Poplar Creek at Elgin, IL
River level and flood forecast · Cook County
Normal1.2 ftas of Mon 3 PM
The river is 4.3 ft below flood stage (5.5 ft).
Flow: 9 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Sun, Dec 31, 6 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 8 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 6.5 ft |
| Flood stage | 5.5 ft |
| Action stage | 5 ft |
| Record crest (September 13, 2008) | 7.69 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 14 ftUS-20 (Elgin Bypass) may threatened near the creek.
- 13.5 ftBluff City Boulevard may be threatened.
- 11.5 ftWater begins to bypass the main channel toward IL-25 and Dixon Avenue.
- 11 ftStructures threatened at Elgin High School. Villa Street is threatened near the creek.
- 10.5 ftIL-25 (St Charles Street) may be threatened near the creek.
- 10 ftWidespread inundation of structures and roadways in the floodplain reaches up to two blocks from the creek near IL-25 (St Charles Street) and Unity Park. Water begins to bypass the main channel toward structures along Dixon Avenue near Cookane Avenue. Numerous industrial structures threatened near IL-25 (St Charles Street).
- 9 ftWidespread inundation of structures and roadways in the floodplain reaches several blocks from the creek north of Villa Street near Prairie Park.
- 8 ftNumerous residences are threatened along Ramona Avenue near Villa Street. Varsity Drive is threatened.
- 7 ftCampus Drive is threatened near Elgin High School.
- 6.5 ftA few residences are threatened near Unity Park. Raymond Street is threatened.
- 6 ftHammond Avenue is threatened near Illinois Avenue. Low-lying sections of Unity Park inundated.
- 5.5 ftRamona Avenue is threatened near Villa Street.
- 4 ftWater overtops low-lying banks in Campus Park.
Highest crests on record
- 7.69 ft — September 13, 2008
- 7.42 ft — April 18, 2013
- 6.78 ft — February 21, 1997
- 6.61 ft — May 15, 2020
- 6.55 ft — December 28, 2008
Recent crests: 6.37 ft (May 18, 2020) · 6.61 ft (May 15, 2020) · 5.56 ft (April 30, 2020) · 5.37 ft (May 31, 2018) · 5.03 ft (February 21, 2018)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (EPCI2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.