West Fork North Branch Chicago River at Northbrook, IL
River level and flood forecast · Cook County
Normal1.0 ftas of Mon 3 PM
The river is 6.0 ft below flood stage (7 ft).
Flow: 6 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 | 8.5 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 8 ft |
| Flood stage | 7 ft |
| Action stage | 6 ft |
| Record crest (August 14, 1987) | 10.1 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 14 ftDundee Road (IL-68) threatened in Northbrook.
- 12.5 ftSherman Road threatened in Northbrook.
- 12 ftIndustrial structures threatened along North Side Drive in Northbrook.
- 11.5 ftNorthbrook Village Hall threatened.
- 10.5 ftA few commercial structures threatened in downtown Northbrook. Numerous commercial structures threatened in downtown Glenview. Commercial parking lots threatened along Ravine Way in Glenview.
- 10 ftA few industrial and commercial structures threatened along Old Willow Road in Glenview.
- 9.5 ftNorthbrook Historical Society threatened. Commercial structures threatened along Glenview Road in Glenview. Fair Lane and Meadow Road threatened in Northbrook. Waukegan Road (IL-43), Ravine Way, Glenview Road, and Golf Road threatened in Glenview. Water overflows into Valley Lo Lake in Glenview.
- 9 ftNorthbrook Public Library threatened. Residential structures threatened along Fair Lane, Cedar Lane, Spruce Street, Elm Avenue, Maple Avenue, and Oak Avenue in Northbrook. Residential structures threatened at Sunset Village and along Raleigh Road in Glenview. Commercial parking lots and structures threatened in downtown Glenview. Lake Avenue, Pine Street, and River Road, and numerous additional roadways threatened in Glenview. Low-lying portions of Anetsburger Golf Course threatened.
- 8.5 ftIndustrial structures threatened along Techy Road in Northbrook. Commercial structures threatened along Chestnut Avenue in Glenview. Residential structures threatened along Blackthorn Drive, Sequoia Trail, and Silverwillow Drive in Glenview. Commercial parking lots threatened in downtown Northbrook. Cedar Lane and Chestnut Avenue threatened in Northbrook. Techy Road, Willow Road, and Walters Avenue threatened in Northbrook.
- 8 ftCherry Lane, Spruce Street, Elm Avenue, Maple Avenue, and Oak Avenue threatened in Northbrook. Tanglewood Drive, Blackthorn Drive, Sequoia Trail, Silverwillow Drive, and Raleigh Road threatened in Glenview. Roadways threatened at Sunset Village in Glenview. Athletic fields inundated at Village Green Park in Northbrook.
- 7 ftLow-lying portions of Techny Prairie Park threatened in Northbrook.
- 6 ftWater begins to be diverted into stormwater detention reservoirs in Northbrook and Glenview. Low-lying portions of Sleepy Hollow Park inundated in Glenview.
- 4.5 ftWater overflows low-lying banks in Northbrook and Glenview. Low-lying portions of golf courses along Golf Road inundated.
Highest crests on record
- 10.1 ft — August 14, 1987
- 9.66 ft — July 22, 1982
- 9.65 ft — July 13, 1957
- 8.86 ft — June 10, 1967
- 8.77 ft — October 13, 2001
Recent crests: 7.74 ft (May 23, 2020) · 6.99 ft (May 17, 2020) · 7.26 ft (September 13, 2019) · 7.72 ft (July 21, 2019) · 7.11 ft (September 3, 2018)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- UpstreamWest Fork North Branch Chicago River at Deerfield, IL
- DownstreamNorth Branch Chicago River at Niles, IL
- North Branch Chicago River at Deerfield, IL
- Skokie River at Highland Park, IL
- Des Plaines River near Des Plaines, IL
- McDonald Creek near Mount Prospect, IL
- Des Plaines River at Lincolnshire, IL
- Buffalo Creek (IL) at Wheeling, IL
- Skokie River at Lake Forest, IL
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (NBRI2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.