U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Professional Paper 1775

Flooding in the United States Midwest, 

2008
Front cover.

Left center: USGS personnel launching boat in Janesville, Iowa park. Boat was used to access the streamgage on the Cedar River

at Janesville, Iowa (USGS streamgage 05458500). Photograph by Scott Strader, USGS.

Upper right: USGS hydrographer analyzing stream velocity data collected in the road overflow caused by West Fork Cedar Creek

in Finchford, Iowa (USGS streamgage 05458900). Photograph by Don Becker, USGS.

Center right: USGS hydrographer retrieving streamflow measurement instrument temporarily lodged in overbank trees on Long

Branch Creek at Atlanta, Missouri (USGS streamgage 06906150). Photograph by C. Shane Barks, USGS.

Lower right: USGS hydrographers making a measurement of streamflow on the Gasconade River at Jerome, Missouri (USGS

streamgage 06933500). Photograph by Richard Huizinga, USGS.
Flooding in the United States Midwest, 

2008

Professional Paper 1775

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

By Robert R. Holmes, Jr., Todd A. Koenig, and Krista A. Karstensen
U.S. Department of the Interior

KEN SALAZAR, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

Marcia K. McNutt, Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2010

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reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report.

Suggested citation:

Holmes, R.R., Jr., Koenig, T.A., and Karstensen, K.A., 2010, Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1775, 64 p.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Holmes, Robert R., 1965-

Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008 / by Robert R. Holmes, Jr., Todd A. Koenig, and Krista A. Karstensen.

p. cm. -- (Professional paper ; 1775)

ISBN 978-1-4113-2841-9

1. Floods--Middle West. 2. Flood damage--Middle West. I. Koenig, Todd A. II. Karstensen, Krista A. III.

Geological Survey (U.S.) IV. Title. V. Series: U.S. Geological Survey professional paper ; no. 1775. 

GB1399.4.M6H65 2010

551.48’90978’090511--dc22

2010020227
iii

Contents

Glossary..........................................................................................................................................................vi

Abstract...........................................................................................................................................................1

Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1

The Role of the U.S. Geological Survey in Flood Response ...................................................................4

2008 Flooding: Causes, Chronology, and Magnitude ...............................................................................6

Antecedent Conditions for the 2008 Midwest Flooding..................................................................6

Chronology and Magnitude of Flooding: January through September 2008 ..............................9

2008 Flooding: Comparison with Historic Floods ....................................................................................24

2008 Flooding: Annual Exceedance Probability .....................................................................................24

Effects of the 2008 Flooding on Annual Exceedance Probability Estimates ......................................27

Trends in Flood Maxima..............................................................................................................................29

Summary........................................................................................................................................................32

References Cited..........................................................................................................................................32

Tables 1–7......................................................................................................................................................35

Figures

1. Map showing the United States Midwest and general areas of flooding 

streams, January to September, 2008 .......................................................................................2

2. Photograph showing U.S. Geological Survey hydrographer measuring 

streamflow on the Platte River near Sharps Station, Missouri (USGS 

streamgage 06821190), with an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) 

mounted to a tethered boat to collect velocity and depth readings that 

are sent by radio link to a laptop computer inside the field vehicle ....................................5

3. Graph showing changes in the rating curve for the Platte River near 

Kearney, Nebraska (USGS streamgage 06770200), as a result of on-site 

direct streamflow measurements made in May 2008.............................................................5

4–5. Maps showing:

4. Streamflow conditions at U.S. Geological Survey streamgages 

across the United States on November 30, 2007............................................................7

5. Observed precipitation across the United States for the previous 

24 hours at 7:00 a.m. Central Standard Time on January 8, 2008.................................8

6. Graphs showing cumulative precipitation totals from June 1, 2007, to 

July 31, 2008, in relation to historic average cumulative precipitation for 

selected sites in the Midwest.....................................................................................................9

7–14. Maps showing:

7. Cumulative precipitation totals for January 7–9, 2008, and locations 

of U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in Illinois, Indiana, and 

Michigan with peak streamflows that had an annual exceedance 

probability less than 10 percent......................................................................................10

USGS hydrographer 

inspecting the gage house 

on the Current River near 

Doniphan, Missouri (USGS 

streamgage 07068000). 

Photograph by Paul 

Rydlund, USGS.
iv

USGS hydrographer 

measuring streamflow on 

the Meramec River near 

Eureka, Missouri (USGS 

streamgage 07068000). 

Photograph by Paul 

Rydlund, USGS

	 8. Cumulative precipitation totals for February 3–7, 2008, and locations

of U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in Illinois and Indiana with

peak streamflows that had an annual exceedance probability less

than 10 percent ..................................................................................................................11

	 9. Streamflow conditions at U.S. Geological Survey streamgages on

February 28, 2008 (U.S. Geological Survey, 2007).........................................................12

	 10. Cumulative precipitation totals for March 16–20, 2008, and locations

of U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana,

Missouri, and Oklahoma with peak streamflows that had an annual

exceedance probability less than 10 percent...............................................................13

	 11. Cumulative precipitation totals for A, April 7–11, 2008, and locations

of U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in Arkansas, Missouri, and

Oklahoma with peak streamflows that had an annual exceedance

probability less than 10 percent; and B, cumulative precipitation

totals for April 21–25, 2008, and locations of U.S. Geological Survey

streamgages in Iowa with peak streamflows that had an annual

exceedance probability less than 10 percent...............................................................14

	 12. Cumulative precipitation totals for May 21 through June 14, 2008,

and locations of U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in several

Midwestern States with peak streamflows that had an annual

exceedance probability less than 10 percent...............................................................16

	 13. Annual exceedance probability for the rainfall total from May 23,

2008, to June 12, 2008 .......................................................................................................18

	 14. Streamflow for Wabash River at Riverton, Indiana and White River

at Petersburg, Indiana ......................................................................................................19

	15–16. Maps showing:

	 15. Cumulative precipitation totals for A, July 5–8, 2008, and locations of

U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in Iowa with peak streamflows

that had an annual exceedance probability less than 10 percent; and

B, cumulative precipitation totals for July 17–28, 2008,and locations

of U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in Iowa and Missouri with

peak streamflows that had an annual exceedance probability less

than 10 percent ..................................................................................................................20

	 16. Cumulative precipitation totals for A, September 1–5, 2008, the path of

the remnants of Hurricane Gustav, and locations of U.S. Geological

Survey streamgages in Arkansas with peak streamflow that had an

annual exceedance probability less than 10 percent; and B, cumulative

precipitation totals for September 11–15, 2008, the path of the remnants

of Hurricane Ike, and locations of U.S. Geological Survey streamgages

in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and Oklahoma

with peak streamflows that had an annual exceedance probability

less than 10 percent..........................................................................................................22

	 17. Map and graphs showing annual peak streamflows for the period of record

up to 2008 and the 1-percent annual exceedance probability at selected

U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in the Midwest..........................................................25

	18–20. Graphs showing:

	 18. Streamflow for selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages for the

2008 flood period and previous major floods, and the 10-percent

annual exceedance probability for each site ...............................................................26
v

Tables

	 1–7. Summary of peak stages, streamflows, and flood-probability estimates

for selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages during:

	 1. January 2008................................................................................................................................36

	 2. February 2008 ..............................................................................................................................38

	 3. March 2008 ..................................................................................................................................40

	 4. April 2008......................................................................................................................................44

	 5. May and June 2008.....................................................................................................................46

	 6. July 2008.......................................................................................................................................57

	 7. September 2008...........................................................................................................................59

Conversion Factors

Inch/Pound to SI

Multiply By To obtain

Length

foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m)

mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (km)

Area

square mile (mi2

) 259.0 hectare (ha)

square mile (mi2

) 2.590 square kilometer (km2) 

Volume

Flow rate

foot per second (ft/s) 0.3048 meter per second (m/s)

cubic foot per second (ft3

/s) 0.02832 cubic meter per second (m3/s)

	 19. Effects of annual peak streamflows on moving 50-percent, 2-percent,

and 1-percent unweighted annual exceedance probability flood

quantiles through time at selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages...............28

	 20. Increase in the 0.2-percent, 1-percent, and 50-percent unweighted

annual exceedence probability flood quantiles for unregulated

streams in the Midwest with more than 10 years of record when

2008 peak streamflow data were included in the flood-probability

analysis................................................................................................................................29

	21–22. Maps showing:

	 21. Percentage changes in the median annual peak streamflow values

for selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages on unregulated

streams with data from 1958 to 2007 ..............................................................................30

	 22. Percentage changes in the median annual peak streamflow values

for selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages on unregulated

streams with data from 1918 to 2007 ..............................................................................31
vi

Glossary

Note: Glossary definitions are taken from Langbein and Iseri (1960) whenever possible

Annual exceedance probability (AEP) The 

probability, or chance, of a flood of a given 

streamflow magnitude being equaled or 

exceeded in any given year. The probability 

can be expressed as a fraction, decimal, or 

percentage.

Annual exceedance probability flood 

quantile (AEP flood quantile) The value 

of the peak streamflow that corresponds to a 

particular annual exceedance probability (for 

example, 1-percent AEP flood quantile)

Bulletin 17B Report by the Interagency 

Advisory Committee on Water Data, 

published in 1982, that delineates the 

recommended method for flood-probability 

analysis in the United States.

Confidence Limits To gauge the accuracy 

of an approximation based on a probability 

distribution, upper and lower confidence 

limits can be estimated based on the prop-

erties of the probability distribution. This 

report includes the 95-percent confidence 

limits of the estimate of the flood quantiles 

as computed by the methods outlined in Bul-

letin 17B. 

Discharge In its simplest concept dis-

charge means outflow; therefore, the use 

of this term is not restricted as to course or 

location, and it can be applied to describe the 

flow of water from a pipe or from a drainage 

basin. 

Flood An overflow or inundation that 

comes from a river or other body of water, 

and causes or threatens damage. 

Flood Peak The highest value of the stage 

or streamflow attained by a flood; often 

designated as peak stage or peak streamflow 

respectively. 

Flood Quantile See “Annual Exceedance 

Probability Flood Quantile”

Flood Stage The stage at which overflow 

of the natural banks of a stream begins to 

cause damage in the reach in which the 

water surface elevation is measured. 

Hydrograph A graph showing stage, 

streamflow, velocity, or other property of 

water with respect to time. 

Log-Pearson Type III Probability Distribution 

(LPIII) One of the family of probability 

distributions developed by Karl Pearson 

that is used in the United States as a bestfit for the distribution of annual peak flood 

streamflows in the Bulletin 17B analysis 

procedures developed by the Interagency 

Advisory Committee on Water Data (1982).

Peak-of-Record Streamflow The larg-

est instantaneous streamflow value for the 

period that data have been collected. 

Peak Stage See “Flood Peak.”

Peak Streamflow See “Flood Peak.”

Precipitation As used in hydrology, 

precipitation is the discharge of water, in 

liquid or solid state, out of the atmosphere, 

generally upon a land or water surface. It is 

the common process by which atmospheric 

water becomes surface or subsurface water. 

The term “precipitation” is also commonly 

used to designate the quantity of water that 

is precipitated.

Probability A means to express the likeli-

hood of something occurring, also known as 

chance. The probability can be expressed as 

a fraction, decimal, or percentage. 

Probability Distribution Describes the 

range of possible values that a random vari-

able can attain and the probability that the 

value of the random variable is within any 

subset of that range.

Rating Curve A graph showing the relation 

between the stage (gage height), usually 

plotted as the ordinate, and amount of 

water flowing in the channel (streamflow) 

expressed as volume per unit time, plotted as 

abscissa.
vii

Recurrence Interval The average interval of time within which the given flood is 

expected to be equaled or exceeded once.

Regional Regression Equation Equation developed through use of regression 

techniques that relate the flood-probability 

data at many streamgages in a region to 

the basin characteristics of the streams 

monitored by the streamgages. For any 

location along a stream, a user can enter 

the basin characteristics (drainage area, 

basin slope, etc.) as independent variables into the equations and compute 

various flow characteristics (for example, 

1-percent AEP flood quantile, 2-percent 

AEP flood quantile, and annual mean 

streamflow).

Stage Height of a water surface above 

an established datum, also known as gage 

height.

Streamflow The discharge that occurs 

in a natural channel. Although the term 

discharge can be applied to flow in a 

canal, the word streamflow uniquely 

describes the discharge in a surface 

stream course. The units of measurement often are reported in cubic feet per 

second (ft3/s).

Streamgage A particular site on a 

stream where a record of streamflow is 

obtained. 

Trend The change of a particular variable with either time or spatial location as 

computed by statistical analysis.

Trend Magnitude The value of the trend 

as computed by a statistical analysis.

USGS streamgage on the Meramec River near 

Eureka, Missouri (USGS streamgage 07019000). 

Photograph by Robert Holmes, USGS.
Flooding at Burlington Street Bridge over the 

Iowa River at Iowa City, Iowa, July 2008. 

Photograph by James Caldwell, USGS.
Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008

By Robert R. Holmes, Jr., Todd A. Koenig, and Krista A. Karstensen

Abstract

During 2008, record precipitation amounts, coupled 

with already saturated soils, resulted in flooding along many 

rivers in the United States Midwest. Separate flooding events 

occurred in January, February, March, April, May, June, July, 

and September of 2008. The June floods were by far the most 

severe and widespread with substantial (and in places record) 

flooding and damage occurring in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, 

Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, 

South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Indiana had the most recurrent 

flooding during 2008, with peak-of-record streamflows occurring during January, February, March, June, and September. 

During 2008, peak-of-record streamflows were recorded at 

more than 147 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamgages. 

The annual exceedance probability of the peak streamflows at 

26 streamgages was less than 0.2 percent and between 0.2 and 

1 percent at 67 streamgages. Trends in flood magnitudes were 

computed for USGS Midwest streamgages that had no regulation. No Midwest-wide systematic trends upward or downward were evident, although clusters of consistent trends (both 

upward and downward) were detected in parts of the Midwest. 

Introduction

Flooding occurred on numerous rivers throughout 

the Midwestern United States (hereafter referred to as the 

Midwest) at various times during 2008 (fig. 1). The Midwest, 

and in particular the southern Midwest, has been identified as 

an area of the conterminous United States where the largest 

flood streamflows are likely to occur because of the close 

proximity of subtropical moisture from the Gulf of Mexico 

(O’Connor and Costa, 2003). This tendency toward large 

floods was dramatically displayed in 2008 as flooding dominated the media for weeks, with reports of property destruction, evacuations, and loss of life. At various times during 

2008, flooding in the Midwest occurred in parts of Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, 

Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. 

Examples of the severity of the flooding include the Cedar 

River, which inundated 14 percent of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 

displaced more than 24,000 people, and damaged or destroyed 

an estimated 5,400 houses and 700 businesses (National 

Weather Service, 2009). In southwestern Wisconsin, an 

earthen embankment between Lake Delton and the Wisconsin 

USGS hydrographer making a streamflow measurement on the 

Salt Fork near Sidney, Illinois (USGS streamgage 03337848). 

Photograph by Robert Holmes, USGS.
Figure 1. The United States Midwest and general areas of flooding streams, January to September, 2008.

NEBRASKA

ILLINOIS

OHIO

INDIANA

MISSOURI

KANSAS

KENTUCKY

OKLAHOMA

TENNESSEE

MINNESOTA

NORTH 

DAKOTA

WISCONSIN

SOUTH 

DAKOTA

MICHIGAN

IOWA

Cheyenne River

Lake

Delton

Crab Orchard 

River Creek

Des 

Peres

Black

Hawk

Creek

Blue 

River

South Fork 

Saline River

Big Creek

Baraboo 

River Bark 

River

North 

Sylamore 

Creek

Saline

River

Iroqois

River

Spring River

Gulf of 

Mexico

Kankakee

River

Shell

Rock

River

Tippecanoe 

River

East Fork 

White River

Salt River

Mississippi River

Missouri River

Platte River

Iowa River

Gasconade R.

Missouri River

Cedar River

James R

Wabash River

Ohio Riv er

Ohio River

White River

Black R

Castor River

White River

Rock R

Chariton R

White River

Nodaway River

Wisconsin R

Dutch Cr e ek

Platte- Rome

ville Afton

Hudson Chicago

Ora

Delphi

Clarinda

Keokuk Kearney

Columbus Riverton

Shoals

Petersburg

St.Charles

St.Louis

Rolla

Rich Fountain

Georgetown

Harrisburg

Cairo

Sharps

Station

Shell

Rock

Cedar

Rapids

Iowa

City

Moulton

Prairie

Hill

Terre

Haute

Wabash R

Illinois River

Foresman

Rensselaer

Newberry

Calico

Rock

Newport

Waltreak

Benton

Baraboo Lake 

Michigan

Lake 

Huron

Lake Superior

105° 100° 95° 90° 85° 80°

45°

40°

35°

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:2,000,000, 2006

Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 15

0 100 200 MILES

0 100 200 KILOMETERS

EXPLANATION

Flood study area 

Midwestern United States

Index map

ARKANSAS

2 Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008
Introduction 3

River failed, causing a rapid emptying of Lake Delton 

and more than $5 million in property destruction 

(Adams, 2008). In Columbus, Indiana, the Columbus Regional Hospital had more than $125 million in 

damages (Indiana News Center, 2008), and at least 

70 businesses were inundated and suffered damages 

(Indianapolis Star, 2008). The June 2008 flooding 

resulted in the loss of 11 lives and damages in excess of 

$5 billion (National Weather Service, 2009). 

The 2008 Midwest floods stand out not only with 

respect to their cost in human lives, property damage, 

and environmental effects, but also with respect to their 

persistence. Separate incidences of flooding occurred 

over several months in parts of the Midwest; for 

example, Indiana had severe flooding during January, 

February, March, June, and September. Because of the 

severity and unusual repetitiveness of the flooding in 

parts of the Midwest, documenting the 2008 floods is 

essential. 

Previously published U.S. Geological Survey 

(USGS) reports provide detailed documentation and 

analysis of the 2008 flooding in particular geographic 

areas of the Midwest (Fitzpatrick and others, 2008; 

Funkhouser and Eng, 2008; Morlock and others, 2008), 

and two of these reports contain flood-inundation 

maps for selected rivers in Indiana and Wisconsin. 

This report consolidates the flooding information and 

documents the flood peaks (stage and streamflow) for 

all States in the Midwest that were affected by the 

2008 floods. Flood peak data are reported for USGS 

streamgages in the Midwest that had peak streamflows 

with an annual exceedance probability (AEP) of less 

than 10 percent. AEP is the probability, or chance, of a 

flood of a given streamflow magnitude being equaled 

or exceeded in any given year. In addition, flood peak 

data for selected streamgages, which had AEPs greater 

than 10 percent, also are included to aid in comparing 

the 2008 floods with previous floods. Documenting 

the flood peaks, along with the antecedent conditions, 

flood chronology, AEP, and flood trends, will help put 

the 2008 floods in historic context and facilitate public 

and private consideration of flood-control, land-use, 

and flood-insurance regulations by local and regional 

citizens and elected officials.

Wabash River at Riverton, Indiana (USGS streamgage 03342000). 

Photograph by Paul Baker, USGS.
4 Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008

The Role of the U.S. Geological Survey 

in Flood Response 

The USGS was established in 1879 by Congress to 

classify the public lands and “examine the geological structure, mineral resources, and products of the national domain” 

(Rabbitt, 1989). As part of this mission, the USGS provides 

practical, unbiased information about the Nation’s rivers and 

streams that is crucial in mitigating hazards associated with 

floods. Some of the scientific investigations conducted by the 

USGS that include data collection and scientific interpretation 

to address flood issues include the following:

• Operating a nationwide network of long-term 

streamgages;

• Determining and documenting high water-mark 

elevations;

• Constructing inundation maps;

• Determining peak streamflow at miscellaneous 

locations by using indirect methods;

• Collecting remotely-sensed geospatial information;

• Analyzing trends, geographic distribution, and flood 

probabilities;

• Determining paleoflood occurrence, timing, and 

magnitude; and 

• Modeling flood processes, including rainfall-runoff, 

flood wave movement, multidimensional 

hydraulics of floods, and sediment transport.

The operation of more than 7,500 active streamgages 

nationwide enables the USGS to provide data for a variety 

of needs, with one of the most important needs being flood 

prediction and characterization. USGS streamgages provide 

critical real-time streamflow and stage data during flooding 

events to support the operational programs of the National 

Weather Service (NWS; flood forecasting), U.S. Army Corps 

of Engineers (USACE; water-control, flood-fighting, and 

mitigation activities), Federal Emergency Management 

Agency (FEMA; emergency management and mitigation), and 

numerous State and local agencies. The USGS expends extra 

effort to keep streamgages operational during floods, when 

damage to the streamgages increases. USGS streamgages 

operate autonomously for collecting stage data; however, 

on-site direct streamflow measurements are required and 

consist of USGS personnel making on-site physical observations of stream velocity and stream depth to determine 

streamflow. These direct streamflow measurements are 

required periodically to calibrate the stage-streamflow rating 

curve (rating curve). The rating curve is used to determine the 

streamflow from the stage data when USGS personnel are not 

physically present at the streamgage to make a streamflow 

measurement.

The need for direct streamflow measurement (fig. 2) to 

calibrate the rating curve increases during floods, because the 

rating curve can change as a result of river-channel changes. 

An example of the changes that can occur in the rating curve 

that would be detected only by actual field measurements 

is shown in figure 3. In this figure, two direct streamflow 

measurements made during flooding in 2008 (numbers 353 

and 354, fig. 3) on the Platte River near Kearney, Nebraska, 

resulted in a more than 1-foot (ft) correction of the rating 

curve at the upper end (above a stage of 5.9 ft) of the rating. At 

a streamflow of 15,000 cubic feet per second (ft3

/s), the stage 

on the rating curve changed by 1.2 feet, from approximately 

7.0 to 8.2.

The importance of accurate rating curves is demonstrated 

by examination of the potential impact of an incorrect rating 

curve on the flood-forecasting operations of the NWS. The 

NWS uses USGS rating curves as part of their forecasting 

process to estimate the forecasted stream stage from their 

computer-model prediction of forecasted streamflow. Based on 

the example in figure 3, if the original rating curve had been 

used, a NWS computer-model prediction of 15,000 ft3/s would 

have resulted in the NWS predicting a corresponding stage of 

7.0 ft. In actuality, as the new rating indicates, the stage would 

have been approximately 8.2 ft. In the absence of the USGS 

rating curve calibration efforts, an under-prediction of approximately 1.2 ft would have occurred, with potentially serious 

implications for life and property.

To meet critical needs for real-time streamflow data, the 

USGS mobilizes all available field personnel in areas of flooding to make direct streamflow measurements and maintain 

streamgages in operational readiness. The rapid response of 

USGS field personnel provides reliable and accurate stage and 

streamflow data in near real time to the many entities that rely 

on these data while minimizing interruptions in the dissemination of data that would hamper flood-response operations. 

During the June 2008 flooding, the USGS made 449 direct 

streamflow measurements throughout the Midwest to ensure 

the accuracy of the rating curves.

