Thorn Creek at Thornton

1. 22.00 ftChicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad tracks may be threatened near Glenwood.
2. 21.00 ftI-94 may be threatened near 170th Street in South Holland.
3. 20.00 ftStructures may be threatened along Clyde Avenue, 173rd Street, and 173rd Place in South Holland.
4. 19.00 ftI-294/I-80 may be threatened west of the creek near the Lincoln Oasis. Residential structures may be threatened along Everett Avenue, Cregier Avenue, and Vollbrecht Road in South Holland. Clyde Avenue, 173rd Street, and 173rd Place may be threatened in South Holland.
5. 18.50 ftIndustrial structures may be threatened along Bernice Road in South Holland.
6. 18.00 ftMargaret Street threatened in Thornton.
7. 17.50 ftResidential structures may be threatened along Kimbark Avenue, University Avenue, and 173rd Street in South Holland.
8. 17.00 ftKimbark Avenue, University Avenue, 173rd Street, Everett Avenue, Cregier Avenue, and Vollbrecht Road may be threatened in South Holland. Thorn Creek Diversion Tunnel reaches capacity.
9. 16.00 ftResidential structures threatened along Margaret Street in Thornton.
10. 15.50 ftStructures threatened at Glenwood Academy. Residences threatened along Park Drive in Glenwood. 170th Street may be threatened in South Holland.
11. 15.00 ftIndustrial structures threatened south of Margaret Street in Thornton.
12. 14.50 ftPark Drive threatened in Glenwood. Industrial parking lots threatened south of Margaret Street in Thornton.
13. 13.50 ftChicago Heights Glenwood Road threatened in Glenwood. Residential parking lots threatened along Margaret Street in Thornton.
14. 13.00 ftParking lots threatened at Glenwood Academy.
15. 12.00 ftStructures threatened along Glenwood Thornton Road north of Glenwood.
16. 11.50 ftGlenwood Thornton Road threatened north of Glenwood.
17. 11.00 ft187th Street threatened in Glenwood.
18. 9.00 ftWater begins to be diverted through Thorn Creek Diversion Tunnel.
19. 8.00 ftAthletic fields are inundated at Glenwood Academy.
20. 7.00 ftWater overflows low-lying banks in Glenwood, Thornton, and South Holland.

Chance of flooding, September to November

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

Most recent crests

• May 9, 2021: 9.95 ft
• May 18, 2020: 12.07 ft
• April 30, 2020: 11.41 ft
• January 11, 2020: 11.13 ft
• October 27, 2019: 10.08 ft
• September 28, 2019: 14.22 ft
• June 27, 2019: 12.07 ft
• May 1, 2019: 13.10 ft
• June 22, 2018: 10.45 ft
• February 21, 2018: 14.96 ft

• UpstreamThorn Creek at Glenwood
• DownstreamLittle Calumet River at South Holland
• Butterfield Creek at Flossmoor
• Deer Creek at Chicago Heights
• Calumet Union Drainage Canal at Markham
• Little Calumet River at Munster
• Lansing Ditch at Lansing
• Little Calumet River at Munster (Northcote Avenue)

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 and future precipitation. The stages/flows that will occur may be different if future rainfall is different than forecast.

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.