Rivers in Illinois

Kaskaskia River at Vandalia

Fayette County, IllinoisNWS VNDI2USGS 05592500St. Charles office

Below flood stage
3.31ftStage

Observed Wed, Sep 23, 4:00 AM CDT

Flood stage
18.00 ft
Record crest
28.27 ft2002

Open the live map with the river flood outlook

Flood stages and impacts

CategoryStage
Major flood26.00 ft
Moderate flood24.00 ft
Minor flood18.00 ft
Action16.00 ft
  1. 33.29 ftFlood waters reach the instrument shelf of the manometer gage house.
  2. 31.00 ftFloodwaters will threaten the wastewater treatment facility near this height.
  3. 30.50 ftFlood waters reach the floor of the gage house.
  4. 27.90 ftU.S. Highway 51 south of Vandalia begins to flood near this height.
  5. 27.50 ftNear this level, the left bank levee just south of the U.S. Highway 51 bridge is overtopped.
  6. 27.20 ftAt this height, Thrill Hill Road (County Road 1800) is flooded from U.S. 51 for about 3000 ft westward.
  7. 27.10 ftAt this height about 75% of County Road 2000 between US 51 and the bridge over the Kaskaskia River is flooded.
  8. 26.00 ftThe Dively and Vandalia Levees begin to be overtopped.
  9. 25.80 ftAlong South 4th Street, numerous homes begin flooding near the St. Clair Street intersection.
  10. 25.50 ftSouth 4th Street begins flooding near and south of Jefferson Street in Vandalia.
  11. 23.00 ftAgricultural levee begins to be slightly overtopped. No residences are affected at this level.
  12. 19.20 ftState Highway J just east of County Road 206 begins to flood near this height.
  13. 18.00 ftFlood Stage. Minor flooding begins. Unprotected farmland begins to flood.

Flood outlook

Chance of flooding, September to November

CategoryChance
Minor flooding25%
Moderate flooding7%
Major floodingUnder 5%

The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued August 28, 2026.

Crest history

147 crests on NOAA’s list since 1908.

#DateStage
1May 8, 200228.27 ft
2April 19, 201327.88 ft
3January 12, 202027.84 ft
4December 28, 201527.83 ft
5January 6, 200527.70 ft
6May 1, 201727.65 ft
7April 28, 201127.45 ft
8April 30, 199627.41 ft
9May 18, 199527.40 ft
10June 29, 195127.39 ft
11April 6, 202527.22 ft
12January 4, 195027.10 ft
13February 24, 198526.95 ft
14December 12, 198526.71 ft
15April 13, 199426.57 ft
16May 18, 199026.45 ft
17February 8, 199926.41 ft
18March 4, 197926.39 ft
19April 1, 202226.21 ft
20March 20, 200826.17 ft
21April 24, 194426.05 ft
22April 23, 198425.98 ft
23December 26, 200925.91 ft
24December 23, 196725.90 ft
25February 13, 200925.88 ft

Most recent crests

  • April 6, 2025: 27.22 ft
  • April 3, 2024: 18.24 ft
  • January 25, 2024: 18.15 ft
  • May 16, 2023: 18.26 ft
  • March 26, 2023: 23.93 ft
  • March 6, 2023: 18.99 ft
  • August 7, 2022: 20.70 ft
  • April 1, 2022: 26.21 ft
  • March 9, 2022: 22.87 ft
  • February 19, 2022: 23.70 ft

Nearby

Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.

What this means

Forecasts by the North Central River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued as needed during times of high water, but are not routinely available. River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 24 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time. River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 48 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time.

Sources

Stage, flood stages, impacts and crest history from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service. Streamflow and the daily record from the U.S. Geological Survey.