USGS hydrographer determining the outside stage for the Skillet 

Fork near Wayne City, Illinois (USGS streamgage 03380500). 

Photograph by Robert Holmes, USGS.
Figure 2. U.S. Geological Survey hydrographer measuring streamflow on the Platte River near Sharps 

Station, Missouri (USGS streamgage 06821190), with an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) mounted 

to a tethered boat to collect velocity and depth readings that are sent by radio link to a laptop computer 

inside the field vehicle. The gage house for this site can be seen in the background. Photograph by Chris 

Rowden, USGS.

Figure 3. Changes in the rating curve for the Platte River near Kearney, Nebraska (USGS streamgage 06770200), as a result 

of on-site direct streamflow measurements made in May 2008. STAGE, IN FEET

Rating No. 9.0 starting on 04/28/2008

Discharge measurements subsequent to 

10/01/2006 plus all above 7,000 cubic feet per 

second are plotted. Log offset: 0.90, aging 

status: undefined

Flood measurement 

Secondary rating No. 8.10

1.90

1,000 5,000

DISCHARGE, IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND (ft3

/s)

10,000 30,000

5.90

10.90

343

341

340

338

338

259

236

235

211

210

209

208

207 206

37

36

24

23

22

356

355

355

354

353

350

1.2 feet at 

15,000 ft3

/s

The Role of the U.S. Geological Survey in Flood Response 5
6 Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008

2008 Flooding: Causes, Chronology, and 

Magnitude

An understanding of the causes of flooding requires 

some knowledge of hydrology and the hydrologic cycle. The 

hydrologic cycle is described by Hjelmfelt and Cassidy (1975) 

as follows:

“Water occurs in many places and in many phases 

on, in, and over the earth. The transformation from 

one phase to another and the motion from one location to another constitutes the hydrologic cycle, 

which is a closed system having no beginning nor 

end.” 

The hydrology of a region as large as the Midwest is 

complex because of the heterogeneity of the variables controlling the movement of water in the hydrologic cycle: precipitation (source, type, rate, and amount), vegetation, temperature, 

soil, geology, topography, stream gradient, and man-made 

structures. In addition, the flood hydrology of small basins is 

different than that of large basins, with different characteristic 

causes of flooding. Flooding in small basins often is caused 

by localized intense precipitation of short duration (minutes 

to hours). Flooding in large basins often is caused by large 

amounts of sustained precipitation over a long duration (days 

to weeks) and broad geographic area. 

The 2008 flooding in the Midwest occurred on small and 

large streams. The area of flooding was widespread and, at 

various times, included parts of Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, 

Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, 

Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Separate flooding 

events occurred in January, February, March, April, 

May, June, July, and September of 2008. 

Antecedent Conditions for the 2008 Midwest 

Flooding

The genesis of most major widespread flooding is not 

one particular storm or precipitation event. Most flooding is 

the result of frequent and consistently abundant precipitation occurring over the same geographic area for an extended 

period. As the soil becomes increasingly saturated and the 

receiving streams reach bankfull stage, additional precipitation results in flooding. Much of the area in the Midwest that 

was affected by flooding in 2008 began in the early winter of 

2007 with streamflows in the normal to above-normal ranges 

(fig. 4). Above-average snowfalls occurred in the northern 

one-half of the Midwest during the winter of 2007-2008, and 

the snow accumulated into large snowpacks. In some parts of 

central Wisconsin, the snowpacks contained the equivalent 

of 10 to 12 inches (in.) of water (National Weather Service, 

2009). Although the melting of the snowpacks was not a direct 

cause of catastrophic flooding, the melting contributed to the 

flooding by saturating the soils and filling the streams to near 

bankfull conditions in numerous locations. 

The first flood-inducing precipitation event began on 

January 7, 2008 (fig. 5). This was the first of many rainfall 

events that occurred during the next several months across 

areas of the Midwest, and this event caused major flooding in 

parts of east-central Illinois and northern, western, and southwestern Indiana. Although this event did not result in severe 
130° 125° 120° 115° 110° 105° 100° 95° 90° 85° 80° 75° 70° 65°

45°

40°

35°

30°

25°

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:2,000,000, 2006

Universal Transverse Mercator projection, zone 15

Streamflow conditions, in percentile classes 

EXPLANATION

From U.S. Geological Survey WaterWatch, accessed 

February 3, 2010 (http://water.weather.gov)

0 200 400 600 MILES

0 200 400 600 KILOMETERS

High

Greater than 90, much 

 above normal

76 – 90, above normal

25 – 75, normal

10 – 24, below normal

Less than 10, much 

 below normal

Low

Figure 4. Streamflow conditions at U.S. Geological Survey streamgages across the United States on November 30, 2007 

(U.S. Geological Survey, 2007).

2008 Flooding: Causes, Chronology, and Magnitude 7

Flooding on the West Fork Cedar River at Finchford, 

Iowa. Photograph by Don Becker, USGS.
Figure 5. Observed precipitation across the United States for the previous 24 hours at 7:00 a.m. Central Standard Time on 

January 8, 2008. (National Weather Service, 2008a).

130° 125° 120° 115° 110° 105° 100° 95° 90° 85° 80° 75° 70° 65°

45°

40°

35°

30°

25°

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:2,000,000, 2006

Universal Transverse Mercator projection, zone 15

0 200 400 MILES

0 200 400 KILOMETERS

From Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service, National Weather 

Service, accessed February 1, 2009 (http://water.weather.gov)

Precipitation, in inches

0 – 0.5

0.5 – 1.0

1.0 – 2.0

2.0 – 3.0

3.0 – 4.0

4.0 – 5.0

5.0 – 6.0

6.0 – 8.0

EXPLANATION

Midwestern 

United States

8 Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008

USGS hydrographer measuring 

the streamflow flowing across 

U.S. Highway 30 near Cedar 

Rapids, Iowa. Photograph by 

Scott Strader, USGS.
Figure 6. Cumulative precipitation totals from June 1, 2007, to July 31, 2008, in relation to historic average cumulative 

precipitation for selected sites in the Midwest. (National Climatic Data Center, 2008).

June 2007 through July 2008 cumulative precipitation

Historic cumulative precipitation (1893 to 2008)

June 2007 through July 2008 cumulative precipitation

Historic cumulative precipitation (1936 to 2008)

C. Rensselaer, Indiana

June 2007 through July 2008 cumulative precipitation

Historic cumulative precipitation (1894 to 2008)

D. Rolla, Missouri

June 2007 through July 2008 cumulative precipitation

Historic cumulative precipitation (1905 to 2008)

A. Cedar Rapids, Iowa B. Platteville, Wisconsin

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

CUMULATIVE PRECIPITATION, IN INCHES

JUNE

JULY

AUG.

SEPT.

OCT.

NOV.

DEC.

JAN.

FEB.

MAR.

APR.

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUG.

2007 2008

JUNE

JULY

AUG.

SEPT.

OCT.

NOV.

DEC.

JAN.

FEB.

MAR.

APR.

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUG.

2007 2008

2008 Flooding: Causes, Chronology, and Magnitude 9

flooding outside of Indiana, the widespread rainfall contributed to increased soil-moisture levels and streamflows in other 

areas of the Midwest. Consistent above-normal precipitation during 2007-2008 occurred in much of the Midwest, as 

evidenced when comparing the June 2007 to July 2008 cumulative precipitation with historic average cumulative precipitation for four selected precipitation gages in the Midwest 

(figs. 6A-D).

Chronology and Magnitude of Flooding: January 

through September 2008

The 2008 Midwest floods were caused by persistent and 

excessive precipitation amounts on saturated soils. Record 

6-month precipitation totals were set at 106 Midwest locations during January through June 2008 (Midwest Regional 

Climate Center, 2008). The 6-month total precipitation was 

composed of numerous discrete storm sequences that induced 

multiple flooding events in different geographic locations. 

Peak-of-record streamflows were set at 147 USGS Midwestern streamgages during 2008. The USGS streamgages that 

had peak streamflows with an AEP of less than 10 percent are 

listed in tables 1–7 (at the back of this report), with each table 

representing a unique flooding period during 2008. Selected 

streamgages that reported peak streamflow with AEPs greater 

than 10 percent also appear in the tables for comparison with 

other record flood periods [for example, Mississippi River at 

St. Louis, Missouri, and Wabash River at Terre Haute, Indiana 

(table 5)]. Each USGS streamgage listed in these tables 

contains a map “site number” that allows cross reference from 

the table to the respective map figure for that flood period. To 

minimize figure clutter, only the major rivers (for example, 

Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, and Wabash Rivers) 

and selected small rivers mentioned in the report text for that 

particular flood period are shown on the figures. The tables 

include 2008 peak-stage and streamflow data, previous peakof-record flood data, the estimated AEP for the 2008 peak 

streamflow, and estimates of the magnitude of the streamflow 

corresponding to the 4-percent, 2-percent, 1-percent, and 

0.2-percent AEP. For each figure corresponding to a particular flood period, the size of the symbol for each streamgage 

represents the estimated AEP that corresponds to the magnitude of the observed peak streamflow – the less probable (less 

frequent) the peak streamflow, the larger the symbol. 

The first major flooding occurred just after the new 

year began as the result of precipitation during January 7–9, 

2008. Examination of daily NWS Next Generation Weather 

Radar (NEXRAD) observations indicated as much as 6.7 in. 

of precipitation occurred during these 3 days (fig. 7) on 
Figure 7. Cumulative precipitation totals for January 7–9, 2008, and locations of U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in 

Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan with peak streamflows that had an annual exceedance probability less than 10 percent.

ILLINOIS

OHIO

INDIANA

KENTUCKY

MICHIGAN

Tippecanoe

River

Lake Michigan

Wabash

River

Wabash

River

Ohio

River

Illinois River

Ora

Delphi

89° 88° 87° 86° 85°

42°

41°

40°

39°

38°

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16 17

18 19

20

21

22

23

24

25

1

2

3

4

5

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:2,000,000, 2006

Universal Transverse Mercator projection, zone 16

0 20 40 60 KILOMETERS

0 20 40 60 MILES

Precipitation, in inches—

 Interval 0.5, 1, and 2 inches

Flood annual exceedance probability (AEP), 

 in percent—Number is site identifier (table 1). 

 Not all ranges are represented on map 0 – 0.5

0.5 – 1.0

1.0 – 2.0

2.0 – 3.0

3.0 – 4.0

4.0 – 5.0

5.0 – 6.0

6.0 – 8.0

EXPLANATION

No data

Greater than 10

4.0 – 10

2.0 – 4.0

1.0 – 2.0

0.2 – 1.0

Less than 0.2

10 Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008
Figure 8. Cumulative precipitation totals for February 3–7, 2008, and locations of U.S. Geological Survey streamgages 

in Illinois and Indiana with peak streamflows that had an annual exceedance probability less than 10 percent.

Lake Michigan

IllinoisRiver

Ora

Foresman

89° 88° 87° 86° 85° 84°

42°

41°

40°

39°

38°

37°

4

26

1

2

3

9

5

6

7

8

27

10

11

13 12 14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21 22

23 24

25

Kankakee

River

Iroqois River

Tippecanoe

River

Wabash

River

Wabash

River

Ohio

River

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:2,000,000, 2006

Universal Transverse Mercator projection, zone 16

ILLINOIS

INDIANA

OHIO

MICHIGAN

KENTUCKY

0 20 40 60 MILES

0 20 40 60 KILOMETERS

Precipitation, in inches—

 Interval 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 inches

Flood annual exceedance probability (AEP), 

 in percent—Number is site identifier (table 2).

 Not all ranges are represented on map 0 – 0.5

0.5 – 1.0

1.0 – 2.0

2.0 – 3.0

3.0 – 4.0

4.0 – 5.0

5.0 – 6.0

6.0 – 8.0

EXPLANATION

No data

Greater than 10

4.0 – 10

2.0 – 4.0

1.0 – 2.0

0.2 – 1.0

Less than 0.2

2008 Flooding: Causes, Chronology, and Magnitude 11
Figure 9. Streamflow conditions at U.S. Geological Survey streamgages on February 28, 2008 (U.S. Geological Survey, 2007).

130° 125° 120° 115° 110° 105° 100° 95° 90° 85° 80° 75° 70° 65°

45°

40°

35°

30°

25°

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:2,000,000, 2006

Universal Transverse Mercator projection, zone 15

Streamflow conditions, in percentile classes 

EXPLANATION

From U.S. Geological Survey WaterWatch, accessed 

February 3, 2010 (http://water.weather.gov)

0 200 400 600 MILES

0 200 400 600 KILOMETERS

High

Greater than 90, much 

 above normal

76 – 90, above normal

25 – 75, normal

10 – 24, below normal

Less than 10, much 

 below normal

Low

12 Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008

frozen, often bare, ground, which resulted in major flooding 

in Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. Peak-of-record streamflow 

occurred at USGS streamgages on the Tippecanoe River at 

Ora and Delphi, Indiana (USGS streamgages 03331500 and 

03333050, respectively, table 1). 

Precipitation that began on February 3, 2008, and continued through much of February 7 (fig. 8) resulted in an accumulation of up to 6.3 in. and flooding in Illinois and Indiana. 

The Iroquois River had a peak-of-record streamflow at the 

Foresman, Indiana, streamgage (USGS streamgage 05524500) 

that surpassed the 1958 record (table 2). The February flooding occurred in many of the same areas that had flooding 

during the previous month, with the Tippecanoe River being a 

prime example of recurrent flooding. The USGS streamgage 

near Ora, Indiana (USGS streamgage 03331500), had a peak 

streamflow of 9,200 ft3/s on February 8 (table 2), which was 

within 90 ft3/s of the January 10 peak streamflow of 9,290 ft3/s 

(table 1). Although the severe flooding during February was 

limited to Illinois and Indiana, by the end of February 2008, 

the additional precipitation across the Midwest resulted in 

streamflows that were above normal at numerous USGS 

streamgages in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, 

Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South 

Dakota, and Wisconsin (fig. 9).

Substantial rainfall that contributed amounts as much 

as 12.8 in. occurred during March 16-20, 2008, in a band 

through Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Oklahoma 

(fig. 10). Most of the rivers in the five-State flood area peaked 

by March 19, although some of the large basins peaked as 

late as March 24 (for example, White River near Georgetown, 
Figure 10. Cumulative precipitation totals for March 16–20, 2008, and locations of U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in 

Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Oklahoma with peak streamflows that had an annual exceedance probability less 

than 10 percent.

Mississippi

River

Mississippi River

Missouri

Ri ver

Ohio

River

Spring

Black

River

River

James

River South Fork

Saline River

Big Creek

W hite River

GasconadeRiv er

Wabash

Rive r

Crab

Orchard

Creek

Illinois River

Blue

River

Castor

River

Rich

Fountain

Harrisburg

Georgetown

Calico

Rock

ILLINOIS

INDIANA

MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA

ARKANSAS

MISSOURI

KANSAS OKLAHOMA

TENNESSEE

10 KENTUCKY

74

75

76

1

2

3 4

6 5

7

8

9

23

11

12

13 14 15

16

18 17

19 20

21

22

77

24

25

26

27

28

29

30 31

32

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62

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66

67

68

69

70

71

72

73

95° 94° 93° 92° 91° 90° 89° 88° 87° 86° 85°

39°

38°

37°

36°

35°

34°

Precipitation, in inches—

 Interval 1 and 2 inches

Flood annual exceedance probability (AEP), 

 in percent—Number is site identifier (table 3).

 Not all ranges are represented on map 0 – 1

1 – 2

2 – 3

3 – 4

4 – 5

5 – 6

6 – 8

8 – 10

10 – 12

12 – 14

EXPLANATION

No data

Greater than 10

4.0 – 10

2.0 – 4.0

1.0 – 2.0

0.2 – 1.0

Less than 0.2

0 20 40 60 80 100 MILES

0 20 40 60 80 100 KILOMETERS

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:2,000,000, 2006

Universal Transverse Mercator projection, zone 16

2008 Flooding: Causes, Chronology, and Magnitude 13

Arkansas (USGS streamgage 07076750), table 3). Peakof-record streamflows occurred on the Spring, White, and 

Black Rivers in Arkansas; the Castor and James Rivers in 

Missouri; the South Fork Saline River and Crab Orchard 

Creek in southern Illinois; and the Blue River and Big Creek 

in southern Indiana (table 3). Streamflow peaks on the 

Gasconade River in Missouri were near the flood of record 

(for example, Gasconade River near Rich Fountain, Missouri 

(USGS streamgage 06934000), table 3). The town of Harrisburg, Illinois, which is surrounded by a levee to protect it from 

backwater from the Ohio River approximately 30 miles (mi) 

away, was inundated by flooding from more than 11.5 in. of 

rain in less than 48 hours on March 18 and 19, 2008. Local 

drainage, interior to the levee system, proved to be too much 

for the pumping system and resulted in more than 44 businesses and 30 homes being flooded. The flooding resulted 

in an estimated $16.8 million in damages (Fodor, 2009). In 

Arkansas, one remarkable scene of destruction was captured 

on video by USGS hydrologic technician Steven B. Franks, 

(U.S. Geological Survey, 2010) as he witnessed a house that 

had been washed into the White River floating downstream 

and colliding with a bridge at the White River at Calico Rock, 

Arkansas (USGS streamgage 07060500).

Additional flooding occurred in early April 2008 in many 

of the same areas of Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma as in 

March. As much as 9.6 in. of rain fell during April 7–11, 2008, 
Figure 11. Cumulative precipitation totals for A, April 7–11, 2008, and locations of U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in 

Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma with peak streamflows that had an annual exceedance probability less than 10 percent; and 

B, cumulative precipitation totals for April 21–25, 2008, and locations of U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in Iowa with peak 

streamflows that had an annual exceedance probability less than 10 percent.

Mississippi River

Mississippi

River

97° 96° 95° 94° 93° 92° 91° 90°

38°

37°

36°

35°

W hite R iver

White River

North

Sylamore 

Creek

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18 19

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:2,000,000, 2006

Universal Transverse Mercator projection, zone 15

KANSAS

OKLAHOMA

MISSOURI

ARKANSAS

ILLINOISTENNESSEE

MISSISSIPPI

Precipitation, in inches—

 Interval 1 and 2 inches

Flood annual exceedance probability (AEP), 

 in percent—Number is site identifier (table 4).

 Not all ranges are represented on map 0 – 1

1 – 2

2 – 3

3 – 4

4 – 5

5 – 6

6 – 8

8 – 10

EXPLANATION

No data

Greater than 10

4.0 – 10

2.0 – 4.0

1.0 – 2.0

0.2 – 1.0

Less than 0.2

0 20 40 60 80 100 MILES

0 20 40 60 80 100 KILOMETERS

A

14 Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008

which produced flooding along numerous rivers (fig. 11A) 

and peak-of-record streamflow on North Sylamore Creek 

in Arkansas that exceeded the 1982 record peak streamflow 

(USGS streamgage 07060710, table 4). 

An isolated system in late April produced flooding 

from up to 6.3 in. of precipitation that fell in eastern Iowa 

during April 22–26, 2008 (fig. 11B). Substantial flooding 

was limited mostly to streams with drainage areas less than 

400 square miles (mi2), such as Black Hawk Creek at Hudson, 

Iowa (USGS streamgage 05463500), where a peak-of-record 

streamflow occurred on April 25, 2008 (table 4). Although the 

late-April precipitation produced only isolated flooding on 

smaller drainages, it provided additional moisture for continued soil saturation in Iowa.

Substantial rainfalls occurred during May and June 

throughout much of the Midwest, resulting in some of the 

worst flooding during 2008. Examination of daily NEXRAD 

rainfall observations for the Midwest area that included 

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, and Wisconsin 

indicated that from May 21 to June 14, 2008, precipitation 

amounts greater than 0.5 in. occurred daily somewhere within 

the six-State area (National Weather Service, 2008a). Total 
Cedar

River

Black

Hawk

Creek

0 20 40 60 MILES

0 20 40 60 KILOMETERS

Mississippi

River

1

2

3

Hudson

94° 93° 92° 91° 90°

43°

42°

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:2,000,000, 2006

Universal Transverse Mercator projection, zone 15

ILLINOIS

IOWA

WISCONSIN MINNESOTA

Precipitation, in inches—

 Interval 1 and 2 inches 

Flood annual exceedance probability (AEP), 

 in percent—Number is site identifier (table 4).

 Not all ranges are represented on map 0 – 1

1 – 2

2 – 3

3 – 4

4 – 5

5 – 6

6 – 8

EXPLANATION

No data

Greater than 10

4.0 – 10

2.0 – 4.0

1.0 – 2.0

0.2 – 1.0

Less than 0.2

B

Figure 11. Cumulative precipitation totals for A, April 7–11, 2008, and locations of U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in 

Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma with peak streamflows that had an annual exceedance probability less than 10 percent; and 

B, cumulative precipitation totals for April 21–25, 2008, and locations of U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in Iowa with peak 

streamflows that had an annual exceedance probability less than 10 percent.—Continued

2008 Flooding: Causes, Chronology, and Magnitude 15

precipitation for this 25-day period was more than 20 in. 

in several locations (fig. 12). The rainfall amounts for this 

period are considered extreme by the NWS, which determined the annual exceedance probabilities to be between 

0.1 to 0.2 percent for the observed rainfall in parts of Iowa, 

east-central Illinois, and south-central Indiana and less than 

0.1 percent for isolated areas in Iowa (fig. 13) (Geoffrey M. 

Bonnin, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 

National Weather Service, Office of Hydrologic Development, 

written commun., 2008). New June total precipitation records 

were set at 66 sites in the Midwest (Midwestern Regional 

Climate Center, 2008). The record precipitation produced 

77 peak-of-record streamflows at USGS streamgages during 

June, particularly in Iowa (39 peak-of-record streamflows) 

and Wisconsin (19 peak-of-record streamflows). The USGS 

streamgage at Cedar Rapids, Iowa (USGS streamgage 

05464500), recorded a peak streamflow of 140,000 ft3/s on 

June 13 that was 92 percent greater than the previous peakof-record streamflow (73,000 ft3

/s) set in 1961, and the peak 

stage of 31.12 ft was 11 ft above the previous peak-of-record 

stage of 20.00 ft set in 1929 (table 5). Other peak-of-record 

streamflows were observed at USGS streamgages in Illinois, 
Figure 12. Cumulative precipitation totals for May 21 through June 14, 2008, and locations of U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in several Midwestern States with peak streamflows that had an annual exceedance probability less than 10 percent.

