Sugar Creek (central) at New Palestine, IN
River level and flood forecast · Hancock County
Normal2.6 ftas of Mon 4:30 PM
The river is 5.4 ft below flood stage (8 ft).
Flow: 11 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Sun, Dec 31, 7 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 11 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 10 ft |
| Flood stage | 8 ft |
| Action stage | 6.5 ft |
| Record crest (December 22, 2013) | 11.58 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 11.5 ftExtensive flooding occurred along Sugar Creek during December 2013. Local road to the Waste Water Treatment Plant and a few other roads nearby closed by high water. Water 8 inches below the bridge deck on US Hwy 52 on the east side of New Palestine. Flooding of at least one home downstream in Johnson County. This was the highest level for this site since establishment in October 1967.
- 11 ftMajor flood in progress. Flooding of a few homes in the New Palestine area begins. Sugar Creek is extensively flooding. Some local river roads flooded by a few feet of water. Shelby CR 700N may be flooded east of the bridge over Sugar Creek especially if Buck Creek at Acton is 13 feet or higher. Several homes possibly damaged in western Shelby County.
- 9.5 ftExtensive lowland flooding in progress along Sugar Creek in New Palestine area. Local river roads closed by high water. Flooding of some residential property and backyards begins.
- 9 ftExtensive flooding along Sugar Creek in southern Hancock and western Shelby Counties. After reaching this level, and when the Big Blue River was near 16.5 feet, one day later several homes along the creek west of Shelbyville were evacuated.
- 8 ftLowland flooding in progress along Sugar Creek in New Palestine area. Some local roads may be affected by high water.
- 7.5 ftLowland flooding south in Johnson County along the creek.
- 6.5 ftLowest areas along Sugar Creek begin to flood in New Palestine area.
Highest crests on record
- 11.58 ft — December 22, 2013
- 10.8 ft — January 6, 2005
- 10.35 ft — April 5, 2025
- 10.34 ft — February 23, 1979
- 10.31 ft — December 30, 1990
Recent crests: 10.35 ft (April 5, 2025) · 8.09 ft (January 12, 2020) · 9.47 ft (June 16, 2019) · 8.08 ft (April 26, 2019) · 9.15 ft (February 8, 2019)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- DownstreamSugar Creek (central) near Boggstown, IN
- Buck Creek (IN) at Acton, IN
- Brandywine Creek in Indiana at Greenfield, IN
- Pleasant Run at Arlington Avenue in Indianapolis, IN
- Lick Creek (IN) near Beech Grove, IN
- Brandywine Creek near Fairland, IN
- Retention Pond in Marion County Indiana near Homecroft, IN
- Pogues Run above Dam near I-70 in Eastern Marion County, IN
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (NPLI3); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.