Pecatonica River at Freeport
Observed Sun, Sep 20, 9:30 AM CDT
- Flood stage
- 13.00 ft
- Forecast crest
- 12.90 ftWed, Sep 23, 1:00 PM CDT
- Record crest
- 19.76 ft1929
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 16.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 14.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 13.00 ft |
| Action | 11.50 ft |
- 21.50 ftWater reaches the bottom of the Illinois Highway 26 bridge deck in Freeport.
- 20.00 ftWater reaches the bottom of the Stephenson Street bridge deck.
- 19.00 ftWater affects businesses west of the Stephenson Street bridge.
- 17.00 ftWater affects the parking lots of several businesses near the Stephenson Street bridge.
- 16.50 ftWater surrounds Taylor Park School and affects Illinois Highway 75 east of Freeport.
- 16.00 ftWater affects parking lots of businesses east of the Stephenson Street bridge and most streets north and south of Illinois Highway 75 are closed. Illinois Highway 75 is also closed.
- 15.50 ftNumerous streets are closed north and south of Illinois Highway 75 and water enters the first floor level of a few homes. Water also begins to enter Taylor Park. Businesses along Van Buren Street north of the Pecatonica River are directly affected by water.
- 15.00 ftSome street closures begin north and south of Illinois Highway 75 and water affects many back yards in Freeport east of the Pecatonica River. Water begins to reach Illinois Highway 75 at the southeast corner of Taylor Park.
- 14.00 ftMinor street flooding begins in Freeport and water affects a few back yards east of the Pecatonica River.
- 13.00 ftWater affects low lying sections of Freeport mainly east of the Pecatonica River.
- 11.00 ftSome agricultural flooding occurs north of Freeport.
Flood outlook
Significant river flooding is possible here through September 25.
Weather conditions indicate that significant flooding could occur; it is neither certain nor imminent.
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 6% |
| Moderate flooding | Under 5% |
| Major flooding | Under 5% |
The five-day outlook is from the Weather Prediction Center with the River Forecast Centers. The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued August 28, 2026.
Crest history
115 crests on NOAA’s list since 1914.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 16, 1929 | 19.76 ft |
| 2 | March 28, 1916 | 19.40 ft |
| 3 | February 25, 1922 | 18.82 ft |
| 4 | September 16, 1914 | 18.45 ft |
| 5 | April 6, 1923 | 18.36 ft |
| 6 | March 16, 1919 | 17.60 ft |
| 7 | April 3, 1933 | 17.41 ft |
| 8 | March 17, 2019 | 17.27 ft |
| 9 | February 27, 1915 | 17.27 ft |
| 10 | July 3, 1969 | 17.16 ft |
| 11 | March 25, 1975 | 17.13 ft |
| 12 | March 8, 1937 | 16.98 ft |
| 13 | April 5, 1959 | 16.90 ft |
| 14 | March 16, 1928 | 16.77 ft |
| 15 | February 9, 1927 | 16.74 ft |
| 16 | July 11, 1993 | 16.61 ft |
| 17 | March 1, 1948 | 16.41 ft |
| 18 | February 22, 1997 | 16.40 ft |
| 19 | February 15, 1918 | 16.38 ft |
| 20 | April 2, 1960 | 16.35 ft |
| 21 | February 9, 1938 | 16.33 ft |
| 22 | February 20, 1971 | 16.33 ft |
| 23 | February 24, 1930 | 16.28 ft |
| 24 | March 29, 1932 | 16.28 ft |
| 25 | July 4, 1990 | 16.24 ft |
Most recent crests
- March 6, 2023: 13.12 ft
- October 9, 2019: 15.61 ft
- March 17, 2019: 17.27 ft
- February 25, 2018: 16.14 ft
- July 26, 2017: 15.39 ft
- July 24, 2017: 15.84 ft
- December 16, 2015: 12.18 ft
- November 29, 2015: 11.99 ft
- June 16, 2015: 12.63 ft
- March 21, 2014: 12.70 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 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.