Missouri

River

197

10

115

116

119

123

124

125

126

150

151

152

153

154

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160 161

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181

182

183

184

195

196

108° 106° 104° 102° 100° 98° 96°

44°

42°

40°

38°

36°

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:2,000,000, 2006

Universal Transverse Mercator projection, zone 15

0 50 100 150 200 MILES

0 10050 150 200 KILOMETERS

SOUTH DAKOTA

NEBRASKA

IOWA

WYOMING

COLORADO

TEXAS

NEW MEXICO

OKLAHOMA

KANSAS

Precipitation, in inches—Interval 1, 2, 

 and 4 inches

Flood annual exceedance probability (AEP), 

 in percent—Number is site identifier (table 5)

0 – 1

1 – 2

2 – 3

3 – 4

4 – 5

5 – 6

6 – 8

8 – 10

10 – 12

12 – 14

14 – 16

16 – 20

20 – 22

EXPLANATION

No data

Greater than 10

4.0 – 10

2.0 – 4.0

1.0 – 2.0

0.2 – 1.0

Less than 0.2

Western part of map

16 Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008
Figure 12. Cumulative precipitation totals for May 21 through June 14, 2008, and locations of U.S. Geological Survey streamgages 

in several Midwestern States with peak streamflows that had an annual exceedance probability less than 10 percent.—Continued

6

Missouri

River

Mississippi

River

Mississippi

River

Illinois River

Ohio River

Wabash

River

White River

Wabash River

Cedar River

Lake Michigan

Lake 

 Huron

East Fork

White

River

Cedar

Rapids

96° 94° 92° 90° 88° 86° 84°

44°

42°

40°

38°

36°

29

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14 15

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17 18

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58

30

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91 93 92

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95 96

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108 109

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189 190 191

192

193 194

84

102

MINNESOTA

WISCONSIN

IOWA

MISSOURI

ARKANSAS

MICHIGAN

INDIANA OHIO

KENTUCKY

TENNESSEE

ILLINOIS

0 50 100 150 200 MILES

0 10050 150 200 KILOMETERS

Eastern part of map

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:2,000,000, 2006

Universal Transverse Mercator projection, zone 15

Precipitation, in inches—Interval 1, 2, 

 and 4 inches

Flood annual exceedance probability (AEP), 

 in percent—Number is site identifier (table 5)

0 – 1

1 – 2

2 – 3

3 – 4

4 – 5

5 – 6

6 – 8

8 – 10

10 – 12

12 – 14

14 – 16

16 – 20

20 – 22

EXPLANATION

No data

Greater than 10

4.0 – 10

2.0 – 4.0

1.0 – 2.0

0.2 – 1.0

Less than 0.2

2008 Flooding: Causes, Chronology, and Magnitude 17
Figure 13. Annual exceedance probability for the rainfall total from May 23, 2008, to June 12, 2008 (revised from Geoffrey M. 

Bonnin, NOAA, National Weather Service, Office of Hydrologic Development, written commun., 2008) 

Lake Michigan

KANSAS

MINNESOTA

WISCONSIN

IOWA

MISSOURI

MICHIGAN

INDIANA

KENTUCKY

ILLINOIS

Missouri

River

Illinois

River

Mississippi

River

Mississippi

River

Wabash

R iver

Ohio

River

97° 96° 95° 94° 93° 92° 91° 90° 89° 88° 87° 86° 85° 84°

45°

44°

43°

42°

41°

40°

39°

38°

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:2,000,000, 2006

Universal Transverse Mercator projection, zone 15

0 25 50 75 100 MILES

0 50 75 25 100 KILOMETERS

Rainfall annual exceedance 

 probability, in percent

EXPLANATION

20 – 33

10 – 20

5 – 10

2 – 5

1 – 2

0.67 – 1

0.5 – 0.67

0.2 – 0.5

0.1 – 0.2

Less than 0.1

18 Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008

Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and South Dakota. 

Some locations in Indiana received a third or fourth round of 

flooding (fig. 14). 

July proved to be no drier in southern Iowa and northern 

Missouri, which had two periods of substantial precipitation 

and subsequent flooding. Slightly more than 8 in. of precipitation occurred in south-central Iowa during July 5–8, 2008 

(fig. 15A), causing peak streamflows on some small and 

mid-size streams on the order of 2-percent AEP, including 

the Chariton River near Moulton, Iowa (USGS streamgage 

06904010, table 6). More abundant precipitation, as much as 

17 in., over a much wider area between July 17 and July 28, 

2008 (fig. 15B) fell on Iowa and Missouri. The later July 

precipitation produced new peak-of-record streamflows 

at USGS streamgages on the Salt and Chariton Rivers in 

Missouri (table 6).

Hurricanes Gustav and Ike initiated substantial precipitation events in September. The remnants of Hurricane Gustav 

passed over the Midwest during September 1–5, 2008, by 

tracking through Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, and Michigan. 

Arkansas received the brunt of the precipitation as more 

than 12 in. of rainfall occurred during this period (fig. 16A). 
Figure 14. Streamflow for Wabash River at Riverton, Indiana 

and White River at Petersburg, Indiana.

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

JAN. FEB. MAR. APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT.

STREAMFLOW, IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND

2008

A. Wabash River at Riverton, Indiana 

(USGS streamgage 03342000)

B. White River at Petersburg, Indiana 

(USGS streamgage 03374000)

2008 Flooding: Causes, Chronology, and Magnitude 19

Although no peak-of-record streamflows occurred at USGS 

streamgages, the peak streamflow at Dutch Creek at Waltreak, 

Arkansas, and Saline River at Benton, Arkansas (USGS 

streamgages 07260000 and 07363000, table 7), were near the 

1-percent AEP.

During September 13–15, 2008, the remnants of Hurricane Ike passed through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, 

Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan along a similar track as Hurricane Gustav earlier in the month. The passage of the remnants 

of Hurricane Ike was preceded by a continental-type storm 

event during September 11–13, 2008, that produced more 

than 12 in. of rainfall in parts of Kansas, which received little 

of the Hurricane Ike-induced rainfall that followed. Substantial precipitation from a combination of the continental-type 

storm and the remnants of Hurricane Ike occurred in Arkansas, 

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, and Oklahoma 

(fig. 16B). Numerous peak-of-record streamflows occurred, 

particularly in the urban areas of St. Louis, Missouri, and 

Chicago, Illinois (table 7). The River Des Peres in St. Louis 

flooded, with the loss of two lives and the City of St. Louis 

temporarily condemning 275 properties in the aftermath of the 

flood (Gillerman, 2008). One resident reported that this was 

the sixth time their home had been flooded since 1988 (Gillerman, 2008). 

Flooding in Waterloo, Iowa. 

Photograph by Don Becker, USGS.
Figure 15. Cumulative precipitation totals for A, July 5–8, 2008, and locations of U.S. Geological Survey streamgages 

in Iowa with peak streamflows that had an annual exceedance probability less than 10 percent; and B, cumulative 

precipitation totals for July 17–28, 2008,and locations of U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in Iowa and Missouri with peak 

streamflows that had an annual exceedance probability less than 10 percent.

6

7

8

9

22

Rathbun Lake

Mississippi River

Mississippi

River

Missouri

R iver

Cedar River

Iowa River

Chariton River Moulton

95° 94° 93° 92° 91° 90°

42°

41°

40°

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:2,000,000, 2006

Universal Transverse Mercator projection, zone 15

MISSOURI

IOWA

ILLINOIS

0 20 40 60 80 MILES

0 20 40 60 80 KILOMETERS

Precipitation, in inches—

 Interval 1 and 2 inches

Flood annual exceedance probability (AEP), 

 in percent—Number is site identifier (table 6).

 Not all ranges are represented on map 0 – 1

1 – 2

2 – 3

3 – 4

4 – 5

5 – 6

6 – 8

EXPLANATION

No data

Greater than 10

4.0 – 10

2.0 – 4.0

1.0 – 2.0

0.2 – 1.0

Less than 0.2

A

20 Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008
Figure 15. Cumulative precipitation totals for A, July 5–8, 2008, and locations of U.S. Geological Survey streamgages 

in Iowa with peak streamflows that had an annual exceedance probability less than 10 percent; and B, cumulative 

precipitation totals for July 17–28, 2008,and locations of U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in Iowa and Missouri with 

peak streamflows that had an annual exceedance probability less than 10 percent.—Continued

Iowa River

Gasconade River

Chariton River

Cedar

River

Lake Michigan

Missouri River

Missouri

River

Mississippi

River

Mississippi

Rive r

99° 98° 97° 96° 95° 94° 93° 92° 91° 90° 89° 88°

44°

43°

42°

41°

40°

39°

38°

5

4

2 3 1

25

24

23

21

20

19

18

17 16

15

14 13

12

11

10

Salt 

River

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:2,000,000, 2006

Universal Transverse Mercator projection, zone 15

WISCONSIN

ILLINOIS

MINNESOTA

SOUTH DAKOTA

NEBRASKA

KANSAS MISSOURI

IOWA

EXPLANATION

0 20 40 60 80 100 MILES

0 20 40 60 80 100 KILOMETERS

Precipitation, in inches—Interval 1, 2, 

 and 4 inches

Flood annual exceedance probability (AEP), 

 in percent—Number is site identifier (table 6).

 Not all ranges are represented on map 0 – 1

1 – 2

2 – 3

3 – 4

4 – 5

5 – 6

6 – 8

8 – 10

10 – 12

12 – 14

14 – 16

16 – 20 No data

Greater than 10

4.0 – 10

2.0 – 4.0

1.0 – 2.0

0.2 – 1.0

Less than 0.2

B

2008 Flooding: Causes, Chronology, and Magnitude 21
Figure 16. Cumulative precipitation totals for A, September 1–5, 2008, the path of the remnants of Hurricane Gustav, and locations of 

U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in Arkansas with peak streamflow that had an annual exceedance probability less than 10 percent; 

and B, cumulative precipitation totals for September 11–15, 2008, the path of the remnants of Hurricane Ike, and locations of U.S. 

Geological Survey streamgages in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and Oklahoma with peak streamflows that had an 

annual exceedance probability less than 10 percent.

1.0 – 2.0

0.2 – 1.0

Less than 0.2

EXPLANATION

Precipitation, in inches—

 Interval 1 and 2 inches

Path of Hurricane 

 Gustav

Flood annual exceedance 

 probability (AEP), in 

 percent—Number is site 

 identifier (table 6). Not all 

 ranges are represented 

 on map

0 – 1

1 – 2

2 – 3

3 – 4

4 – 5

5 – 6

6 – 8

8 – 10

10 – 12

12 – 14

No data

Greater than 10

4.0 – 10

2.0 – 4.0

93

94

95

Sept. 03, 00:00

Sept. 03, 06:00

Sept. 03, 18:00

Sept. 03, 

12:00

Sept. 04, 00:00

Sept. 04, 12:00

Sept. 04, 18:00

Sept. 05, 00:00

Sept. 05, 06:00

Sept. 04, 

06:00

Waltreak

Benton

Lake 

Michigan

Wabas h

River

Misso uri

River

Mississippi

Riv e r

Mississippi River

Ohio

Riv er

Illinois

River

Saline

River

Dutch

Creek

96° 94° 92° 90° 88° 86° 84°

44°

42°

40°

38°

36°

34°

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:2,000,000, 2006

Universal Transverse Mercator projection, zone 15

KANSAS

OKLAHOMA

WISCONSIN

IOWA

MINNESOTA

TEXAS

ARKANSAS

MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA

TENNESSEE

KENTUCKY

ILLINOIS

INDIANA

MICHIGAN

MISSOURI

Date and time

0 20 40 60 80 100 MILES

0 20 40 60 80 100 KILOMETERS

Date and 

time

A

22 Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008
8

87

88

89

90

91

1

2

3 4

5

6

7

21

9

10

11 12

13

15

17 16 18

19

20

92

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34 35 36

39

40

41

42 43

44

45

46

47

48

49

52 50

53

54

55

56

57 58

59

60

61

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

69 70

72 75 76

77

7879

80

81

82

83 83

84

85

86 Date and time

Date and time

Lake

Michigan

Lake

Huron

Missouri Rive r

Wabash

River

Ohio

R iver

Illinois

Ri ver

S aline

River

Benton

Cairo

Waltreak

Dutch

C reek

100° 98° 96° 94° 92° 90° 88° 86° 84°

44°

42°

40°

38°

36°

34°

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:2,000,000, 2006

Universal Transverse Mercator projection, zone 15

MINNESOTA

SOUTH

DAKOTA WISCONSIN MICHIGAN

OHIO

INDIANA

KENTUCKY

TENNESSEE

MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA

ARKANSAS

OKLAHOMA

TEXAS

KANSAS

MISSOURI ILLINOIS

IOWA

NEBRASKA

EXPLANATION

Precipitation, in inches—

 Interval 1 and 2 inches

Flood annual exceedance probability (AEP), 

 in percent—Number is site identifier (table 7)

0 – 1

1 – 2

2 – 3

3 – 4

4 – 5

5 – 6

6 – 8

8 – 10

10 – 12

12 – 14

No data

Greater than 10

4.0 – 10

2.0 – 4.0

0 40 80 120 160 200 MILES

0 40 80 120 160 200 KILOMETERS

1.0 – 2.0

0.2 – 1.0

Less than 0.2

Sept. 14, 00:00

Sept. 14, 06:00

Sept. 14, 

12:00

Sept. 14, 18:00

Mississippi River

Mississippi

Riv er

Path of Hurricane Ike

River Des

Peres

B

Figure 16. Cumulative precipitation totals for A, September 1–5, 2008, the path of the remnants of Hurricane Gustav, 

and locations of U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in Arkansas with peak streamflow that had an annual exceedance 

probability less than 10 percent; and B, cumulative precipitation totals for September 11–15, 2008, the path of the remnants 

of Hurricane Ike, and locations of U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, 

and Oklahoma with peak streamflows that had an annual exceedance probability less than 10 percent.—Continued

2008 Flooding: Causes, Chronology, and Magnitude 23
24    Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008

2008 Flooding: Comparison with

Historic Floods

Placing the magnitude of a flood into context is desirable 

for comparison with previous floods. Ranking the observed 

2008 peak streamflows at USGS streamgages against previous 

streamflow peaks of record indicates the relative magnitude 

of the 2008 floods (tables 1–7). In many locations, the 2008 

streamflow peaks were the largest to occur in many decades. 

For example, the June 2008 flood on the Cedar River at Cedar 

Rapids, Iowa, (USGS streamgage 05464500, table 5) is the 

largest streamflow ever recorded at this site and exceeds the 

previous peak-of-record stage by more than 11 ft. During 

2008, 147 USGS streamgages recorded new peak-of-record 

streamflows, with 77 peak-of-record streamflows set during 

the June floods alone. 

To gain perspective of the magnitude of 2008 peak 

streamflows compared with previous annual peak streamflows, 

the annual streamflow peaks through time were plotted from 

data recorded at six USGS streamgages across the Midwest 

(fig. 17). Also included in these plots is the estimated value 

of the 1-percent AEP flood quantile at these six sites. The 

benchmark for major flooding on many of the major tributaries and much of the main stem of the upper Mississippi River 

(above Cairo, Illinois) is the 1993 flood; however, for some 

of the tributaries, and certainly for the rivers in Arkansas, 

Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and South 

Dakota, floods other than 1993 flood serve as the benchmarks for record flooding as evidenced in figure 17. The 

2008 flood hydrographs for selected USGS streamgages in 

the Midwest are presented in figure 18 with previous record 

flood hydrographs to enable comparisons. Although the June 

2008 floods were record setting on some of the Mississippi 

River tributaries in Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Missouri, 

[for example, Cedar River at Cedar Rapids, Iowa (fig. 18A) 

and Iowa River at Iowa City, Iowa (fig. 18B)], the Mississippi 

River main stem did not have record-setting streamflows at 

the USGS streamgages. The Mississippi River at Keokuk, 

Iowa (fig. 18C) peak streamflow in June 2008 ranked second 

in 131 years of systematic streamflow records, just 8,000 ft3/s 

shy of the 1993 record peak streamflow of 446,000 ft3

/s. 

Contrast the near peak-of-record streamflow at Keokuk, 

Iowa (ranked 2nd in 131 years of record), with the 2008 peak 

streamflow 184 mi downstream on the Mississippi River at 

St. Louis, Missouri. The 2008 peak streamflow ranked only 

25th in the 147 years of systematic streamflow records, well 

below the 1993 record peak streamflow (fig. 18D). The 2008 

streamflow on the Mississippi River at St. Louis was lower 

primarily because of the smaller streamflow contribution from 

the Missouri River in 2008, which contributed streamflow of 

as much as 750,000 ft3

/s in 1993 (Parrett and others, 1993) 

compared with a maximum streamflow during June 2008 of 

302,000 ft3

/s at the USGS streamgage at St. Charles, Missouri 

(table 5).

2008 Flooding: Annual Exceedance

Probability

Although ranking floods helps to illustrate the relative 

magnitude of the floods, it has limited use for evaluating the 

future risk of flooding. Determining the AEP requires floodprobability analysis, which involves determining the parameters needed to estimate a probability distribution from a set 

of observed peak streamflow data. The probability distribution 

relates probability to the magnitude of a certain size flood 

being equaled or exceeded. 

Selection of the probability distribution and the process 

for fitting the parameters of the distribution may vary depending on the underlying characteristics of the data. For consistency, Federal agencies that estimate flood frequencies follow 

standard guidelines, known as Bulletin 17B (Interagency 

Advisory Committee on Water Data, 1982), which recommend the use of the log-Pearson type III (LPIII) distribution 

and the “method of moments” for estimating the distribution 

parameters (mean, standard deviation, and skewness of the 

data). The analysis is based on annual peak streamflow data. 

For USGS streamgages, the data are available from the USGS 

National Water Information System database (U.S. Geological 

Survey, 2008). 

In previous flood reports (for example, Chin and others, 

1975; Parrett and others, 1993; Holmes and Kupka, 1997), 

flood probabilities were expressed as flood frequencies by 

listing the T-year recurrence interval for a particular flood 

quantile (for example, the “100-year flood”). Use of the 

T-year recurrence interval to describe flood probability is 

now discouraged by the USGS because it tends to confuse 

the general public. A T-year recurrence interval is sometimes 

interpreted to imply that there is a set time interval between 

floods of a specific magnitude when, in fact, floods are 

random processes that are best understood using probabilistic terms. The use of an AEP percentage for a flood is now 

recommended because of the clear communication, by the 

terminology, that the peak streamflow is being characterized 

by its probability or chance of occurrence. The reader can 

easily convert from the AEP to the T-year recurrence interval 

by simply taking the reciprocal of the AEP. For example, a 

1-percent AEP flood corresponds to the streamflow magnitude 

that is equaled or exceeded by a probability (expressed as a 

decimal) of 0.01 in any given year. The reciprocal of 0.01 is 

100, thus the T-year recurrence interval for the 1-percent AEP 

flood is the 100-year flood. Equivalence of selected AEP and 

recurrence intervals are as follows:
Figure 17.  Annual peak streamflows for the period of record up to 2008 and the 1-percent annual exceedance probability at selected

U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in the Midwest.

2008 Flooding: Annual Exceedance Probability   25

1 Percent annual exceedance probability 

 streamflow (graphs)

USGS streamgage (map)

White River at Newport, Arkansas, USGS streamgage 07074500

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

400,000

450,000

1840 1860 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000

White River at Newberry, Indiana, USGS streamgage 03360500

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

1840 1860 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000

Iowa River at Iowa City, Iowa, USGS streamgage 05454500

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

1840 1860 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000

ANNUAL PEAK STREAMFLOW, 

IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND 

ANNUAL PEAK STREAMFLOW, 

IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND 

ANNUAL PEAK STREAMFLOW, 

IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND 

ANNUAL PEAK STREAMFLOW, 

IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND 

ANNUAL PEAK STREAMFLOW, 

IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND 

ANNUAL PEAK STREAMFLOW, 

IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND 

Mississippi River at St. Louis, Missouri, USGS streamgage 07010000

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

1840 1860 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000

Mississippi River at Keokuk, Iowa, USGS streamgage 05474500

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

400,000

450,000

500,000

1840 1860 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000

Baraboo River near Baraboo, Wisconsin, USGS streamgage 05405000

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

20,000

1840 1860 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000

EXPLANATION

0 100 200 MILES

0 100 200 MILES

C A N A D A

G u l f o f 

M E X I C O M e x i c o
Figure 18.  Streamflow for selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages for the 2008 flood period and previous major

floods, and the 10-percent annual exceedance probability for each site.

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

45,000

B. Iowa River at Iowa City, Iowa, USGS streamgage 05454500

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

A. Cedar River at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USGS streamgage 05464500

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

400,000

450,000

500,000

MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER

DAILY MEAN STREAMFLOW, IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND

C. Mississippi River at Keokuk, Iowa, USGS streamgage 05474500

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

D. Mississippi River at St. Louis, Missouri, 

 USGS streamgage 07010000

2008

1993

1961

10 percent annual 

 flood exceedance 

 probability

2008

1993

10 percent annual 

 flood exceedance 

 probability

2008

1993

10 percent annual 

 flood exceedance 

 probability

2008

1993

10 percent annual 

 flood exceedance 

 probability

26    Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008

AEP

(percent)

Recurrence interval

(years)

50 2

20 5

10 10

4 25

2 50

1 100

0.2 500

The reliability of an AEP flood quantile from Bulletin 

17B methods may be expressed as a “variance of prediction” 

and is computed by using the asymptotic formula given by 

Cohn and others (2001), with the addition of the mean-squared 

error of generalized skew (Griffis and others, 2004). The variance of prediction varies as a function of the length of record, 

the fitted flood-probability distribution parameters (mean, 

standard deviation, and weighted skew), and the accuracy of 

the method used to determine the regional skew component 

of the weighted skew. The variance of prediction generally decreases with length of record and the fit of the LPIII 

distribution. 

Besides estimating AEP flood quantiles by Bulletin 17B 

methods, another way to obtain an AEP flood quantile estimate 

is by using regional regression equations (RRE). RRE are 

developed by using regression techniques that relate the floodprobability data at many streamgages in a particular region 

to the basin characteristics of the streams being monitored by 

the streamgages (Jennings and others, 1994). For any location along a stream (gaged or ungaged), a user can enter the 

basin characteristics (drainage area, basin slope, and so on) as 

independent variables into the equations and compute various 

streamflow characteristics, such as the 1-percent AEP flood 

quantile. The variance of prediction from the regional regression is a function of the RRE and the values of the independent variables used to develop the streamflow estimate from 

the RRE. The variance generally increases with departure 

of the actual values from the mean values of the independent variables. The USGS uses software programs, such as 

GLSNET (Generalized Least Squares NETwork analysis; 

Tasker and Stedinger, 1989), to compute the model error 

variance. 

The optimal estimate of the AEP flood quantile for a 

gaged site is determined by weighting the AEP flood quantile 

estimate determined from the Bulletin 17B methods with the 

AEP flood quantile estimate determined from the RRE. The 
Effects of the 2008 Flooding on Annual Exceedance Probability Estimates    27

weights are inversely proportional to the variances of prediction, yielding the weighted estimator:

LogQ Var RRE * LogQ +Var LPIII * LogQ

Var RR P,OPT

P,LPIII P,RRE = ( [ ] [ ] )

( [ ] [ ] E +Var LPIII ) (1)

where 

QP,OPT is the optimal estimate of AEP flood quantile 

for a particular probability of flooding 

(p) (Interagency Advisory Committee on 

Water Data, 1982, Appendix 8); 

Var[RRE] is the variance of the RRE estimate of 

the AEP flood quantile for a particular 

probability of flooding (p); 

QP,LPIII is the Bulletin 17B method estimate of 

the AEP flood quantile for a particular 

probability of flooding (p); 

Var[LPIII] is the variance of the Bulletin 17B estimate 

of the AEP flood quantile for a particular 

probability of flooding (p); and 

QP,RRE is the RRE estimate of the AEP flood quantile 

for a particular probability of flooding (p).

