mar 4, 19767.90−0.10Action935
25May 14, 20047.90−0.10Action732
26Jan 20, 19887.62−0.38Action568
27Jun 30, 19697.58−0.42Action704
28Jun 18, 19967.53−0.47Action573
29Jun 26, 19687.52−0.48Action704
30Apr 16, 19987.39−0.61Action542
31Sep 25, 20057.35−0.65Action611
32May 23, 20047.34−0.66Action—
33Mar 3, 19747.33−0.67Action839
34Dec 28, 20087.33−0.67Action—
35Oct 24, 19927.32−0.68Action508
36Apr 3, 20077.25−0.75Action590
37Mar 27, 19917.02−0.98Action451
38Feb 20, 20187.02−0.98Action—
39Aug 30, 19956.90−1.10Action438
40Jul 13, 20146.88−1.12Action645
41Aug 30, 20166.32−1.68Action530
42Oct 26, 20165.05−2.95Below flood stage308

Other gauges in Milwaukee County

Flood gauges in Milwaukee County
Milwaukee16.017.19 ft, Aug 10, 20250
Wauwatosa11.018.63 ft, Jun 21, 19972
Milwaukee-Estabrook Park7.011.20 ft, Aug 10, 20254
Franklin8.011.71 ft, Aug 10, 20250

Milwaukee County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Wisconsin

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge OAKW3, 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.