Vermilion River at Pontiac, IL
River level and flood forecast · Livingston County
Normal2.9 ftas of Mon 2:45 PM
The river is 11.1 ft below flood stage (14 ft).
Flow: 45 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 | 18 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 15 ft |
| Flood stage | 14 ft |
| Action stage | 13 ft |
| Record crest (January 9, 2008) | 19.18 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 22 ftPontiac water treatment plant is threatened. IL-116 is threatened at the river in Pontiac.
- 21 ftWidespread inundation of the floodplain south of downtown Pontiac floods reaches up to 5 blocks from the river.
- 20 ftLincoln Elementary School is threatened in Pontiac.
- 19 ftNumerous residences threatened along Water Street north of the river in Pontiac. Widespread inundation of the floodplain south of downtown Pontiac reaches up to 2 blocks from the river. Residences along Mockingbird Lane and Meadowlark Drive are threatened in Fairway View west of Pontiac. Utility structures are threatened in Pontiac. Livingston County 4-H Park is threatened northwest of Pontiac.
- 18.5 ftMockingbird Lane and Meadowlark Drive are threatened in Fairway View west of Pontiac.
- 18 ftIL-116 is threatened east of Pontiac. Inundation of Humiston-Riverside Park reaches Water Street north of the river in Pontiac.
- 17 ftNumerous residences threatened along Grove Street south of the river in Pontiac. Washington Elementary School is threatened in Pontiac.
- 16.5 ftLow-lying residences threatened along the river between Mill Street and Chataqua Park. Low-lying sections of Southside Cemetery are inundated in Pontiac.
- 15 ftLow-lying sections of Pontiac Golf Course are inundated.
- 14 ftWidespread areas of Chatauqua Park are inundated in Pontiac.
- 13 ftPark Street is threatened in Pontiac. Low-lying sections of Chautauqua Park are inundated in Pontiac.
- 12 ftLow-lying sections of Humiston-Riverside Park are inundated in Pontiac.
- 10 ftLow-lying sections of Play Park are inundated in Pontiac.
- 8 ftTrails along the river in Humiston-Riverside Park are threatened in Pontiac.
Highest crests on record
- 19.18 ft — January 9, 2008
- 19.16 ft — December 4, 1982
- 18.12 ft — June 3, 1980
- 17.9 ft — July 10, 1951
- 17.46 ft — May 14, 1970
Recent crests: 16.66 ft (May 19, 2020) · 13.92 ft (April 30, 2020) · 13.8 ft (January 12, 2020) · 17.16 ft (May 2, 2019) · 13.87 ft (June 22, 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 (PNTI2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.