Previous USGS reports have expressed the accuracy 

of RREs in terms of equivalent years of record and used 

these estimates with the length of record at the streamgage 

to combine RRE and LPIII AEP flood quantile estimates (for 

example, Hodge and Tasker, 1995; Soong and others, 2004; 

Ries and Dillow, 2006). The length of record, however, can 

fail to account for the true variance of LPIII flood-probability 

estimates. For example, the length of record fails to account 

for any improvement in the information provided by the 

regional skew. Furthermore, flood-probability distributions 

computed from two different streamgaging records of the same 

length may not be of equal reliability because of differences in 

underlying variances of the streamflow records for each site. 

For example, a small drainage basin may have dynamic, more 

highly varied records and may be more difficult to accurately 

measure the streamflow than a large drainage basin; hence, the 

LPIII distributions in a small drainage basin could be expected 

to have larger variances than in a large drainage basin. More 

importantly, the equivalent years-of-record concept, although 

relatively easy to grasp, misconstrues the relation between the 

AEP flood quantile estimates and the variances. Using estimated variances provides a more natural characterization of 

the underlying uncertainty of the various streamflow estimates.

The optimal (weighted) estimates of the AEP flood 

quantiles corresponding to the 4-percent, 2-percent, 1-percent, 

and 0.2-percent AEP, along with their respective 95-percent 

confidence limits, for most of the streams in the Midwest 

that were flooded during the January to September 2008 

time frame, are given in tables 1–7. Presenting this information for the streams in this report allows the reader to better 

assess the uncertainty of the AEP for each stream in the tables. 

During January through September 2008, peak streamflows at 

26 USGS streamgages had a less than 0.2-percent AEP, and 

peak streamflows at 67 USGS streamgages had an AEP in the 

range of 0.2 to 1 percent. 

Effects of the 2008 Flooding on Annual

Exceedance Probability Estimates

The calculation of AEP flood quantiles by the guidelines published in Bulletin 17B is dependent on annual 

peak streamflow data from USGS streamgages. As more 

data become available, the AEP flood quantile estimates are 

affected. As a result, the AEP flood quantiles for the various 

AEP values (for example, 50-percent, 2-percent, and 1-percent 

AEP) change through time at each site. The effects of changing the length of the annual peak streamflow record on AEP 

flood quantiles are shown for selected sites in figure 19, which 

has the moving unweighted (not weighted with RRE estimate) AEP flood quantile plotted through time. A minimum 

of 10 years of annual peak streamflow data was needed for 

these sites before the first unweighted AEP flood quantile was 

computed by Bulletin 17B methods. Thereafter, the moving 

unweighted AEP flood quantiles for the 50-percent, 2-percent, 

and 1-percent AEP were computed using the Bulletin 17B 

guidelines for each successive year, keeping all previous 

annual peak streamflow data in the analysis. By examining the 

time series for each graph, it is apparent that increases in the 

1-percent and 2-percent unweighted AEP flood quantile occur 

with each new major flood, followed by slight decreases in the 

years following each major flood. The 50-percent unweighted 

AEP flood quantile estimate is mostly insensitive to major 

floods.

Inclusion of the 2008 flood-peak streamflow in the 

analysis increases the 2-percent and 1-percent unweighted 

AEP flood quantile estimate for each of the six selected USGS 

streamgages (fig. 19). The unregulated streams in the Midwest 

with more than 10 years of record and that had peak streamflows during 2008 with an estimated AEP less than 1 percent 

are presented in figure 20. Including the 2008 peak streamflow 

in the flood-probability analysis increased the estimate of 

the 1-percent unweighted AEP flood quantile anywhere from 

20 percent to more than 100 percent for streamgages with 

less than 25 years of record (fig. 20). In contrast, streamgages 

with more than 80 years of record had a less than 10 percent 

increase in the 1-percent unweighted AEP flood quantile, 

inferring that the longer the period of record used for the 

flood-probability analysis, the less pronounced the effect of 

including the 2008 flood data. A similar observation can be 

made for the confidence limits. All other factors being equal, 

one can reasonably conclude that as the length of record 

increases, the instability in the AEP flood quantile estimate 

decreases and the confidence limits narrow, resulting in a 

decrease in the level of uncertainty in the AEP flood quantile 

estimate. For this report, the 2008 peak streamflows were 

included in all flood-probability analyses to determine the AEP 

flood quantile estimates provided in tables 1–7.
Figure 19.  Effects of annual peak streamflows on moving 50-percent, 2-percent, and 1-percent unweighted annual

exceedance probability flood quantiles through time at selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages.

Cedar River at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USGS streamgage 05464500

0

30,000

60,000

90,000

120,000

150,000

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

45,000

1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

1915 1925 1935 1945 1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015 1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2010

STREAMFLOW, IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND

Chariton River near Prairie Hill, Missouri, USGS streamgage 06905500

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Nodaway River at Clarinda, Iowa, USGS streamgage 06817000

Bark River near Rome, Wisconsin, USGS streamgage 05426250

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

Rock River at Afton, Wisconsin, USGS streamgage 05430500

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

Shell Rock River at Shell Rock, Iowa, USGS streamgage 05462000

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2000 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Annual peak streamflow

Moving 1-percent annual exceedance probability flood quantile

Moving 2-percent annual exceedance probability flood quantile

Moving 50-percent annual exceedance probability flood quantile

EXPLANATION

28    Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008
Figure 20.  Increase in the 0.2-percent, 1-percent, and 50-percent unweighted annual exceedence probability flood

quantiles for unregulated streams in the Midwest with more than 10 years of record when 2008 peak streamflow data were

included in the flood-probability analysis.

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

YEARS OF RECORD

INCREASE FROM 2007 TO 2008, IN PERCENT

0.2-percent annual exceedance probability

1-percent annual exceedance probability

50-percent annual exceedance probability

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120

Trends in Flood Maxima    29

Trends in Flood Maxima

Trends in peak streamflows are important to investigate, as a trend may indicate to emergency and infrastructure 

managers changes in levels of risk to public safety. The annual 

peak-streamflow time-series data were analyzed for selected 

USGS streamgages in the Midwest to determine the presence 

and subsequent magnitude of trends through time at each 

site. Only trend magnitudes were computed with no effort to 

conduct null hypothesis significance testing (NHST), as much 

discussion in recent literature has focused on problems with 

NHST (Nichols, 2001) and the issue of long-term persistence 

(Cohn and Lins, 2005).

The trend magnitudes were computed based on the Sen 

slope estimator (Sen, 1968) using the MAKESENS application 

from the Finnish Meteorological Institute (Salmi and others, 

2002). The Sen slope, also known as the Kendall-Theil robust 

line, is a nonparametric estimate of trend magnitude slope 

for a univariate time series when the time interval is constant 

(equally spaced). 

f(t) = Mq t + B (2)

where 

f(t) is the increasing or decreasing function of 

time for the trend magnitudes of the peak 

streamflows used in the investigation, 

	 Mq is the Sen slope (trend magnitude), 

	 t is time, and 

	 B is a constant.

The Sen slope is the median slope of all pairwise comparisons with each pairwise difference divided by the number of 

years separating the records. To determine the Sen slope estimate in equation 2, the slopes of all data pairs are calculated:

M j,k

k j

j,k

x x

Δt = ( ) −

for j = 1, ..., n-1; j < k ≤ n (3)

where 

Mj,k is the slope between data points xj and xk; 

xj is the data measurement at time j;

xk is the data measurement at time k; and 

Δtj,k is the change in time between observations. 

The Sen slope, Mq, is equal to the median value of all the Mj,k.

The streamgages selected for trend analysis were 

selected from the streamgages that had peak streamflows less 

than 10-percent AEP in 2008 and met the criteria outlined 

in Hodgkins and others (2007). The criteria stipulate that 

the streamgage must have at least 50 years of data with no 

more than 5 percent missing and that the stream must not be 
Figure 21.  Percentage changes in the median annual peak streamflow values for selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages

on unregulated streams with data from 1958 to 2007.

MONTANA NORTH DAKOTA

WYOMING

SOUTH DAKOTA

COLORADO

NEBRASKA

KANSAS

OKLAHOMA

TEXAS

NEW MEXICO

MINNESOTA

IOWA

MISSOURI

WISCONSIN

MICHIGAN

ILLINOIS

INDIANA

OHIO

ARKANSAS

KENTUCKY

TENNESSEE

MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA GEORGIA

SOUTH

CAROLINA

NORTH

CAROLINA

VIRGINIA

WEST

VIRGINIAPENNSYLVANIA

Base from the National Atlas of the United States, 200-meter resolution, 2006

Albers Equal Area projection

CANADA

Lake Superior

Lake Huron

Lake Michigan

Lake Erie

Lake 

Ontario

110° 105° 100° 95° 90° 85° 80°

45°

40°

35°

EXPLANATION

Positive Negative No change

0 – 0.3 0

0.4 – 0.6

0.7 – 1.0

1.1 – 1.7

-0.3 – 0

-0.7 – -0.4

-1.9 – -0.8

-3.1 – -2.0

Percent change of the median flood, per year

0 200 400 MILES

0 200 400 KILOMETERS

30    Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008

regulated by the presence of a substantial dam or other waterdiversion and control structure. The minimum timeframe of 

50 years of record is arbitrary. The USGS streamgages that 

did not meet these criteria were eliminated from the analyses. In the Midwestern States included in this investigation, 

147 streamgages on unregulated streams met the criteria and 

were included in the computation of trend magnitudes of 

annual peak streamflows.

For comparison of streamgages with varying basin sizes, 

the Sen slope for each streamgage was divided by the median 

annual peak streamflow value to determine the percentage of 

◄Streamgage 05462000, Shell Rock River at Shell Rock, Iowa. 

Photograph by Don Becker, USGS.
Figure 22.  Percentage changes in the median annual peak streamflow values for selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages

on unregulated streams with data from 1918 to 2007.

#

#

#

#

##

##

#

#

#

#

#

#

MONTANA NORTH DAKOTA

WYOMING

SOUTH DAKOTA

COLORADO

NEBRASKA

KANSAS

OKLAHOMA

TEXAS

NEW MEXICO

MINNESOTA

IOWA

MISSOURI

WISCONSIN

MICHIGAN

ILLINOIS

INDIANA

OHIO

ARKANSAS

KENTUCKY

TENNESSEE

MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA GEORGIA

SOUTH

CAROLINA

NORTH

CAROLINA

VIRGINIA

WEST

VIRGINIAPENNSYLVANIA

Base from the National Atlas of the United States, 200-meter resolution, 2006

Albers Equal Area projection

CANADA

Lake Superior

Lake Huron

Lake Michigan

Lake Erie

Lake 

Ontario

EXPLANATION

Positive Negative

0 – 0.1

0.2 – 0.3

0.4 – 0.5

0.6 – 0.7

0 – -0.1

-0.2 – -0.1

-.03

-0.4

Percent change of the median flood, per year—

 Not all ranges are represented on map

0 200 400 MILES

0 200 400 KILOMETERS

110° 105° 100° 95° 90° 85° 80°

45°

40°

35°

Trends in Flood Maxima    31

change with respect to the median annual peak streamflow at 

each streamgage. Examination of the trend magnitude (scaled 

by median annual peak flood streamflow) from1958 to 2007 

does not indicate a systematic trend for the Midwest in either 

direction. Of the 147 streamgages, 83 had an upward trend, 

60 had a downward trend, and 4 had no trend (fig. 21). The 

clustering of upward trends in magnitude (positive percentages) in northeastern Illinois and northwestern Indiana 

(fig. 21) likely is explained partially by increased urbanization 

in the Chicago metropolitan area between 1958 and 2007. A 

clustering of downward trends in magnitude (negative percentages) occurred in areas of eastern Iowa, southern Wisconsin, 

and southern Illinois. An additional analysis was conducted 

on 14 streamgages on unregulated streams with annual 

peak streamflow data from 1918 to 2007; of these 14 sites, 

10 streamgages had an upward trend (fig. 22). 
32 Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008

Summary

Above-average precipitation occurred throughout much 

of the United States Midwest during late 2007, which left soils 

extremely wet or saturated as the 2007–2008 winter months 

approached. Melting of the above-average snow accumulations in the upper Midwest provided a perfect setting for 

enhanced runoff by keeping the soil saturated and streams 

flowing well above baseflow throughout spring 2008. Heavy 

precipitation occurred in January in parts of Illinois and 

Indiana and initiated the first of many rounds of flooding in 

the Midwest. Discrete episodes of extreme or heavy precipitation resulted in flooding in parts of the Midwest during the 

months of January–April, June, July, and September, 2008. 

New total precipitation records were set at 106 National 

Weather Service rain gages during January through June 2008. 

During June 2008, new monthly total precipitation records 

were set at 66 rain gages, with precipitation totals in the range 

of 0.2-percent to 0.1-percent annual exceedance probability in 

parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa. 

In 2008, more than 147 USGS Midwestern streamgages 

had peak-of-record streamflows. Of these 147 peak-of-record 

streamflows, 77 were set in June alone, and 39 of the 77 were 

in Iowa. 

Rare floods (less than 0.2-percent chance of exceedance) were recorded at USGS streamgages at 26 sites, and 

67 streamgages recorded peak streamflows having an annual 

exceedance probability between 0.2 percent and 1 percent. 

Recurrent flooding in Indiana set new records at several 

streamgages during the months of January, February, March, 

June, and September 2008. The June flooding was by far 

the most severe and widespread, causing damage in Illinois, 

Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, 

Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. 

Trend magnitudes were computed at 147 unregulated 

Midwest streamgages. The computed trend magnitudes and 

percentages of change in the median annual peak streamflow 

values indicated that although clustering of increasing and 

decreasing trends occurred, no consistent trend was evident 

across the Midwest.

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book 3, chap. A1, 30 p.
References Cited 33

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Amnell, T., 2002, Detecting trends of annual values of 

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Flooding on the West Fork Cedar River near Finchford, 

Iowa. Photograph by Don Becker, USGS.

34 Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008

U.S. Geological Survey, 2010, Flood Photo and Video 

Archive, White River at Calico Rock, Arkansas Video: 

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Tables 1–7

USGS hydrographers preparing to make a boat measurement of the streamflow coming across the 

road on the Cedar River near Conesville, Iowa (USGS streamgage 05465000). Photograph by Scott 

Strader, USGS.
36 Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008 Table 1 37

Table 1. Summary of peak stages, streamflows, and flood-probability estimates for selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages

during January 2008.

[mi2, square mile; ft, foot; ft3/s, cubic foot per second; AEP, annual exceedance probability; <, less than; --, no data; >, greater than]

Site 

number 

(fig. 7)

Station 

number Station name

Contributing 

drainage 

area

(mi2)

Flood data Estimated 

AEP for 

observed 

peak 

streamflow 

(percent)

Expected peak streamflows for selected AEP with 95-percent confidence limits (ft3/s)b

Previous maximum streamflow Flood of January 2008 4-percent AEP

(25-year recurrence)

2-percent AEP

(50-year recurrence)

1-percent AEP

(100-year recurrence)

0.2-percent AEP

(500-year recurrence)

Date Stage

(ft)

Streamflow

(ft3

/s)

Ranka/

annual 

peaks

Date

Peak 

stage

(ft)

Peak 

streamflow 

(ft3/s)

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Low High Low High Low High Low High

1 03328000 Eel River at North Manchester, Ind. 417 12/1990 20.16 8,740 (

c

) 1/9/2008 13.88 7,950 4–10 8,220 7,210 9,370 9,170 7,840 10,700 10,100 8,440 12,200 12,400 9,670 15,900

2 03328500 Eel River near Logansport, Ind. 789 02/1985 12.68 17,700 (

c

) 1/10/2008 11.26 13,300 4–10 15,500 13,500 17,700 17,400 14,800 20,500 19,400 16,000 23,500 24,200 18,600 31,300

3 03330500 Tippecanoe River at Oswego, Ind. 113 03/1982 9.25 d

950 (

c

) 1/13/2008 8.51 d650 4–10 782 662 925 895 733 1,090 1,010 804 1,280 1,310 970 1,770

4 03331500 Tippecanoe River near Ora, Ind. 856 06/1981 15.08 8,660 1/64 1/10/2008 15.63 9,290 2–4 8,920 7,660 10,400 9,990 8,370 11,900 11,000 8,990 13,500 13,300 10,200 17,200

5 03333050 Tippecanoe River near Delphi, Ind. 1,869 12/1990 12.87 22,100 1/20 1/8/2008 17.83 e

37,600 < 1 f22,200 -- -- f24,600 -- -- f27,100 -- -- -- -- --

6 03335500 Wabash River at Lafayette, Ind. 7,267 03/1913 32.90 190,000 (

c

) 1/10/2008 21.95 d59,800 > 10 96,100 86,500 107,000 110,000 96,500 125,000 124,000 106,000 144,000 158,000 128,000 195,000

7 03336000 Wabash River at Covington, Ind. 8,218 03/1913 35.10 200,000 (

c

) 1/11/2008 25.99 d56,700 > 10 105,000 94,800 117,000 119,000 105,000 135,000 133,000 115,000 154,000 165,000 135,000 202,000

8 03341500 Wabash River at Terre Haute, Ind. 12,263 03/1913 31.20 245,000 (

c

) 1/13/2008 21.56 d58,500 > 10 139,000 125,000 154,000 156,000 138,000 177,000 174,000 150,000 201,000 213,000 174,000 260,000

9 03342000 Wabash River at Riverton, Ind. 13,161 03/1913 26.40 250,000 (

c

) 1/17/2008 21.21 d55,800 > 10 134,000 121,000 149,000 152,000 134,000 172,000 169,000 146,000 196,000 208,000 171,000 254,000

10 04097500 St. Joseph River at Three Rivers, Mich. 1,350 04/1950 10.60 8,260 3/49 1/12/2008 9.44 6,330 4–10 g

6,360 5,720 7,310 g6,970 6,200 8,140 g7,560 6,660 8,950 g8,900 7,680 10,900

11 04099000 St. Joseph River at Mottville, Mich. 1,866 06/1989 10.41 d

11,400 8/86 1/12/2008 8.59 d8,110 4–10 g8,780 8,080 9,730 g9,800 8,930 11,000 g10,800 9,780 12,300 g13,400 11,800 15,700

12 04100222 North Branch Elkhart River at Cosperville, Ind. 142 03/1982 8.12 d

919 4/37 1/12/2008 h7.28 d742 4–10 873 725 1,050 984 793 1,220 1,100 859 1,410 1,390 1,020 1,900

13 04100500 Elkhart River at Goshen, Ind. 594 02/1985 11.87 6,360 (

c

) 1/9/2008 10.07 4,860 4–10 5,600 4,910 6,380 6,180 5,290 7,230 6,740 5,610 8,090 7,950 6,240 10,100

14 04180000 Cedar Creek near Cedarville, Ind. 270 12/1990 13.38 5,580 (

c

) 1/9/2008 12.03 4,870 4–10 5,280 4,740 5,880 5,630 4,950 6,410 5,950 5,100 6,920 6,580 5,360 8,090

15 05515500 Kankakee River at Davis, Ind. 537 01/2005 13.05 1,930 (

c

) 1/8/2008 13.61 1,760 4–10 1,830 1,710 1,960 1,940 1,790 2,100 2,050 1,860 2,250 2,300 2,010 2,620

16 05516500 Yellow River at Plymouth, Ind. 294 10/1954 17.13 5,390 3/60 1/10/2008 15.13 4,010 4–10 4,100 3,530 4,750 4,600 3,860 5,480 5,100 4,170 6,240 6,290 4,870 8,120

17 05517000 Yellow River at Knox, Ind. 435 10/1954 13.75 5,660 (

c

) 1/12/2008 12.14 4,290 4–10 4,510 3,950 5,140 5,020 4,300 5,860 5,530 4,630 6,600 6,750 5,360 8,490

18 05517500 Kankakee River at Dunns Bridge, Ind. 1,160 03/1982 13.38 5,870 (

c

) 1/13/2008 12.69 5,230 4–10 5,390 4,940 5,870 5,730 5,170 6,350 6,060 5,370 6,840 6,800 5,760 8,040

19 05518000 Kankakee River at Shelby, Ind. 1,779 03/1982 12.98 7,650 (

c

) 1/12/2008 12.43 5,660 > 10 6,370 5,940 6,830 6,730 6,180 7,320 7,060 6,390 7,810 7,760 6,740 8,930

20 05522500 Iroquois River at Rensselaer, Ind. 203 07/2003 16.59 2,620 (

c

) 1/10/2008 15.06 2,290 4–10 2,360 2,160 2,580 2,570 2,310 2,860 2,770 2,450 3,140 3,250 2,740 3,860

21 05524500 Iroquois River near Foresman, Ind. 449 06/1958 24.42 5,930 (

c

) 1/9/2008 24.16 6,420 1–2 5,690 4,930 6,550 6,300 5,340 7,430 6,880 5,690 8,320 8,210 6,430 10,500

22 05527500 Kankakee River near Wilmington, Ill. 5,150 07/1957 11.40 75,900 7/96 1/9/2008 8.77 49,500 4–10 54,700 47,300 63,300 61,300 51,600 72,900 67,500 55,200 82,600 80,800 61,300 106,000

23 05536179 Hart Ditch at Dyer, Ind. 37.6 11/1990 15.33 3,010 (

c

) 1/8/2008 12.31 1,660 > 10 g3,100 2,380 4,690 g3,730 2,780 5,990 g4,420 3,200 7,540 g6,340 4,290 12,300

24 05536195 Little Calumet River at Munster, Ind. 90.0 04/1959 13.67 1,510 6/50 1/9/2008 14.58 1,050 4–10 1,210 1,050 1,510 1,320 1,130 1,720 1,440 1,210 1,940 1,730 1,410 2,490

25 05555300 Vermilion River near Leonore, Ill. 1,251 07/1958 15.30 33,500 3/78 1/9/2008 25.22 26,900 4–10 30,700 25,600 36,900 35,000 28,300 43,400 39,100 30,500 50,200 48,200 34,400 67,500

a

 Rank of the maximum instantaneous peak streamflow measured during January 2008 compared to all systematic and historic annual peaks. A rank of 1 

indicates that the January 2008 peak streamflow was higher than all other recorded annual peaks.

b

 Unless otherwise noted, expected peak streamflows are based on Water Resources Council Bulletin 17B weighting by variance method.

c The peak streamflow for January 2008 was exceeded by another peak streamflow during 2008.

d

 Streamflow affected to unknown degree by regulation or diversion. 

e

 Streamflow affected by regulation or diversion. 

f

 Expected peak streamflows are Indiana Coordinated Discharges, which do not include confidence limits (http://www.state.in.us/dnr/water/4898.htm).

g

 Expected peak streamflows based on Bulletin 17B systematic frequency-curve estimate only. 

h A higher stage exists that corresponds to a streamflow that is less than the peak streamflow.

