Rivers in Illinois
Embarras River (IL) at Ste Marie
Below flood stage
1.21ftStage
Observed Tue, Sep 22, 1:45 AM CDT
- Flood stage
- 19.00 ft
- Record crest
- 28.06 ft2008
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 27.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 20.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 19.00 ft |
| Action | 17.00 ft |
- 27.00 ftWater begins to overtop Captain Pond and Ste. Marie Levees.
- 21.00 ftWater overtops a few private levees in the Ste. Marie area.
- 19.00 ftCounty Highway 9 floods between Ste. Marie and Willow Hill.
- 16.00 ftFlooding begins to a secondary road on the east bank near the bridge north of town.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 10% |
| Moderate flooding | 9% |
| Major flooding | Under 5% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 15, 2026.
Crest history
152 crests on NOAA’s list since 1910.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | June 7, 2008 | 28.06 ft |
| 2 | December 30, 2015 | 26.83 ft |
| 3 | June 30, 1957 | 26.54 ft |
| 4 | May 13, 2002 | 26.36 ft |
| 5 | May 9, 1961 | 26.08 ft |
| 6 | December 23, 1967 | 26.00 ft |
| 7 | January 4, 1950 | 25.95 ft |
| 8 | May 6, 2017 | 25.56 ft |
| 9 | May 30, 1927 | 25.34 ft |
| 10 | May 9, 1996 | 25.17 ft |
| 11 | April 1, 1938 | 25.12 ft |
| 12 | January 6, 2005 | 24.88 ft |
| 13 | May 20, 1943 | 24.40 ft |
| 14 | February 25, 1985 | 24.38 ft |
| 15 | May 1, 2017 | 24.28 ft |
| 16 | April 7, 2025 | 23.89 ft |
| 17 | April 23, 1984 | 23.78 ft |
| 18 | May 19, 1995 | 23.63 ft |
| 19 | January 13, 2020 | 23.62 ft |
| 20 | December 31, 1990 | 23.53 ft |
| 21 | January 23, 1999 | 23.39 ft |
| 22 | May 18, 1990 | 23.38 ft |
| 23 | April 29, 2011 | 23.33 ft |
| 24 | January 14, 1930 | 23.31 ft |
| 25 | April 30, 1996 | 23.21 ft |
Most recent crests
- June 24, 2026: 18.03 ft
- May 19, 2026: 16.48 ft
- April 30, 2026: 16.98 ft
- March 6, 2026: 16.61 ft
- April 7, 2025: 23.89 ft
- March 26, 2023: 20.83 ft
- March 5, 2023: 17.62 ft
- August 3, 2022: 15.72 ft
- May 20, 2022: 15.67 ft
- April 2, 2022: 17.88 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
What this means
Forecasts by the Ohio 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 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.