Flooding in Spencer, Indiana from the White River (left) and USGS personnel launching boat (right) to make a streamflow 

measurement on the White River near Newberry, Indiana (USGS streamgage 03360500). Photographs by Paul Baker, USGS.
38 Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008 Table 2 39

Table 2. Summary of peak stages, streamflows, and flood-probability estimates for selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages during

February 2008.

[mi2, square mile; ft, foot; ft3/s, cubic foot per second; AEP, annual exceedance probability; >, greater than; --, no data]

Site 

number 

(fig. 8)

Station 

number Station name

Contributing 

drainage 

area

(mi2)

Flood data Estimated 

AEP for 

observed 

peak 

streamflow 

(percent)

Expected peak streamflows for selected AEP with 95-percent confidence limits (ft3/s)b

Previous maximum streamflow Flood of February 2008 4-percent AEP

(25-year recurrence)

2-percent AEP

(50-year recurrence)

1-percent AEP

(100-year recurrence)

0.2-percent AEP

(500-year recurrence)

Date Stage

(ft)

Streamflow

(ft3

/s)

Ranka/

annual 

peaks

Date

Peak 

stage

(ft)

Peak 

streamflow 

(ft3/s)

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Low High Low High Low High Low High

1 03322900 Wabash River at Linn Grove, Ind. 453 07/2003 14.76 c

14,500 2/45 2/7/2008 13.52 c9,890 4–10 10,100 8,610 12,000 11,000 9,100 13,400 11,800 9,440 14,700 13,200 9,940 17,500

2 03324000 Little River near Huntington, Ind. 263 01/1950 16.90 5,990 5/65 2/7/2008 18.91 5,180 4–10 5,530 5,010 6,090 5,940 5,290 6,670 6,340 5,540 7,260 7,250 6,040 8,700

3 03325000 Wabash River at Wabash, Ind. 1,768 03/1913 28.70 90,000 44/86 2/6/2008 16.37 d

14,400 > 10 e22,500 -- -- e25,500 -- -- e29,500 -- -- -- -- --

4 03327500 Wabash River at Peru, Ind. 2,686 03/1913 28.10 115,000 39/67 2/6/2008 12.39 d

15,800 > 10 e23,900 -- -- e26,900 -- -- e30,900 -- -- -- -- --

5 03328000 Eel River at North Manchester, Ind. 417 12/1990 20.16 8,740 3/87 2/6/2008 14.09 8,230 2–4 8,220 7,210 9,370 9,170 7,840 10,700 10,100 8,440 12,200 12,400 9,670 15,900

6 03328500 Eel River near Logansport, Ind. 789 02/1985 12.68 17,700 6/66 2/7/2008 11.31 13,500 4–10 15,500 13,500 17,700 17,400 14,800 20,500 19,400 16,000 23,500 24,200 18,600 31,300

7 03329000 Wabash River at Logansport, Ind. 3,779 03/1913 25.30 140,000 41/94 2/6/2008 12.70 c

32,400 > 10 68,400 59,600 78,500 80,300 67,700 95,300 92,800 75,700 114,000 125,000 94,100 166,000

8 03330500 Tippecanoe River at Oswego, Ind. 113 03/1982 9.25 c

950 6/60 2/10/2008 8.54 c661 4–10 782 662 925 895 733 1,090 1,010 804 1,280 1,310 970 1,770

9 03331500 Tippecanoe River near Ora, Ind. 856 06/1981 15.08 8,660 (

f

) 2/8/2008 15.60 9,200 2–4 8,920 7,660 10,400 9,990 8,370 11,900 11,000 8,990 13,500 13,300 10,200 17,200

10 03333050 Tippecanoe River near Delphi, Ind. 1,869 12/1990 12.87 22,100 (f

) 2/6/2008 14.89 d24,600 1–2 e22,200 -- -- e24,600 -- -- e27,100 -- -- -- -- --

11 03335500 Wabash River at Lafayette, Ind. 7,267 03/1913 32.90 190,000 15/105 2/7/2008 23.94 c

72,400 > 10 96,100 86,500 107,000 110,000 96,500 125,000 124,000 106,000 144,000 158,000 128,000 195,000

12 03336000 Wabash River at Covington, Ind. 8,218 03/1913 35.10 200,000 15/82 2/8/2008 27.67 c

74,000 > 10 105,000 94,800 117,000 119,000 105,000 135,000 133,000 115,000 154,000 165,000 135,000 202,000

13 03336645 Middle Fork Vermilion River, Oakwood, Ill. 432 04/1994 20.46 15,500 4/32 2/6/2008 16.16 12,600 4–10 14,800 12,200 18,000 17,300 13,700 21,800 19,900 15,200 26,100 26,500 18,500 37,900 

14 03336900 Salt Fork near St. Joseph, Ill. 134 05/1968 18.26 6,860 4/38 2/6/2008 19.06 5,660 4–10 6,280 4,830 8,150 7,390 5,460 10,000 8,580 6,070 12,100 11,600 7,430 18,200 

15 03341500 Wabash River at Terre Haute, Ind. 12,263 03/1913 31.20 245,000 (f

) 2/10/2008 25.00 c92,200 > 10 139,000 125,000 154,000 156,000 138,000 177,000 174,000 150,000 201,000 213,000 174,000 260,000

16 03342000 Wabash River at Riverton, Ind. 13,161 03/1913 26.40 250,000 (

f

) 2/12/2008 24.16 c77,300 > 10 134,000 121,000 149,000 152,000 134,000 172,000 169,000 146,000 196,000 208,000 171,000 254,000

17 03374000 White River at Petersburg, Ind. 11,125 03/1913 29.50 235,000 (

f

) 2/13/2008 23.58 c70,600 > 10 153,000 139,000 170,000 173,000 153,000 195,000 191,000 166,000 221,000 235,000 192,000 286,000

18 04100222 North Branch Elkhart River at Cosperville, Ind. 142 03/1982 8.12 c

919 (f) 2/11/2008 7.58 c718 > 10 873 725 1,050 984 793 1,220 1,100 859 1,410 1,390 1,020 1,900

19 04100500 Elkhart River at Goshen, Ind. 594 02/1985 11.87 6,360 8/81 2/6/2008 10.39 5,080 4–10 5,600 4,910 6,380 6,180 5,290 7,230 6,740 5,610 8,090 7,950 6,240 10,100

20 04180000 Cedar Creek near Cedarville, Ind. 270 12/1990 13.38 5,580 3/62 2/7/2008 12.83 5,290 2–4 5,280 4,740 5,880 5,630 4,950 6,410 5,950 5,100 6,920 6,580 5,360 8,090

21 05515500 Kankakee River at Davis, Ind. 537 01/2005 13.05 1,930 (

f

) 2/6/2008 g13.17 1,580 > 10 1,830 1,710 1,960 1,940 1,790 2,100 2,050 1,860 2,250 2,300 2,010 2,620

22 05516500 Yellow River at Plymouth, Ind. 294 10/1954 17.13 5,390 (

f

) 2/7/2008 14.94 3,590 4–10 4,100 3,530 4,750 4,600 3,860 5,480 5,100 4,170 6,240 6,290 4,870 8,120

23 05517000 Yellow River at Knox, Ind. 435 10/1954 13.75 5,660 3/65 2/9/2008 12.16 4,310 4–10 4,510 3,950 5,140 5,020 4,300 5,860 5,530 4,630 6,600 6,750 5,360 8,490

24 05517500 Kankakee River at Dunns Bridge, Ind. 1,160 03/1982 13.38 5,870 2/60 2/12/2008 g

12.72 5,420 2–4 5,390 4,940 5,870 5,730 5,170 6,350 6,060 5,370 6,840 6,800 5,760 8,040

25 05518000 Kankakee River at Shelby, Ind. 1,779 03/1982 12.98 7,650 (

f

) 2/13/2008 12.27 5,710 > 10 6,370 5,940 6,830 6,730 6,180 7,320 7,060 6,390 7,810 7,760 6,740 8,930

26 05522500 Iroquois River at Rensselaer, Ind. 203 07/2003 16.59 2,620 4/61 2/7/2008 15.64 2,490 2–4 2,360 2,160 2,580 2,570 2,310 2,860 2,770 2,450 3,140 3,250 2,740 3,860

27 05524500 Iroquois River near Foresman, Ind. 449 06/1958 24.42 5,930 1/60 2/7/2008 g

22.70 6,480 1–2 5,690 4,930 6,550 6,300 5,340 7,430 6,880 5,690 8,320 8,210 6,430 10,500

a

 Rank of the maximum instantaneous peak streamflow measured during February 2008 compared to all systematic and historic annual peaks. A rank of 1 

indicates that the February 2008 peak streamflow was higher than all other recorded annual peaks.

b

 Unless otherwise noted, expected peak streamflows are based on Water Resources Council Bulletin 17B weighting by variance method.

c

 Streamflow affected to unknown degree by regulation or diversion. 

d

 Streamflow affected by regulation or diversion. 

e

 Expected peak streamflows are Indiana Coordinated Discharges, which do not include confidence limits (http://www.state.in.us/dnr/water/4898.htm).

f The peak streamflow for February 2008 was exceeded by another peak streamflow during 2008.

g A higher stage exists that corresponds to a streamflow that is less than the peak streamflow.

Flooding in Harrisburg, Illinois. Flooding was because of local 

drainage interior to the levee (foreground) that could not be 

evacuated quick enough by the pumping station located in the brick 

structure atop the levee. Photograph by Robert Holmes, USGS.

Flooding in Harrisburg, Illinois. Photograph by Robert Holmes, USGS.
40 Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008 Table 3 41

Table 3. Summary of peak stages, streamflows, and flood-probability estimates for selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages during

March 2008.—Continued

[mi2, square mile; ft, foot; ft3/s, cubic foot per second; AEP, annual exceedance probability; >, greater than; <, less than; --, no data]

Site 

number 

(fig. 10)

Station 

number Station name

Contributing 

drainage 

area

(mi2)

Flood data Estimated 

AEP for 

observed 

peak 

streamflow 

(percent)

Expected peak streamflows for selected AEP with 95-percent confidence limits (ft3

/s)b

Previous maximum streamflow Flood of March 2008 4-percent AEP

(25-year recurrence)

2-percent AEP

(50-year recurrence)

1-percent AEP

(100-year recurrence)

0.2-percent AEP

(500-year recurrence)

Date Stage

(ft)

Streamflow

(ft3

/s)

Ranka/

annual 

peaks

Date

Peak 

stage

(ft)

Peak 

streamflow 

(ft3/s)

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Low High Low High Low High Low High

1 03302800 Blue River at Fredricksburg, Ind. 206 04/1996 27.15 39,000 1/40 3/19/2008 27.37 41,700 0.2–1 24,100 19,200 30,200 28,300 22,100 36,300 32,700 25,000 42,900 44,400 31,600 62,200

2 03303000 Blue River near White Cloud, Ind. 284 04/1996 23.30 29,400 1/83 3/20/2008 24.15 31,000 1–2 27,300 23,700 31,500 31,000 26,300 36,600 34,900 28,800 42,200 44,700 34,700 57,500

3 03342000 Wabash River at Riverton, Ind. 13,161 03/1913 26.40 250,000 (c

) 3/22/2008 19.99 d47,100 > 10 134,000 121,000 149,000 152,000 134,000 172,000 169,000 146,000 196,000 208,000 171,000 254,000

4 03366500 Muscatatuck River near Deputy, Ind. 293 01/1959 34.27 52,200 2/61 3/19/2008 30.51 36,600 .2–1 29,600 26,600 33,000 32,800 28,900 37,200 35,700 30,900 41,300 42,300 35,000 51,100

5 03376500 Patoka River near Princeton, Ind. 822 01/1937 26.80 18,700 6/74 3/24/2008 e

24.11 f12,600 4–10 g13,800 11,200 18,400 g15,800 12,700 21,800 g17,900 14,100 25,300 g22,800 17,300 34,200

6 03378000 Bonpas Creek at Browns, Ill. 228 05/1961 24.04 7,500 6/68 3/20/2008 23.27 5,530 4–10 6,600 5,640 7,740 7,480 6,210 9,010 8,370 6,750 10,400 10,500 7,880 14,100 

7 03378550 Big Creek at Wadesville, Ind. 104 04/1996 20.35 10,400 1/43 3/19/2008 20.55 14,300 < .2 8,940 7,330 10,900 9,730 7,730 12,200 10,500 8,070 13,600 12,100 8,650 16,900

8 03380500 Skillet Fork at Wayne City, Ill. 464 05/1990 25.75 59,400 6/91 3/20/2008 23.29 22,900 4–10 29,800 23,200 38,300 36,700 27,300 49,200 43,900 31,200 61,800 62,300 39,600 98,000 

9 03382100 South Fork Saline River near Carrier Mills, Ill. 147 01/1982 16.32 5,160 1/43 3/19/2008 18.41 24,300 < .2 7,780 5,780 10,500 9,450 6,660 13,400 11,300 7,550 16,800 16,200 9,610 27,300 

10 03384450 Lusk Creek near Eddyville, Ill. 42.9 08/1985 27.78 16,100 5/42 3/18/2008 22.05 9,740 4–10 11,900 9,370 15,100 13,600 10,400 17,900 15,400 11,300 21,100 19,700 13,100 29,500 

11 05592900 East Fork Kaskaskia River near Sandoval, Ill. 113 05/1990 20.03 h

17,000 4/29 3/19/2008 20.06 9,300 4–10 11,500 8,170 16,300 13,700 9,290 20,300 16,000 10,300 24,900 21,600 12,500 37,500 

12 05593575 Crooked Creek near New Minden, Ill. 84.3 05/1995 21.76 11,900 5/41 3/19/2008 21.22 9,950 4–10 11,600 8,720 15,500 13,700 9,850 19,100 15,800 10,900 23,000 20,800 12,800 33,600 

13 05594100 Kaskaskia River near Venedy Station, Ill. 4,393 05/1995 25.79 f

50,300 8/39 3/21/2008 24.01 f38,000 > 10 g54,800 44,600 72,300 g62,600 50,100 84,700 g70,200 55,400 97,100 g87,200 66,900 126,000

14 05595200 Richland Creek near Hecker, Ill. 129 04/1996 44.40 23,400 4/39 3/19/2008 42.90 13,200 4–10 14,600 11,100 19,200 17,100 12,400 23,500 19,700 13,700 28,200 25,900 16,300 41,200 

15 05595730 Rayse Creek near Waltonville, Ill. 88.0 11/1993 17.73 21,200 7/29 3/19/2008 16.09 13,700 > 10 19,500 12,600 30,300 23,600 14,400 38,700 27,700 16,000 48,000 37,300 19,100 73,100 

16 05595820 Casey Fork at Mount Vernon, Ill. 76.9 05/1990 17.03 16,100 4/23 3/19/2008 16.09 10,300 4–10 13,600 8,990 20,500 16,200 10,200 25,700 18,800 11,200 31,400 25,100 13,300 47,200 

17 05597500 Crab Orchard Creek near Marion, Ill. 31.7 12/2001 13.63 9,430 1/57 3/19/2008 13.74 10,000 .2–1 6,480 4,690 8,940 8,050 5,530 11,700 9,740 6,350 14,900 14,100 8,110 24,400 

18 05599490 Big Muddy River at Murphysboro, Ill. 2,159 05/1996 i

37.65 33,800 4/80 3/22/2008 37.24 31,500 4–10 g32,600 27,200 41,500 g37,200 30,600 48,700 g41,900 34,000 56,200 g53,000 41,600 74,600

19 05600000 Big Creek near Wetaug, Ill. 32.2 03/1943 15.90 7,200 1/67 3/19/2008 15.74 h

7,200 .2–1 4,240 3,530 5,090 4,920 3,950 6,140 5,660 4,360 7,350 7,650 5,360 10,900 

20 06918440 Sac River near Dadeville, Mo. 257 09/1993 27.56 36,100 3/44 3/19/2008 21.32 14,600 4–10 20,100 14,300 28,300 25,700 17,600 37,700 31,900 21,000 48,400 46,900 28,900 76,200 

21 06921070 Pomme de Terre River near Polk, Mo. 276 09/1993 27.10 34,300 3/40 3/19/2008 22.81 22,800 4–10 26,300 22,100 31,300 29,100 23,700 35,700 31,900 25,200 40,300 38,700 28,500 52,600 

22 06923950 Niangua River, Tunnel Dam, Macks Creek, Mo. 598 01/2005 16.33 28,800 1/13 3/19/2008 17.06 32,600 4–10 40,100 -- -- 47,300 -- -- 55,100 -- -- 73,500 -- --

23 06928000 Gasconade River near Hazelgreen, Mo. 1,250 12/1982 34.46 90,000 3/64 3/19/2008 34.92 89,500 2–4 79,700 64,000 99,300 94,900 73,400 123,000 110,000 81,800 147,000 144,000 98,900 209,000 

24 06928300 Roubidoux Creek above Fort Wood, Mo. 165 05/2002 14.86 12,900 (

c

) 3/19/2008 19.92 24,500 2–4 j21,200 -- -- j25,300 -- -- j29,700 -- -- j40,300 -- --

25 06928430 Roubidoux Creek below Fort Wood, Mo. 287 05/2002 14.13 14,000 1/8 3/19/2008 18.45 28,900 2–4 j

26,900 -- -- j31,900 -- -- j37,200 -- -- j50,000 -- --

26 06930000 Big Piney River near Big Piney, Mo. 560 12/1982 24.50 81,200 2/79 3/19/2008 23.58 64,000 .2–1 41,400 33,200 51,800 50,200 38,700 65,000 59,400 44,200 79,800 82,000 56,500 119,000 

27 06930060 Big Piney below Fort Wood, Mo. 593 05/2002 18.89 43,400 3/8 3/19/2008 23.45 66,000 .2–1 j

42,000 -- -- j49,700 -- -- j58,000 -- -- j77,700 -- --

28 06933500 Gasconade River at Jerome, Mo. 2,840 12/1982 31.34 136,000 3/90 3/20/2008 30.43 118,000 1–2 97,900 81,900 117,000 116,000 93,800 143,000 135,000 105,000 173,000 181,000 131,000 251,000 

29 06934000 Gasconade River near Rich Fountain, Mo. 3,180 12/1982 33.27 134,000 2/69 3/21/2008 32.64 119,000 1–2 94,900 77,700 116,000 114,000 89,800 144,000 134,000 102,000 175,000 184,000 130,000 260,000 

30 07013000 Meramec River near Steelville, Mo. 781 08/1915 26.50 60,000 4/93 3/19/2008 26.84 52,700 2–4 49,900 40,700 61,300 58,700 45,800 75,100 67,700 50,700 90,300 89,500 61,600 130,000 

31 07014500 Meramec River near Sullivan, Mo. 1,475 08/1915 33.50 90,000 4/78 3/20/2008 31.69 66,900 4–10 74,900 56,600 99,300 89,000 63,500 125,000 104,000 70,800 152,000 138,000 87,500 218,000 

32 07016500 Bourbeuse River at Union, Mo. 808 12/1982 33.80 73,300 5 /95 3/21/2008 25.89 36,900 4–10 38,400 32,200 45,700 45,600 37,000 56,100 53,200 41,900 67,700 72,700 53,000 99,500 

33 07018100 Big River near Richwoods, Mo. 735 09/1993 30.33 59,800 2/25 3/19/2008 28.70 52,800 2–4 52,300 37,900 72,000 60,800 42,600 86,700 69,400 47,100 102,000 89,800 57,000 142,000 

34 07018500 Big River at Byrnesville, Mo. 917 08/1915 30.20 80,000 4/87 3/20/2008 27.57 47,300 2–4 46,600 38,700 56,000 54,800 44,100 68,100 63,300 49,200 81,300 84,000 60,500 116,000 

35 07019000 Meramec River near Eureka, Mo. 3,788 08/1915 40.20 175,000 4/91 3/21/2008 40.06 123,000 2–4 114,000 95,400 136,000 136,000 110,000 167,000 159,000 125,000 202,000 219,000 160,000 300,000 

36 07021000 Castor River at Zalma, Mo. 423 12/1982 29.92 d

97,100 1/80 3/19/2008 30.47 d114,000 < .2 50,900 37,600 68,700 63,900 45,300 90,100 77,100 52,600 113,000 107,000 67,900 170,000 

37 07035800 St. Francis River near Mill Creek, Mo. 505 11/1993 33.10 130,000 3/20 3/19/2008 23.61 50,500 > 10 67,000 45,800 98,100 78,100 51,600 118,000 89,300 57,400 139,000 116,000 70,300 191,000 

38 07036100 St. Francis River near Saco, Mo. 664 11/1993 36.10 161,000 2/17 3/19/2008 28.93 69,000 4–10 86,100 61,400 121,000 98,500 67,800 143,000 111,000 73,900 166,000 140,000 87,500 224,000 

39 07037500 St. Francis River near Patterson, Mo. 956 12/1982 35.77 155,000 3/87 3/19/2008 30.82 79,300 4–10 84,700 70,600 102,000 98,300 79,400 122,000 112,000 87,700 144,000 146,000 106,000 202,000 

40 07043500 Little River Ditch No.1 near Morehouse, Mo. 450 02/1989 19.30 12,000 6/60 3/19/2008 18.66 10,100 4–10 10,900 9,510 12,400 11,900 10,200 14,000 13,000 10,800 15,600 15,300 11,800 19,700 

41 07050700 James River near Springfield, Mo. 246 07/1909 22.00 62,000 3/54 3/18/2008 19.32 34,200 2–4 33,200 27,600 39,900 38,200 30,700 47,500 42,900 33,300 55,300 53,400 38,300 74,500 

42 07052250 James River near Boaz, Mo. 462 07/1973 20.56 31,400 1/15 3/19/2008 23.55 41,900 2–4 38,300 30,000 49,100 44,100 32,800 59,100 50,200 35,700 70,600 65,900 42,900 101,000 

43 07052500 James River at Galena, Mo. 987 09/1993 33.46 73,200 1/87 3/19/2008 35.96 85,100 .2–1 55,800 46,200 67,400 65,600 52,500 81,900 75,800 58,600 97,900 101,000 72,200 141,000 

44 07053810 Bull Creek near Walnut Shade, Mo. 191 05/2002 14.41 32,200 (

c

) 3/18/2008 16.00 24,700 4–10 33,000 21,100 51,600 39,600 24,700 63,300 46,400 28,500 75,700 62,900 36,900 107,000 

45 07054080 Beaver Creek at Bradleyville, Mo. 298 05/2002 17.92 20,800 1/14 3/19/2008 19.03 33,200 4–10 34,200 22,600 51,800 40,800 26,200 63,500 47,600 29,900 75,800 64,200 38,300 107,000 

46 07056000 Buffalo River near St. Joe, Ark. 829 12/1982 53.75 158,000 3/81 3/19/2008 49.41 134,000 2–4 122,000 99,800 157,000 146,000 118,000 193,000 171,000 136,000 231,000 233,000 178,000 327,000
42 Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008 Table 3 43

Table 3.  Summary of peak stages, streamflows, and flood-probability estimates for selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages during

March 2008.—Continued

[mi2, square mile; ft, foot; ft3/s, cubic foot per second; AEP, annual exceedance probability; >, greater than; <, less than; --, no data]

Site 

number 

(fig. 10)

Station 

number Station name

Contributing 

drainage 

area

(mi2)

Flood data Estimated 

AEP for 

observed 

peak 

streamflow 

(percent)

Expected peak streamflows for selected AEP with 95-percent confidence limits (ft3

/s)b

Previous maximum streamflow Flood of March 2008 4-percent AEP

(25-year recurrence)

2-percent AEP

(50-year recurrence)

1-percent AEP

(100-year recurrence)

0.2-percent AEP

(500-year recurrence)

Date Stage

(ft)

Streamflow

(ft3

/s)

Ranka/

annual 

peaks

Date

Peak 

stage

(ft)

Peak 

streamflow 

(ft3/s)

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Low High Low High Low High Low High

47 07057500 North Fork River near Tecumseh, Mo. 561 11/1985 28.10 133,000 4/64 3/19/2008 22.79 60,600 2–4 57,800 40,900 81,800 72,500 49,100 107,000 87,400 57,100 134,000 121,000 74,100 199,000 

48 07058000 Bryant Creek near Tecumseh, Mo. 570 12/1982 26.74 71,100 3/53 3/19/2008 22.12 42,800 4–10 45,200 34,500 59,200 55,900 41,100 76,100 67,500 47,900 95,300 96,500 63,300 147,000 

49 07060500 White River at Calico Rock, Ark. 9,980 01/1916 52.90 350,000 (c

) 3/19/2008 39.64 f197,000 k2–4 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

50 07061000 White River at Batesville, Ark. 11,100 02/1916 31.90 382,000 17/93 3/20/2008 26.96 f

208,000 k2–4 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

51 07061900 Logan Creek at Ellington, Mo. 139 05/2002 13.22 16,300 1/15 3/18/2008 13.20 16,600 4–10 22,300 13,600 36,600 27,500 16,500 45,900 32,800 19,400 55,500 45,400 25,900 79,400 

52 07064000 Black River at Corning, Ark. 1,749 03/1964 15.23 f

32,500 4/102 3/22/2008 15.92 f27,100 4–10 g28,700 24,200 35,500 g33,000 27,500 41,600 g37,300 30,700 47,900 g47,100 37,800 62,700

53 07064533 Current River above Akers, Mo. 295 11/2003 7.07 5,540 1/7 3/19/2008 18.52 29,500 4–10 j

34,800 -- -- j41,700 -- -- j49,200 -- -- j67,200 -- --

54 07065200 Jacks Fork near Mountain View, Mo. 185 04/2004 17.68 17,400 1/6 3/18/2008 20.39 23,600 4–10 j

28,400 -- -- j34,300 -- -- j40,600 -- -- j56,000 -- --

55 07065495 Jacks Fork at Alley Spring, Mo. 298 11/1993 21.97 48,700 3/15 3/19/2008 15.23 30,000 > 10 39,900 26,200 61,000 47,100 30,000 73,900 54,300 33,900 87,100 71,700 42,500 121,000 

56 07067000 Current River at Van Buren, Mo. 1,667 03/1904 29.00 153,100 10/96 3/20/2008 25.71 82,600 4–10 99,300 79,800 124,000 122,000 94,200 157,000 145,000 108,000 194,000 202,000 139,000 292,000 

57 07068000 Current River at Doniphan, Mo. 2,038 03/1904 24.90 130,000 4/92 3/19/2008 24.11 95,200 4–10 95,700 77,600 118,000 117,000 91,300 149,000 139,000 105,000 184,000 194,000 135,000 278,000 

58 07069000 Black River at Pocahontas, Ark. 4,840 04/1927 25.90 80,000 2/73 3/22/2008 26.56 d

72,200 2–4 66,400 56,000 82,100 80,300 66,500 101,000 95,600 77,700 125,000 137,000 107,000 188,000

59 07069305 Spring River at Town Branch Bridge, Hardy, Ark. 867 09/2006 16.75 44,500 1/7 3/19/2008 22.29 80,700 2–4 l

79,700 -- -- l98,500 -- -- l118,100 -- -- -- -- --

60 07069500 Spring River at Imboden, Ark. 1,180 12/1982 38.12 244,000 2/73 3/19/2008 29.15 97,300 2–4 94,700 77,000 123,000 120,000 95,400 160,000 149,000 116,000 205,000 232,000 172,000 341,000

61 07071500 Eleven Point River near Bardley, Mo. 793 12/1982 21.64 49,800 2/88 3/19/2008 21.33 49,400 2–4 46,900 36,100 60,900 60,400 44,700 81,700 75,400 53,600 106,000 114,000 74,700 174,000 

62 07072000 Eleven Point River near Ravenden Springs, Ark. 1,130 12/1982 29.06 162,000 2/77 3/19/2008 23.81 69,700 .2–1 41,300 33,900 52,600 51,600 41,500 67,600 63,000 49,800 85,000 94,900 71,900 136,000

63 07072500 Black River at Black Rock, Ark. 7,370 12/1982 31.51 190,000 3/104 3/20/2008 29.74 135,000 2–4 116,000 101,000 137,000 140,000 120,000 169,000 166,000 140,000 203,000 235,000 192,000 300,000

64 07074420 Black River near Elgin Ferry, Ark. 8,420 03/2002 26.33 59,500 1/17 3/21/2008 e

32.57 h127,000 m1–2 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

65 07074500 White River at Newport, Ark. 19,900 04/1927 35.60 387,000 8/123 3/21/2008 33.87 f

266,000 k2–4 238,000 -- -- 306,000 -- -- 389,000 -- -- 666,000 -- --

66 07074850 White River near Augusta, Ark. 20,500 02/1989 35.54 f

140,000 1/16 3/22/2008 38.41 f252,000 k2–4 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

67 07076750 White River near Georgetown, Ark. 22,400 12/1982 28.87 f

179,000 2/30 3/24/2008 30.18 f175,000 k2–4 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

68 07185765 Spring River at Carthage, Mo. 425 11/1972 17.15 24,800 1/20 3/19/2008 18.38 -- n

-- 40,600 28,800 57,400 49,700 33,900 72,900 58,800 38,800 89,100 79,700 49,100 129,000 

69 07187000 Shoal Creek above Joplin, Mo. 427 05/1943 16.80 62,100 6/85 3/19/2008 18.28 24,100 4–10 32,800 25,000 43,000 41,900 30,700 57,200 51,900 36,600 73,600 77,100 50,300 118,000 

70 07195000 Osage Creek near Elm Springs, Ark. 130 05/1950 16.70 22,500 5/43 3/18/2008 15.55 15,800 4–10 20,100 15,200 29,100 24,500 18,100 36,800 29,200 21,100 45,200 40,800 28,300 67,500

71 07195500 Illinois River near Watts, Okla. 635 07/1960 25.96 68,000 3/53 3/19/2008 24.73 d

53,000 2–4 52,900 41,800 67,000 62,200 47,400 81,500 71,700 52,800 97,400 94,700 63,700 141,000 

72 07196500 Illinois River near Tahlequah, Okla. 959 05/1950 27.94 150,000 6/76 3/20/2008 22.29 d

61,800 4–10 71,800 56,600 91,000 89,400 67,700 118,000 109,000 79,200 150,000 163,000 107,000 249,000 

73 07247250 Black Fork below Big Creek near Page, Okla. 74.4 04/2002 20.94 23,300 1/16 3/18/2008 23.36 34,600 1–2 29,500 20,600 42,400 34,600 23,200 51,700 39,800 25,700 61,900 53,200 31,100 91,100 

74 07257006 Big Piney at Highway 164 near Dover, Ark. 306 12/1982 i

33.87 110,000 6/16 3/18/2008 21.76 73,700 4–10 82,100 65,000 111,000 102,000 79,200 142,000 125,000 94,400 179,000 185,000 134,000 283,000

75 07260000 Dutch Creek at Waltreak, Ark. 81.4 07/1969 22.38 24,500 2/73 3/19/2008 20.00 22,400 1–2 17,800 14,300 22,200 21,200 16,400 27,500 24,600 18,200 33,200 33,400 22,300 50,000 

76 07261500 Fourche LaFave River near Gravelly, Ark. 410 12/1982 32.45 162,000 2/69 3/19/2008 30.91 81,500 1–2 68,800 57,400 86,100 78,900 65,000 101,000 88,500 72,100 115,000 109,000 87,200 146,000

77 07338750 Mountain Fork at Smithville, Okla. 320 10/1998 30.40 46,500 1/15 3/19/2008 30.55 54,900 2–4 51,900 40,300 66,800 57,800 43,600 76,700 63,800 46,700 87,300 78,000 53,000 115,000 

a

 Rank of the maximum instantaneous peak streamflow measured during March 2008 compared to all systematic and historic annual peaks. A rank of 1 

indicates that the March 2008 peak streamflow was higher than all other recorded annual peaks.

b

 Unless otherwise noted, expected peak streamflows are based on Water Resources Council Bulletin 17B weighting by variance method.

c

 The peak streamflow for March 2008 was exceeded by another peak streamflow during 2008.

d

 Streamflow affected to unknown degree by regulation or diversion. 

e

 Peak stage was because of backwater. Backwater adjustments were made to the streamflow. 

f

 Streamflow affected by regulation or diversion. 

g

 Expected peak streamflows based on Bulletin 17B systematic frequency-curve estimate only.

h

 Estimated.

i

 Streamgage previously was at a different location and datum (05599490 replaced 05599500 after 2007 and 07257006 replaced 07257000 after 1992).

j

 Expected peak streamflows based on regional regression equation estimates only.

k

 Estimated AEP based on Bulletin 17B expected probability method.

l

 Expected peak streamflows based on Ries and Dillow method (2006) using 7 years of record.

m Estimated AEP based on 2-station analysis using 17 non-consecutive years of record.

n

 Estimated AEP uncharacterized because of regulation or insufficient data.

Flooding on the Current River at Montauk State Park, Montauk, Missouri. Photographs by Paul Rydlund, USGS.
44 Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008 Table 4 45

Table 4. Summary of peak stages, streamflows, and flood-probability estimates for selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages during

April 2008.

[mi2, square mile; ft, foot; ft3/s, cubic foot per second; AEP, annual exceedance probability; --, no data]

Site 

number 

(fig. 11)

Station 

number Station name

Contributing 

drainage 

area

(mi2)

Flood data Estimated 

AEP for 

observed 

peak 

streamflow 

(percent)

Expected peak streamflows for selected AEP with 95-percent confidence limits (ft3

/s)b

Previous maximum streamflow Flood of April 2008 4-percent AEP

(25-year recurrence)

2-percent AEP

(50-year recurrence)

1-percent AEP

(100-year recurrence)

0.2-percent AEP

(500-year recurrence)

Date Stage

(ft)

Streamflow

(ft3

/s)

Ranka/

annual 

peaks

Date

Peak 

stage

(ft)

Peak 

streamflow 

(ft3/s)

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Low High Low High Low High Low High

1 05416200 Lamont Creek Tributary near Lamont, Iowa 1.8 06/2000 20.13 c

635 1/18 4/25/2008 23.18 1,190 4–10 1,380 1,030 1,840 1,770 1,300 2,410 2,200 1,580 3,060 3,380 2,260 5,050

2 05420875 Buck Creek near Oran, Iowa 37.9 05/1999 91.02 c

5,600 2/43 4/25/2008 91.33 2,930 4–10 3,630 2,840 4,640 4,650 3,560 6,080 5,720 4,270 7,660 8,440 5,880 12,100

3 05463500 Black Hawk Creek at Hudson, Iowa 303 07/1969 18.23 19,300 1/51 4/25/2008 19.03 22,500 .2–1 15,100 11,900 19,000 18,300 14,200 23,600 21,600 16,400 28,400 29,700 21,100 41,600

4 06919020 Sac River at Highway J below Stockton, Mo. 1,292 09/1993 23.71 13,300 4/35 4/10/2008 21.26 d

10,100 e-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

5 06919900 Sac River near Caplinger Mills, Mo. 1,810 04/1994 30.95 61,500 6/34 4/11/2008 26.12 d

23,300 e-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

6 07050500 Kings River near Berryville, Ark. 527 11/1985 38.91 66,000 5/80 4/10/2008 35.29 c

50,100 4–10 55,800 45,800 71,300 68,200 55,000 89,600 81,600 64,600 110,000 117,000 89,000 166,000

7 07060500 White River at Calico Rock, Ark. 9,980 01/1916 52.90 350,000 11/116 4/11/2008 40.27 d

202,000 f.2–1 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

8 07060710 North Sylamore Creek near Fifty Six, Ark. 58.1 12/1982 20.60 25,200 1/54 4/10/2008 19.16 28,200 .2–1 g

17,000 12,400 23,300 g20,000 14,300 28,000 g22,800 15,900 32,500 g29,500 19,700 44,300

9 07061000 White River at Batesville, Ark. 11,100 02/1916 31.90 382,000 (

h

) 4/11/2008 -- d199,000 e-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

10 07071500 Eleven Point River near Bardley, Mo. 793 12/1982 21.64 49,800 (

h

) 4/11/2008 19.72 41,400 4–10 46,900 36,100 60,900 60,400 44,700 81,700 75,400 53,600 106,000 114,000 74,700 174,000 

11 07072000 Eleven Point River near Ravenden Springs, Ark. 1,130 12/1982 29.06 162,000 (

h

) 4/11/2008 21.35 43,600 2–4 41,300 33,900 52,600 51,600 41,500 67,600 63,000 49,800 85,000 94,900 71,900 136,000

12 07072500 Black River at Black Rock, Ark. 7,370 12/1982 31.51 190,000 (

h

) 4/11/2008 28.67 108,000 4–10 116,000 101,000 137,000 140,000 120,000 169,000 166,000 140,000 203,000 235,000 192,000 300,000

13 07074500 White River at Newport, Ark. 19,900 04/1927 35.60 387,000 (

h

) 4/13/2008 -- d237,000 f4–10 238,000 -- -- 306,000 -- -- 389,000 -- -- 666,000 -- --

14 07077000 White River at DeValls Bluff, Ark. 23,400 04/1927 34.60 d

-- 3/73 4/17/2008 31.41 d189,000 f2–4 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

15 07185765 Spring River at Carthage, Mo. 425 11/1972 17.15 24,800 (h

) 4/10/2008 17.74 -- e-- 40,600 28,800 57,400 49,700 33,900 72,900 58,800 38,800 89,100 79,700 49,100 129,000 

16 07188653 Big Sugar Creek near Powell, Mo. 141 05/2002 15.70 11,000 1/8 4/10/2008 18.11 15,800 4–10 i

21,400 -- -- i25,700 -- -- i30,400 -- -- i41,500 -- --

17 07197000 Baron Ford at Eldon, Okla. 307 06/2000 26.77 j

54,700 5/63 4/10/2008 23.50 j39,600 4–10 51,000 39,300 66,200 60,900 45,200 82,000 70,900 50,600 99,500 95,300 61,500 148,000 

18 07249985 Lee Creek near Short, Okla. 420 04/1945 c

35.00 c112,000 10/78 4/10/2008 23.19 55,700 > 10 74,800 59,900 93,200 89,200 69,100 115,000 104,000 77,800 139,000 142,000 96,700 209,000 

19 07257500 Illinois Bayou near Scottsville, Ark. 241 12/1982 27.49 130,000 2/71 4/10/2008 23.46 77,600 1–2 61,300 49,600 80,400 76,400 60,400 103,000 93,200 72,100 130,000 140,000 104,000 209,000

a

 Rank of the maximum instantaneous peak streamflow measured during April 2008 compared to all systematic and historic annual peaks. A rank of 1 

indicates that the April 2008 peak streamflow was higher than all other recorded annual peaks.

b

 Unless otherwise noted, expected peak streamflows are based on Water Resources Council Bulletin 17B weighting by variance method.

c

 Estimated.

d

 Streamflow affected by regulation or diversion.

e

 Estimated AEP uncharacterized because of regulation or insufficient data.

f

 Expected peak streamflows based on Bulletin 17B expected probability method.

g

 Expected peak streamflows based on Bulletin 17B systematic frequency-curve estimate only.

h The peak streamflow for April 2008 was exceeded by another peak streamflow during 2008.

i

 Expected peak streamflows based on regional regression equation estimates only.

j

 Streamflow affected to unknown degree by regulation or diversion. 

Hydrographer working to repair instrumentation on the Big Muddy 

River at Murphysboro, Illinois (USGS streamgage 05599490). 

Photograph by Robert Holmes, USGS.

Hydrographer making a streamflow measurement on the Big Muddy 

at Murphysboro, Illinois (USGS streamgage 05599490). Photograph by 

Robert Holmes, USGS.
46 Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008 Table 5 47

Table 5. Summary of peak stages, streamflows, and flood-probability estimates for selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages during

May and June 2008.—Continued

[mi2, square mile; ft, foot; ft3/s, cubic foot per second; AEP, annual exceedance probability; >, greater than; <, less than; --, no data; R., River]

Site 

number 

(fig. 12)

Station 

number Station name

Contributing 

drainage 

area

(mi2)

Flood data Estimated 

AEP for 

observed 

peak 

streamflow 

(percent)

Expected peak streamflows for selected AEP with 95-percent confidence limits (ft3

/s)b

Previous maximum streamflow Flood of June 2008 4-percent AEP

(25-year recurrence)

2-percent AEP

(50-year recurrence)

1-percent AEP

(100-year recurrence)

0.2-percent AEP

(500-year recurrence)

Date Stage

(ft)

Streamflow

(ft3

/s)

Ranka/

annual 

peaks

Date

Peak 

stage

(ft)

Peak 

streamflow 

(ft3/s)

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Low High Low High Low High Low High

1 03341500 Wabash River at Terre Haute, Ind. 12,263 03/1913 31.20 245,000 27/118 6/8/2008 25.02 c

92,400 > 10 139,000 125,000 154,000 156,000 138,000 177,000 174,000 150,000 201,000 213,000 174,000 260,000

2 03342000 Wabash River at Riverton, Ind. 13,161 03/1913 d26.40 250,000 10/73 6/10/2008 26.56 c98,100 > 10 134,000 121,000 149,000 152,000 134,000 172,000 169,000 146,000 196,000 208,000 171,000 254,000

3 03345500 Embarras River at Ste. Marie, Ill. 1,516 01/1950 25.95 44,800 1/98 6/7/2008 28.06 60,400 .2–1 41,500 34,200 50,300 49,100 39,100 61,700 56,900 43,700 74,200 76,100 53,300 109,000 

4 03346000 North Fork Embarras River Near Oblong, Ill. 318 01/1950 24.38 27,100 1/68 6/7/2008 26.26 46,200 .2–1 26,100 20,500 33,200 31,000 23,400 41,000 35,900 26,000 49,600 47,500 31,000 72,800 

5 03353637 Little Buck Creek near Indianapolis, Ind. 17.0 12/1990 d9.10 2,300 1/19 6/7/2008 13.01 2,850 1–2 2,450 2,220 2,700 2,800 2,490 3,150 3,160 2,750 3,620 4,070 3,380 4,900

6 03354000 White River near Centerton, Ind. 2,444 03/1913 21.90 90,000 2/65 6/7/2008 19.85 c63,500 2–4 55,500 49,800 61,900 63,700 56,000 72,400 71,900 62,000 83,500 91,600 75,400 111,000

7 03357350 Plum Creek near Bainbridge, Ind. 3.0 09/1989 6.50 940 1/39 6/4/2008 7.15 1,000 2–4 909 741 1,120 1,050 839 1,320 1,200 935 1,540 1,550 1,150 2,080

8 03358000 Mill Creek near Cataract, Ind. 245 12/1990 -- 12,200 3/59 6/7/2008 22.61 10,800 4–10 11,300 9,660 13,300 13,000 10,900 15,600 14,700 12,000 18,000 18,700 14,600 23,800

9 03360500 White River at Newberry, Ind. 4,688 03/1913 27.50 130,000 1/102 6/9/2008 28.59 c

138,000 < .2 79,700 70,700 89,800 91,700 79,500 106,000 104,000 88,100 123,000 135,000 107,000 170,000

10 03362000 Youngs Creek near Edinburgh, Ind. 107 01/1952 13.40 10,700 1/66 6/7/2008 15.67 20,500 < .2 8,670 7,070 10,600 9,820 7,840 12,300 10,800 8,500 13,800 13,000 9,860 17,200

11 03362500 Sugar Creek near Edinburgh, Ind. 474 05/1956 18.38 27,600 1/66 6/7/2008 19.23 39,900 < .2 20,600 17,000 25,000 23,700 19,100 29,400 26,500 21,000 33,500 32,800 25,000 43,000

12 03363500 Flatrock River at St. Paul, Ind. 303 01/1949 d10.60 18,500 6/78 6/7/2008 12.82 16,400 2–4 16,300 13,700 19,300 18,600 15,400 22,500 20,800 16,900 25,700 25,700 20,000 33,100

13 03363900 Flatrock River at Columbus, Ind. 534 01/2005 16.45 22,400 1/41 6/7/2008 19.94 62,500 < .2 24,200 19,100 30,600 27,900 21,700 35,900 31,100 23,800 40,700 38,500 28,600 51,800

14 03364000 East Fork White River at Columbus, Ind. 1,707 03/1913 17.90 100,000 2/64 6/8/2008 18.61 68,100 1–2 57,000 48,600 66,900 65,600 54,600 78,700 73,500 60,000 90,100 91,300 71,300 117,000

15 03364500 Clifty Creek at Hartsville, Ind. 91.4 03/1913 25.10 20,000 2/62 6/7/2008 17.85 16,200 .2–1 10,500 8,920 12,300 12,800 10,600 15,400 15,200 12,300 18,800 21,400 16,200 28,100

16 03365500 East Fork White River at Seymour, Ind. 2,341 03/1913 21.00 120,000 2/86 6/8/2008 20.91 96,400 .2–1 74,300 66,300 83,200 83,200 72,700 95,200 91,100 78,000 107,000 108,000 88,300 133,000

17 03374000 White River at Petersburg, Ind. 11,125 03/1913 29.50 235,000 7/86 6/12/2008 26.96 c

135,000 4–10 153,000 139,000 170,000 173,000 153,000 195,000 191,000 166,000 221,000 235,000 192,000 286,000

18 03377500 Wabash River at Mount Carmel, Ill. 28,635 03/1913 33.00 428,000 11/128 6/14/2008 33.24 c255,000 4–10 281,000 252,000 315,000 311,000 272,000 356,000 339,000 289,000 398,000 397,000 318,000 494,000

19 04073500 Fox River at Berlin, Wis. 1,340 03/1946 d15.50 6,900 5/111 6/22/2008 e16.08 6,020 4–10 6,340 5,650 7,110 7,060 6,150 8,100 7,770 6,610 9,140 9,290 8,250 10,700

20 04085427 Manitowoc River at Manitowoc, Wis. 526 03/1979 d13.24 8,280 2/35 6/13/2008 12.04 6,100 4–10 6,270 4,990 8,580 7,450 5,800 10,600 8,690 6,630 12,800 11,900 8,650 18,600

21 04086000 Sheboygan River at Sheboygan, Wis. 418 08/1998 f12.02 7,820 3/65 6/9/2008 11.08 6,810 4–10 7,630 6,350 9,170 8,610 6,950 10,700 9,550 7,450 12,200 11,600 9,460 15,100

22 04086600 Milwaukee River near Cedarburg, Wis. 607 05/2004 13.11 5,720 1/27 6/13/2008 13.98 6,980 1–2 6,100 5,080 7,940 6,940 5,680 9,320 7,790 6,270 10,800 9,870 7,640 14,600

23 04087000 Milwaukee River at Milwaukee, Wis. 696 06/1997 10.00 16,500 6/94 6/7/2008 8.07 10,400 4–10 11,000 9,250 13,000 12,700 10,400 15,500 14,600 11,600 18,300 19,600 16,500 24,300

24 04087204 Oak Creek at South Milwaukee, Wis. 25.0 08/1986 9.88 1,140 1/45 6/7/2008 11.56 2,370 < .2 1,230 975 1,540 1,400 1,070 1,850 1,590 1,150 2,200 2,310 1,870 3,110

25 04087220 Root River near Franklin, Wis. 49.2 03/1960 9.57 5,130 1/46 6/8/2008 11.00 5,350 1–2 g3,430 2,730 4,630 g4,340 3,360 6,110 g5,390 4,070 7,900 g8,510 6,050 13,600

26 04087233 Root River Canal near Franklin, Wis. 57.0 03/1974 9.88 1,440 1/45 6/9/2008 12.13 1,560 2–4 1,470 1,250 1,720 1,610 1,340 1,950 1,760 1,410 2,190 2,020 1,710 2,550

27 04087240 Root River at Racine, Wis. 189 03/1974 8.54 4,500 1/45 6/9/2008 11.29 8,050 < .2 4,130 3,240 5,260 4,760 3,570 6,340 5,400 3,860 7,570 8,030 6,330 11,100

28 04087257 Pike River near Racine, Wis. 38.5 08/2007 8.24 1,720 1/37 6/8/2008 8.97 1,960 1–2 g1,740 1,510 2,110 g1,900 1,630 2,340 g2,040 1,740 2,550 g2,330 1,950 2,990

29 04108600 Rabbit River near Hopkins, Mich. 71.4 06/1997 11.11 h3,740 3/44 6/8/2008 9.37 1,770 2–4 1,550 1,140 2,100 1,830 1,270 2,620 2,120 1,400 3,200 -- -- --

30 04122500 Pere Marquette River at Scottville, Mich. 681 09/1986 8.07 6,440 2/69 6/13/2008 5.81 3,110 4–10 g3,540 3,210 4,010 g3,930 3,520 4,510 g4,310 3,820 5,020 g5,190 4,520 6,210

31 04124000 Manistee River near Sherman, Mich. 60.8 03/1913 7.10 3,570 5/89 6/14/2008 16.37 3,200 4–10 g3,240 3,090 3,440 g3,420 3,240 3,640 g3,580 3,380 3,840 g3,920 3,680 4,250

32 04124200 Manistee River near Mesick, Mich. 1,018 03/2006 6.38 c3,150 1/11 6/14/2008 6.87 c3,690 4–10 g3,740 3,220 4,900 g3,970 3,390 5,370 g4,190 3,530 5,820 g4,640 3,830 6,810

33 04124500 East Branch Pine River near Tustin, Mich. 60.0 08/1956 6.23 876 3/53 6/13/2008 6.26 760 2–4 g755 645 925 g844 712 1,050 g927 774 1,170 g1,110 905 1,440

34 04125460 Pine River near Hoxeyville, Mich. 245 08/1956 6.82 2,440 1/42 6/14/2008 9.29 2,870 .2–1 g2,150 1,870 2,590 g2,440 2,090 3,020 g2,750 2,320 3,470 g3,500 2,860 4,640

35 04125550 Manistee River near Wellston, Mich. 1,451 03/1998 10.91 c6,130 1/12 6/14/2008 11.06 c6,500 2–4 g6,220 5,440 7,950 g6,680 5,760 8,830 g7,130 6,060 9,720 g8,150 6,720 11,900

36 05385500 South Fork Root River near Houston, Minn. 275 06/2000 14.90 13,800 4/56 6/9/2008 14.35 10,900 4–10 11,900 8,800 16,200 15,400 10,900 21,600 19,100 12,900 28,100 29,100 17,600 48,000

37 05387440 Upper Iowa River at Bluffton, Iowa 367 08/2007 12.66 8,440 1/6 6/9/2008 15.49 16,600 2–4 i16,300 -- -- i19,300 -- -- i22,300 -- -- i29,600 -- --

38 05387490 Dry Run Creek near Decorah, Iowa 21.0 08/1993 20.80 4,620 1/26 6/8/2008 21.53 5,820 1–2 4,590 3,750 5,620 5,530 4,420 6,910 6,530 5,100 8,360 9,150 6,700 12,500

39 05387500 Upper Iowa River at Decorah, Iowa 511 08/1993 h

14.35 h20,500 1/57 6/9/2008 17.90 34,100 .2–1 j19,200 16,200 22,700 j22,800 18,800 27,600 j26,400 21,300 32,800 j35,300 26,700 46,600

40 05388250 Upper Iowa River near Dorchester, Iowa 770 05/1941 21.80 30,400 1/33 6/9/2008 22.46 31,200 .2–1 21,800 18,000 26,500 26,500 21,300 32,900 31,200 24,600 39,700 42,800 31,600 58,100

41 05388310 Waterloo Creek near Dorchester, Iowa 43.6 07/1978 14.80 9,380 2/39 6/8/2008 14.57 8,800 2–4 7,470 5,690 9,800 9,520 7,110 12,800 11,600 8,480 16,000 17,200 11,600 25,300

42 05404116 West Branch Baraboo River at Hillsboro, Wis. 39.1 06/1990 15.26 4,010 1/21 6/8/2008 16.12 5,260 1–2 3,990 2,490 6,380 4,890 2,870 8,340 5,830 3,200 10,600 6,330 3,240 12,400

43 05405000 Baraboo River near Baraboo, Wis. 609 03/1917 d17.50 7,900 1/75 6/13/2008 27.48 18,100 < .2 8,320 6,690 10,300 9,990 7,720 12,900 11,800 8,710 16,000 14,800 11,900 19,700

44 05408000 Kickapoo River at La Farge, Wis. 266 07/1978 14.92 14,300 1/70 6/8/2008 15.78 22,100 .2–1 8,870 6,460 12,200 11,400 7,790 16,600 14,300 9,160 22,200 23,500 17,400 34,700

45 05410490 Kickapoo River at Steuben, Wis. 687 07/1978 14.81 16,500 1/75 6/10/2008 19.16 28,700 .2–1 11,500 8,280 16,100 15,200 10,200 22,600 19,400 12,200 30,900 32,700 23,800 49,300

46 05411850 Turkey River near Eldorado, Iowa 641 05/2004 19.61 19,700 1/9 6/9/2008 21.46 50,100 < .2 i22,400 -- -- i26,400 -- -- i30,200 -- -- i39,700 -- --
48 Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008 Table 5 49

Table 5. Summary of peak stages, streamflows, and flood-probability estimates for selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages during

May and June 2008.—Continued

[mi2, square mile; ft, foot; ft3/s, cubic foot per second; AEP, annual exceedance probability; >, greater than; <, less than; --, no data; R., River]

Site 

number 

(fig. 12)

Station 

number Station name

Contributing 

drainage 

area

(mi2)

Flood data Estimated 

AEP for 

observed 

peak 

streamflow 

(percent)

Expected peak streamflows for selected AEP with 95-percent confidence limits (ft3

/s)b

Previous maximum streamflow Flood of June 2008 4-percent AEP

(25-year recurrence)

2-percent AEP

(50-year recurrence)

1-percent AEP

(100-year recurrence)

0.2-percent AEP

(500-year recurrence)

Date Stage

(ft)

Streamflow

(ft3

/s)

Ranka/

annual 

peaks

Date

Peak 

stage

(ft)

Peak 

streamflow 

(ft3/s)

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Low High Low High Low High Low High

47 05412020 Turkey River, French Hollow Creek, Elkader, Iowa 903 06/1991 27.32 38,300 1/8 6/10/2008 27.77 40,500 0.2–1 i

26,600 -- -- i31,100 -- -- i35,600 -- -- i46,300 -- --

48 05412400 Volga River at Littleport, Iowa 348 05/1999 25.36 h30,000 3/12 6/8/2008 20.41 18,900 2–4 18,100 14,300 23,000 22,100 17,100 28,600 26,100 19,700 34,500 36,100 25,500 51,200

49 05412500 Turkey River at Garber, Iowa 1,545 05/2004 32.80 66,700 4/90 6/10/2008 29.13 45,500 1–2 35,100 30,500 40,400 41,100 35,000 48,300 47,300 39,300 56,900 62,300 48,800 79,600

50 05414000 Platte River near Rockville, Wis. 142 07/1950 17.26 43,500 4/74 6/12/2008 h14.17 h15,200 2–4 14,700 10,800 19,900 17,800 12,500 25,500 20,900 13,800 31,800 23,900 14,000 40,800

51 05414350 Little Maquoketa River near Graf, Iowa 39.6 06/2002 15.93 7,700 1/58 6/8/2008 16.47 8,370 2–4 7,240 5,820 9,010 9,000 7,050 11,500 10,900 8,300 14,300 15,800 11,300 22,300

52 05414450 N. Fork Little Maquoketa River, Rickardsville, Iowa 21.6 08/1972 14.02 7,180 1/58 6/8/2008 12.58 8,040 .2–1 5,010 3,920 6,400 6,260 4,800 8,180 7,610 5,680 10,200 11,200 7,820 16,100

53 05414605 Bloody Run Tributary near Sherrill, Iowa .6 06/1991 19.27 h692 1/18 6/8/2008 22.71 1,110 2–4 g1,110 616 2,820 g1,620 842 4,680 g2,280 1,120 7,460 g4,660 1,990 19,800

54 05416900 Maquoketa River at Manchester, Iowa 275 05/2004 21.66 26,000 2/8 5/26/2008 20.80 22,100 .2–1 i

15,000 -- -- i17,900 -- -- i20,700 -- -- i27,800 -- --

55 05418400 North Fork Maquoketa River near Fulton, Iowa 505 06/2002 19.87 22,600 2/10 6/13/2008 18.67 20,700 2–4 j19,200 15,700 23,500 j22,900 18,300 28,600 j26,600 20,800 34,000 j35,500 26,000 48,400

56 05419000 Apple River near Hanover, Ill. 247 06/2002 27.91 13,700 5/74 6/9/2008 25.20 11,300 4–10 12,200 10,000 14,800 14,300 11,300 18,000 16,400 12,600 21,500 22,000 15,400 31,500 

57 05420680 Wapsipinicon River near Tripoli, Iowa 346 07/1999 18.50 19,400 3/13 6/9/2008 18.24 18,300 1–2 14,500 11,100 19,000 17,300 13,000 22,900 20,000 14,800 27,100 26,900 18,600 38,900

58 05421000 Wapsipinicon River at Independence, Iowa 1,048 05/1999 22.35 31,100 4/75 6/11/2008 18.86 23,700 4–10 23,900 20,000 28,400 28,800 23,600 35,000 33,700 27,000 42,000 45,400 34,100 60,300

59 05421740 Wapsipinicon River near Anamosa, Iowa 1,575 05/2004 22.73 h22,000 1/7 6/13/2008 26.18 31,800 2–4 k27,600 -- -- k33,100 -- -- k38,500 -- -- k51,400 -- --

60 05422000 Wapsipinicon River at DeWitt, Iowa 2,336 05/2004 13.79 31,500 1/74 6/16/2008 d14.13 36,400 2–4 31,700 26,600 37,800 37,700 31,000 45,900 43,700 35,100 54,500 57,800 43,600 76,700

61 05422470 Crow Creek at Bettendorf, Iowa 17.8 06/1990 11.03 7,700 2/30 6/13/2008 9.56 3,590 4–10 g5,040 3,370 8,920 g6,690 4,300 12,600 g8,600 5,330 17,200 g14,200 8,180 32,300

62 05422600 Duck Creek, DC Golf Course, Davenport, Iowa 57.3 06/2002 16.34 7,310 1/15 6/13/2008 16.60 7,570 4–10 g8,420 5,930 15,100 g10,100 6,870 19,400 g11,800 7,830 24,200 g16,300 10,100 38,000

63 05423500 South Branch Rock River at Waupun, Wis. 63.6 04/1959 d

7.97 1,500 1/42 6/13/2008 10.09 2,350 .2–1 1,450 1,060 1,980 1,710 1,190 2,450 1,960 1,310 2,940 2,980 2,080 4,910

64 05425500 Rock River at Watertown, Wis. 969 03/1979 d6.19 c5,080 1/71 6/13/2008 7.81 c7,600 .2–1 4,990 4,150 6,000 5,740 4,600 7,150 6,500 5,020 8,520 8,400 6,950 10,700

65 05425912 Beaver Dam River at Beaver Dam, Wis. 157 06/2004 10.68 l1,140 1/23 6/16/2008 e845.53 l1,700 .2–1 g1,200 978 1,630 g1,390 1,110 1,970 g1,600 1,240 2,350 g2,130 1,580 3,420

66 05426000 Crawfish River at Milford, Wis. 762 04/1959 11.15 6,140 1/77 6/16/2008 13.35 7,190 .2–1 4,950 4,220 5,810 5,600 4,620 6,780 6,230 4,970 7,810 7,550 6,370 9,370

67 05426250 Bark River near Rome, Wis. 122 04/1993 2.56 476 2/25 6/9/2008 4.59 1,370 < .2 652 538 865 757 611 1,050 869 686 1,250 1,160 873 1,810

68 05427570 Rock River at Indianford, Wis. 2,630 04/1979 16.23 c11,900 1/33 6/21/2008 18.33 c14,900 1–2 12,300 9,800 15,500 14,100 10,800 18,600 16,000 11,700 22,000 18,600 14,800 26,000

69 05427718 Yahara River at Windsor, Wis. 37.0 07/1993 6.58 2,050 1/24 6/9/2008 6.97 3,290 1–2 2,360 1,520 3,670 2,990 1,800 4,960 3,660 2,060 6,510 4,900 2,910 11,200

70 05429500 Yahara River at McFarland, Wis. 290 04/1959 d5.82 l867 1/76 6/14/2008 d7.17 l976 .2–1 735 675 817 811 738 913 887 800 1,010 1,060 942 1,240

71 05430500 Rock River at Afton, Wis. 3,340 03/1929 d11.80 c13,000 1/95 6/21/2008 13.51 c16,700 .2–1 12,500 11,000 14,200 13,900 11,900 16,100 15,200 12,800 18,200 18,000 14,100 22,900

72 05437500 Rock River at Rockton, Ill. 6,363 03/1916 13.06 32,500 4/80 6/17/2008 14.72 27,800 4–10 29,400 25,600 33,700 32,700 27,900 38,500 36,100 29,900 43,500 43,600 33,800 56,300 

73 05449500 Iowa River near Rowan, Iowa 429 06/1954 14.88 8,460 3/67 6/9/2008 15.89 7,890 1–2 6,390 5,140 7,950 7,560 5,900 9,690 8,750 6,620 11,600 11,600 8,160 16,400

74 05451080 South Fork Iowa River near Blairsburg, Iowa 12.0 03/2007 11.79 227 1/3 6/8/2008 12.50 762 .2–1 i545 -- -- i644 -- -- i743 -- -- i982 -- --

75 05451210 South Fork Iowa River, New Providence, Iowa 224 06/2007 10.68 3,910 1/13 6/8/2008 13.84 7,390 2–4 7,170 5,500 9,350 8,680 6,540 11,500 10,200 7,490 13,800 13,800 9,500 20,000

76 05451500 Iowa River at Marshalltown, Iowa 1,532 06/1918 d17.74 42,000 3/92 6/13/2008 21.79 22,400 2–4 22,300 19,300 25,800 25,900 21,900 30,600 29,400 24,300 35,600 37,600 29,200 48,400

77 05451700 Timber Creek near Marshalltown, Iowa 118 08/1977 17.69 12,000 5/60 6/8/2008 16.19 7,010 4–10 8,930 7,250 11,000 10,900 8,680 13,700 13,000 10,100 16,700 18,000 13,100 24,700

78 05451955 Stein Creek near Clutier, Iowa 23.4 06/1982 77.92 11,400 1/36 5/30/2008 78.02 12,200 < .2 4,870 3,790 6,250 5,990 4,570 7,850 7,180 5,350 9,630 10,400 7,220 14,900

79 05452000 Salt Creek near Elberon, Iowa 201 07/1993 20.85 36,600 5/64 5/30/2008 19.75 22,400 .2–1 15,200 12,000 19,300 18,200 14,100 23,500 21,300 16,100 28,200 29,300 20,700 41,500

80 05453100 Iowa River at Marengo, Iowa 2,794 07/1993 20.31 38,000 1/52 6/12/2008 21.38 51,000 .2–1 32,000 26,600 38,500 37,200 30,200 45,700 42,300 33,700 53,200 54,300 40,500 72,600

81 05453200 Price Creek at Amana, Iowa 29.1 06/1990 88.78 5,080 9/43 6/12/2008 91.09 3,110 > 10 4,320 3,540 5,270 5,090 4,050 6,390 5,900 4,560 7,630 7,960 5,690 11,100

82 05453520 Iowa River below Coralville Dam, Coralville, Iowa 3,115 07/1993 63.95 l25,800 1/16 6/15/2008 68.09 l39,900 .2–1 11,600 -- -- m22,200 -- -- m28,600 -- -- m44,400 -- --

83 05454180 Clear Creek Tributary near Williamsburg, Iowa .4 06/2007 49.18 328 1/19 6/12/2008 49.37 346 4–10 g559 269 1,740 g852 383 3,040 g1,240 523 5,020 g2,640 970 13,800

84 05454500 Iowa River at Iowa City, Iowa 3,271 06/1851 24.10 70,000 4/108 6/15/2008 31.53 l

41,100 .2–1 m13,100 -- -- m23,800 -- -- m30,000 -- -- m45,300 -- --

85 05455700 Iowa River at Lone Tree, Iowa 4,293 07/1993 22.94 l57,100 2/52 6/15/2008 23.10 l53,700 .2–1 m30,200 -- -- m33,100 -- -- m53,400 -- -- m76,100 -- --

86 05457000 Cedar River near Austin, Minn. 399 09/2004 23.26 20,000 3/69 6/12/2008 21.42 15,300 1–2 12,200 9,940 15,000 14,300 11,200 18,100 16,300 12,300 21,500 21,000 14,400 30,600

87 05457440 Deer Creek near Carpenter, Iowa 91.6 07/2004 85.75 4,150 1/36 6/8/2008 87.86 11,800 < .2 5,570 4,480 6,930 6,840 5,380 8,680 8,140 6,260 10,600 11,400 8,210 15,800

88 05457700 Cedar River at Charles City, Iowa 1,054 07/1999 22.81 31,200 1/54 6/9/2008 25.33 34,600 .2–1 25,100 21,200 29,800 28,900 23,800 35,000 32,500 26,200 40,400 41,000 31,100 54,200

89 05457778 Little Cedar River near Johnsburg, Minn. 45.8 08/1993 17.58 9,280 4/23 6/12/2008 16.04 3,710 4–10 4,950 3,400 7,200 6,000 4,000 8,980 7,240 4,600 11,400 10,400 5,900 18,500

90 05458000 Little Cedar River near Ionia, Iowa 306 08/1993 18.99 14,000 1/55 6/9/2008 21.32 24,700 .2–1 14,100 11,200 17,600 17,100 13,400 21,800 20,100 15,400 26,200 27,400 19,700 38,200

91 05458300 Cedar River at Waverly, Iowa 1,547 04/2001 12.95 25,600 1/8 6/10/2008 19.33 52,600 < .2 o30,400 -- -- o35,400 -- -- o40,300 -- -- o51,800 -- --

92 05458500 Cedar River at Janesville, Iowa 1,661 07/1999 17.15 42,200 1/88 6/10/2008 19.45 53,400 .2–1 31,700 26,800 37,400 36,900 30,600 44,600 42,000 33,900 51,900 53,900 40,800 71,000
50 Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008 Table 5 51

Table 5. Summary of peak stages, streamflows, and flood-probability estimates for selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages during

May and June 2008.—Continued

[mi2, square mile; ft, foot; ft3/s, cubic foot per second; AEP, annual exceedance probability; >, greater than; <, less than; --, no data; R., River]

Site 

number 

(fig. 12)

Station 

number Station name

Contributing 

drainage 

area

(mi2)

Flood data Estimated 

AEP for 

observed 

peak 

streamflow 

(percent)

Expected peak streamflows for selected AEP with 95-percent confidence limits (ft3

/s)b

Previous maximum streamflow Flood of June 2008 4-percent AEP

(25-year recurrence)

2-percent AEP

(50-year recurrence)

1-percent AEP

(100-year recurrence)

0.2-percent AEP

(500-year recurrence)

Date Stage

(ft)

Streamflow

(ft3

/s)

Ranka/

annual 

peaks

Date

Peak 

stage

(ft)

Peak 

streamflow 

(ft3/s)

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Low High Low High Low High Low High

93 05458900 West Fork Cedar River at Finchford, Iowa 846 06/1951 17.28 31,900 2/64 6/10/2008 20.82 25,900 2–4 22,300 18,200 27,200 26,400 21,100 32,900 30,400 23,800 38,900 39,800 29,100 54,500

94 05459490 Spring Creek near Mason City, Iowa 29.3 05/2004 91.15 5,340 2/43 6/6/2008 92.91 4,680 1–2 3,300 2,330 4,680 4,040 2,780 5,860 4,750 3,200 7,060 6,500 4,160 10,200

95 05459500 Winnebago River at Mason City, Iowa 526 03/1933 15.70 10,800 1/76 6/8/2008 18.74 13,100 .2–1 9,020 7,360 11,000 10,500 8,340 13,300 12,000 9,250 15,600 15,600 11,200 21,700

96 05460100 Willow Creek near Mason City, Iowa 78.6 05/2004 92.21 1,270 1/42 6/8/2008 93.28 2,380 .2–1 1,500 1,230 1,840 1,750 1,390 2,210 2,020 1,560 2,610 2,680 1,940 3,720

97 05462000 Shell Rock River at Shell Rock, Iowa 1,746 1856 17.70 h45,000 1/56 6/10/2008 20.36 60,400 < .2 29,600 25,400 34,500 34,900 29,200 41,600 40,000 32,700 49,000 51,900 39,800 67,700

98 05463000 Beaver Creek at New Hartford, Iowa 347 06/1947 13.50 18,000 1/63 6/8/2008 15.71 25,900 .2–1 16,400 13,300 20,300 19,600 15,500 24,700 22,800 17,700 29,500 30,500 22,100 42,100

99 05463500 Black Hawk Creek at Hudson, Iowa 303 07/1969 18.23 19,300 (

p

) 6/13/2008 17.47 11,800 4–10 15,100 11,900 19,000 18,300 14,200 23,600 21,600 16,400 28,400 29,700 21,100 41,600

100 05464000 Cedar River at Waterloo, Iowa 5,146 03/1961 21.86 76,700 1/70 6/11/2008 27.01 112,000 .2–1 g

77,100 62,400 100,000 g91,200 72,600 121,000 g105,000 82,600 143,000 g137,000 105,000 193,000

101 05464220 Wolf Creek near Dysart, Iowa 299 05/2004 17.39 14,500 1/10 5/30/2008 18.25 15,700 2–4 13,300 10,100 17,600 15,900 11,900 21,300 18,500 13,500 25,200 24,900 17,100 36,300

102 05464500 Cedar River at Cedar Rapids, Iowa 6,510 03/1961 q19.66 73,000 1/107 6/13/2008 31.12 140,000 < .2 g70,300 60,500 84,000 g82,200 69,900 99,800 g94,100 79,200 116,000 g122,000 100,000 154,000

103 05465000 Cedar River near Conesville, Iowa 7,787 04/1993 17.11 74,000 1/69 6/14/2008 d23.37 127,000 .2–1 g76,400 64,000 95,100 g88,600 73,200 113,000 g101,000 82,200 130,000 g128,000 102,000 171,000

104 05465150 North Fork Long Creek at Ainsworth, Iowa 30.2 06/1990 90.66 h5,800 3/45 6/13/2008 91.19 4,220 4–10 4,300 3,360 5,510 5,330 4,080 6,960 6,400 4,780 8,560 9,180 6,410 13,100

105 05465500 Iowa River at Wapello, Iowa 12,500 07/1993 28.10 l111,000 1/106 6/14/2008 32.15 l188,000 < .2 m86,100 -- -- m121,000 -- -- m140,000 -- -- m185,000 -- --

106 05469860 Mud Lake Drainage Ditch 71 at Jewell, Iowa 65.4 07/1993 91.32 3,700 2/43 6/8/2008 91.87 3,120 1–2 2,430 1,900 3,110 2,790 2,110 3,680 3,130 2,300 4,270 3,920 2,680 5,730

107 05470000 South Skunk River near Ames, Iowa 315 06/1996 d15.89 h14,000 3/84 6/9/2008 16.93 11,000 1–2 8,840 7,520 10,400 10,600 8,770 12,700 12,300 9,970 15,200 16,500 12,600 21,800

108 05470500 Squaw Creek at Ames, Iowa 204 07/1993 18.54 24,300 3/53 5/30/2008 15.85 12,600 1–2 9,300 7,560 11,400 11,500 9,070 14,500 13,600 10,500 17,700 19,400 13,900 27,100

109 05471000 S. Skunk River below Squaw Creek near Ames, Iowa 556 07/1993 d

25.53 26,500 3/46 5/30/2008 24.70 19,800 .2–1 14,200 12,100 16,600 16,700 13,900 20,000 19,200 15,600 23,600 25,400 19,400 33,300

110 05471050 South Skunk River at Colfax, Iowa 803 07/1993 21.53 14,200 2/23 6/14/2008 20.25 10,900 4–10 14,200 11,500 17,600 16,700 13,200 21,200 19,300 14,900 24,900 25,200 18,300 34,800

111 05471200 Indian Creek near Mingo, Iowa 276 06/1991 19.16 23,500 4/41 5/31/2008 16.33 8,450 4–10 11,100 9,030 13,600 13,200 10,500 16,600 15,300 11,900 19,800 20,800 15,000 28,800

112 05471500 South Skunk River near Oskaloosa, Iowa 1,635 05/1944 25.80 37,000 4/64 6/12/2008 24.61 17,300 4–10 20,400 17,600 23,700 23,800 20,100 28,300 27,300 22,500 33,200 35,600 27,600 45,700

113 05474000 Skunk River at Augusta, Iowa 4,312 04/1973 27.05 66,800 9/96 6/16/2008 22.85 43,900 4–10 44,800 40,300 49,700 50,300 44,500 56,900 55,700 48,200 64,300 67,800 55,700 82,400

114 05474500 Mississippi River at Keokuk, Iowa 119,000 07/1993 27.58 l446,000 2/132 6/17/2008 -- l438,000 < .2 r298,000 -- -- r331,000 -- -- r366,000 -- -- r429,000 -- --

115 05479000 East Fork Des Moines River at Dakota City, Iowa 1,308 09/1938 17.40 h22,000 10/72 6/14/2008 19.09 10,400 4–10 13,900 11,000 17,600 16,600 12,700 21,600 19,300 14,300 26,000 25,800 17,800 37,400

116 05480500 Des Moines River at Fort Dodge, Iowa 4,190 04/1965 17.79 35,600 3/78 6/8/2008 15.73 34,400 2–4 30,500 25,600 36,300 35,800 29,200 44,000 41,300 32,600 52,300 54,600 40,100 74,500

117 05480930 White Fox Creek at Clarion, Iowa 13.3 07/1993 93.59 1,400 1/42 6/8/2008 93.85 1,480 1–2 1,140 738 1,760 1,350 836 2,170 1,530 907 2,590 1,910 1,020 3,580 

118 05481000 Boone River near Webster City, Iowa 844 06/1918 19.10 21,500 2/70 6/10/2008 17.74 20,500 .2–1 15,300 12,900 18,200 17,700 14,400 21,600 19,900 15,800 25,100 25,200 18,600 34,000

119 05481300 Des Moines River near Stratford, Iowa 5,452 04/1993 25.68 42,300 1/41 6/9/2008 27.32 50,300 1–2 j41,500 34,900 49,300 j48,300 39,500 59,200 j55,200 43,700 69,800 j71,700 52,700 97,600

120 05481650 Des Moines River near Saylorville, Iowa 5,841 06/1954 24.50 60,000 2/47 6/13/2008 24.03 l50,500 < .2 -- -- -- n27,000 -- -- n34,000 -- -- n50,000 -- --

121 05481950 Beaver Creek near Grimes, Iowa 358 07/1993 16.58 14,300 3/49 6/1/2008 14.51 7,800 4–10 9,490 7,610 11,800 11,500 9,000 14,600 13,600 10,400 17,700 18,600 13,200 26,000

122 05482000 Des Moines River at 2nd Ave, Des Moines, Iowa 6,245 06/1954 30.16 60,200 2/62 6/13/2008 d31.50 l47,300 .2–1 -- -- -- n30,000 -- -- n37,000 -- -- n52,000 -- --

123 05482500 North Raccoon River near Jefferson, Iowa 1,619 06/1947 22.30 29,100 5/69 6/9/2008 18.41 18,300 4–10 21,500 17,900 25,800 24,700 20,100 30,400 27,900 22,100 35,300 35,100 26,000 47,500

124 05482900 Hardin Creek near Farlin, Iowa 101 07/1993 13.97 3,010 1/57 6/8/2008 13.40 3,030 1–2 2,520 1,940 3,280 3,030 2,260 4,070 3,540 2,560 4,900 4,740 3,190 7,060

125 05484000 South Raccoon River at Redfield, Iowa 994 07/1993 26.98 44,000 (

p

) 6/12/2008 20.80 26,300 4–10 27,400 22,900 32,800 31,600 25,900 38,600 35,800 28,600 44,800 45,900 34,400 61,100

126 05484500 Raccoon River at Van Meter, Iowa 3,441 07/1993 26.34 70,100 3/94 6/12/2008 22.67 43,500 2–4 39,200 33,200 46,300 45,300 37,500 54,700 51,500 41,600 63,700 65,900 49,900 87,000

127 05484650 Raccoon River at 63rd Street, Des Moines, Iowa 3,529 07/1993 d40.77 66,000 2/15 6/13/2008 41.31 52,000 1–2 43,500 37,000 51,100 49,700 41,300 59,700 55,500 45,100 68,400 69,400 52,800 91,100

128 05484900 Raccoon River at Fleur Drive, Des Moines, Iowa 3,625 07/1993 26.80 67,900 2/22 6/13/2008 24.66 56,300 1–2 47,300 40,200 55,800 53,600 44,400 64,600 59,400 48,000 73,500 73,200 55,400 96,600

129 05485500 Des Moines R. at Raccoon R., Des Moines, Iowa 9,879 07/1993 d34.29 l116,000 2/68 6/13/2008 35.55 l104,000 .2–1 r-- -- -- n72,000 -- -- n87,000 -- -- n132,000 -- --

130 05485640 Fourmile Creek at Des Moines, Iowa 92.7 06/1998 15.00 5,600 1/36 6/6/2008 d

15.14 6,810 2–4 6,140 4,880 7,730 7,330 5,690 9,440 8,580 6,500 11,300 11,800 8,310 16,600

131 05486000 North River near Norwalk, Iowa 349 06/1947 25.30 32,000 4/69 6/13/2008 23.91 13,500 4–10 16,200 13,000 20,200 20,000 15,700 25,400 23,700 18,200 30,900 33,000 23,800 45,900

132 05486490 Middle River near Indianola, Iowa 489 06/1947 26.40 34,000 2/69 6/6/2008 25.55 19,000 2–4 18,400 15,700 21,600 21,300 17,800 25,500 24,100 19,700 29,600 30,700 23,600 40,100

133 05487500 Des Moines River near Runnells, Iowa 11,655 07/1993 82.88 h134,000 3/23 6/14/2008 79.28 l81,200 s-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

134 05488110 Des Moines River near Pella, Iowa 12,330 07/1993 109.71 l105,000 2/16 6/14/2008 108.96 l100,000 s-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

135 05488500 Des Moines River near Tracy, Iowa 12,479 06/1947 26.50 155,000 4/90 6/14/2008 23.70 l104,000 .2–1 -- -- -- n51,000 -- -- n70,000 -- -- n135,000 -- --

136 05489500 Des Moines River at Ottumwa, Iowa 13,374 06/1903 d19.40 h140,000 4/94 6/17/2008 20.60 l102,000 .2–1 -- -- -- n61,000 -- -- n81,000 -- -- n144,000 -- --

137 05490500 Des Moines River at Keosauqua, Iowa 14,038 06/1903 27.85 146,000 5/102 6/16/2008 30.49 l106,000 .2–1 -- -- -- n66,000 -- -- n86,000 -- -- n149,000 -- --

138 05502500 Salt River near Shelbina, Mo. 481 05/2002 28.65 24,600 (

p

) 6/27/2008 22.93 15,200 4–10 19,300 16,200 23,000 22,600 18,300 27,900 26,000 20,300 33,300 34,100 24,400 47,800 
52 Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008 Table 5 53

Table 5. Summary of peak stages, streamflows, and flood-probability estimates for selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages during

May and June 2008.—Continued

[mi2, square mile; ft, foot; ft3/s, cubic foot per second; AEP, annual exceedance probability; >, greater than; <, less than; --, no data; R., River]

Site 

number 

(fig. 12)

Station 

number Station name

Contributing 

drainage 

area

(mi2)

Flood data Estimated 

AEP for 

observed 

peak 

streamflow 

(percent)

Expected peak streamflows for selected AEP with 95-percent confidence limits (ft3

/s)b

Previous maximum streamflow Flood of June 2008 4-percent AEP

(25-year recurrence)

2-percent AEP

(50-year recurrence)

1-percent AEP

(100-year recurrence)

0.2-percent AEP

(500-year recurrence)

Date Stage

(ft)

Streamflow

(ft3

/s)

Ranka/

annual 

peaks

Date

Peak 

stage

(ft)

Peak 

streamflow 

(ft3/s)

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Low High Low High Low High Low High

139 05527800 Des Plaines River at Russell, Ill. 123 05/2004 11.09 3,500 5/49 6/11/2008 9.47 1,910 4–10 2,440 1,830 3,230 2,870 2,070 3,980 3,290 2,270 4,780 4,210 2,600 6,830 

140 05543830 Fox River at Waukesha, Wis. 126 04/1960 8.00 2,500 2/47 6/9/2008 8.85 2,440 1–2 2,040 1,650 2,510 2,330 1,820 2,990 2,640 1,970 3,530 3,220 2,200 4,700

141 05544200 Mukwonago River at Mukwonago, Wis. 74.1 08/2007 3.96 c

317 1/33 6/13/2008 4.95 c364 .2–1 320 292 364 340 308 392 359 322 418 397 352 475

142 05545750 Fox River near New Munster, Wis. 811 03/1960 9.25 7,520 3/69 6/15/2008 e15.18 5,960 2–4 5,940 5,030 7,010 6,760 5,540 8,230 7,580 6,010 9,560 9,120 7,700 11,400

143 05572000 Sangamon River at Monticello, Ill. 550 10/1926 18.50 19,000 7/100 6/4/2008 18.79 13,300 4–10 15,000 12,500 18,100 17,800 14,300 22,200 20,600 16,000 26,700 27,700 19,600 39,200 

144 05580000 Kickapoo Creek at Waynesville, Ill. 227 08/1981 16.91 24,600 8/61 6/4/2008 16.50 11,600 4–10 15,500 11,300 21,200 19,400 13,400 27,900 23,600 15,500 35,900 34,500 20,000 59,500 

145 05586100 Illinois River at Valley City, Ill. 26,743 05/1943 28.61 c123,000 (

p

) 6/14/2008 17.72 c63,000 > 10 r110,000 -- -- r121,000 -- -- r132,000 -- -- r157,000 -- --

146 05587450 Mississippi River at Grafton, Ill. 171,300 08/1993 38.17 l

598,000 2/23 6/28/2008 30.80 l440,000 2–4 r408,000 -- -- r446,000 -- -- r488,000 -- -- r585,000 -- --

147 05590800 Lake Fork at Atwood, Ill. 149 03/1979 14.03 4,030 1/36 6/7/2008 15.75 3,550 4–10 4,150 3,440 5,010 4,610 3,710 5,720 5,050 3,940 6,470 6,060 4,390 8,360 

148 05591200 Kaskaskia River at Cooks Mills, Ill. 473 05/2002 17.85 11,000 1/38 6/7/2008 20.41 14,100 1–2 11,500 9,140 14,400 13,100 10,100 17,000 14,600 10,900 19,700 18,300 12,400 26,900 

149 05591700 West Okaw River near Lovington, Ill. 112 05/1996 16.40 10,300 2/29 6/7/2008 16.17 9,370 2–4 8,710 6,150 12,300 10,300 6,960 15,400 12,000 7,700 18,700 16,000 9,180 28,000 

150 06359500 Moreau River near Faith, S. Dak. 2,660 04/1944 f21.90 26,000 4/65 6/7/2008 21.50 22,900 2–4 20,000 15,100 28,800 26,400 19,600 39,900 33,700 24,500 52,900 54,300 28,000 89,500

151 06360500 Moreau River near Whitehorse, S. Dak. 4,880 03/1997 26.93 29,700 4/55 6/8/2008 25.56 25,000 4–10 29,900 22,800 41,500 38,600 28,800 55,300 48,100 35,300 70,900 73,700 51,800 115,000

152 06425100 Elk Creek near Rapid City, S. Dak. 190 05/1996 12.77 3,120 3/30 6/6/2008 11.64 c2,390 4–10 t3,460 -- -- t4,490 -- -- t5,660 -- -- t25,900 -- --

153 06425500 Elk Creek near Elm Springs, S. Dak. 540 03/1952 10.61 8,540 4/59 6/6/2008 14.00 c7,000 4–10 t8,600 -- -- t11,300 -- -- t14,600 -- -- t48,600 -- --

154 06428500 Belle Fourche R. at Wyo./S. Dak. State Line, S. Dak. 3,280 05/1995 16.33 l6,320 2/62 6/6/2008 15.98 l5,190 2–4 5,080 3,950 6,950 6,200 4,740 8,730 7,360 5,530 10,600 10,200 7,390 15,400

155 06433500 Hay Creek at Belle Fourche, S. Dak. 121 05/1995 10.23 1,280 1/44 6/6/2008 10.50 h

1,400 2–4 t968 -- -- t1,680 -- -- t3,160 -- -- t20,900 -- --

156 06436000 Belle Fourche River near Fruitdale, S. Dak. 4,540 05/1982 14.32 l12,700 4/63 6/6/2008 12.95 l8,700 4–10 11,200 7,220 19,100 14,400 9,120 25,500 17,700 11,000 32,200 25,100 15,100 48,000

157 06436198 Whitewood Creek above Vale, S. Dak. 102 05/1995 5.72 4,250 1/26 6/5/2008 7.29 4,500 4–10 t6,170 -- -- t8,760 -- -- t12,100 -- -- t27,200 -- --

158 06436760 Horse Creek above Vale, S. Dak. 464 05/1982 24.80 c17,700 2/28 6/6/2008 23.42 c15,100 2–4 t10,600 -- -- t16,100 -- -- t24,000 -- -- t68,000 -- --

159 06437000 Belle Fourche River near Sturgis, S. Dak. 5,870 05/1982 19.10 l36,400 2/63 6/6/2008 20.10 l36,100 1–2 23,400 17,300 34,200 32,100 23,000 49,100 42,700 29,700 68,200 76,300 49,700 134,000

160 06438000 Belle Fourche River near Elm Springs, S. Dak. 7,210 06/1964 15.90 l45,100 1/81 6/6/2008 19.73 l47,500 2–4 41,600 26,400 72,800 52,800 32,900 95,500 63,700 38,900 118,000 86,600 51,400 168,000

161 06438500 Cheyenne River near Plainview, S. Dak. 21,600 05/1996 22.10 l69,700 1/47 6/7/2008 22.63 l73,200 2–4 61,200 47,900 83,500 78,400 59,800 111,000 97,800 72,900 143,000 153,000 109,000 240,000

162 06452000 White River near Oacoma, S. Dak. 9,940 03/1952 19.40 51,900 5/80 6/5/2008 19.39 33,800 4–10 37,200 31,000 46,500 46,500 37,900 59,800 57,000 45,600 75,400 86,900 66,600 122,000

163 06465500 Niobrara River near Verdel, Nebr. 11,580 03/1960 d10.10 39,000 5/53 6/6/2008 5.56 l12,400 4–10 u16,000 13,400 20,200 u20,000 16,300 26,300 u24,700 19,700 33,900 u39,700 29,600 59,800

164 06606837 (0660683710) Halfway Creek at Schaller, Iowa 1.7 05/2007 94.64 486 1/19 6/8/2008 97.31 1,010 4–10 1,280 956 1,710 1,670 1,230 2,280 2,100 1,510 2,930 3,260 2,190 4,880

165 06609500 Boyer River at Logan, Iowa 871 06/1990 22.54 30,800 1/80 6/8/2008 d24.75 33,600 1–2 27,100 23,200 31,600 30,600 25,600 36,500 34,100 27,900 41,600 42,200 32,500 54,900

166 06610581 Mosquito Creek Tributary near Neola, Iowa 3.2 05/2004 87.50 1,960 2/18 6/8/2008 85.24 1,360 4–10 2,040 1,530 2,730 2,650 1,950 3,610 3,310 2,380 4,610 5,110 3,420 7,630

167 06768000 Platte River near Overton, Nebr. 51,620 06/1935 f6.25 37,600 22/91 5/25/2008 9.05 l11,200 > 10 u18,200 15,000 23,300 u23,400 18,800 31,100 u29,600 23,100 40,700 u48,700 36,000 72,100

168 06794000 Beaver Creek at Genoa, Nebr. 429 07/1950 d18.70 21,200 6/68 5/30/2008 18.15 7,270 4–10 10,400 7,430 14,500 13,900 9,510 20,400 18,300 11,900 28,000 32,700 19,100 55,800

169 06795500 Shell Creek near Columbus, Nebr. 294 06/1990 22.76 8,000 1/60 5/30/2008 22.06 11,200 <.2 5,620 4,560 6,930 6,800 5,370 8,600 8,030 6,170 10,400 11,000 7,910 15,300

170 06801000 Platte River near Ashland, Nebr. 69,300 03/1993 d19.23 130,000 5/45 5/31/2008 21.06 l85,600 4–10 u102,000 83,400 134,000 u121,000 96,600 165,000 u141,000 110,000 200,000 u195,000 146,000 298,000

171 06805500 Platte River at Louisville, Nebr. 71,000 07/1993 d11.90 160,000 8/56 5/31/2008 10.48 l96,600 > 10 u129,000 107,000 165,000 u154,000 125,000 201,000 u180,000 144,000 241,000 u246,000 189,000 348,000

172 06809500 East Nishnabotna River at Red Oak, Iowa 894 06/1998 29.39 60,500 6/82 6/13/2008 24.09 27,000 4–10 29,200 24,500 34,900 33,800 27,700 41,200 38,400 30,700 48,000 49,200 36,900 65,600

173 06811760 Tarkio River near Elliott, Iowa 10.7 06/1998 14.68 5,000 3/57 6/5/2008 13.20 3,010 4–10 3,070 2,410 3,920 3,850 2,950 5,010 4,660 3,490 6,220 6,780 4,750 9,690

174 06813500 Missouri River at Rulo, Nebr. 414,900 04/1952 25.60 358,000 8/59 6/14/2008 24.98 c167,000 4–10 h194,000 -- -- r220,000 -- -- r250,000 -- -- r320,000 -- --

175 06816290 West Nodaway River at Massena, Iowa 23.4 02/1973 82.39 h4,700 1/43 6/12/2008 80.54 4,850 2–4 4,010 3,140 5,100 4,970 3,830 6,460 5,970 4,490 7,940 8,510 5,990 12,100

176 06817000 Nodaway River at Clarinda, Iowa 762 05/2007 23.82 31,100 1/81 6/5/2008 26.61 47,900 < .2 29,800 25,100 35,500 33,500 27,500 40,900 37,100 29,700 46,400 45,800 34,300 61,100

177 06817700 Nodaway River near Graham, Mo. 1,380 09/1993 26.89 90,700 2/26 6/6/2008 25.90 52,300 4–10 54,500 38,300 77,600 64,700 43,400 96,600 75,000 47,900 118,000 99,300 56,800 174,000 

178 06818000 Missouri River at St. Joseph, Mo. 420,100 04/1952 26.82 c

397,000 21/89 6/13/2008 25.10 c171,000 > 10 h208,000 -- -- r234,000 -- -- r260,000 -- -- r324,000 -- --

179 06819500 102 River at Maryville, Mo. 515 10/1973 19.25 28,000 3/67 6/6/2008 26.20 21,800 2–4 21,200 17,800 25,300 24,400 19,800 30,200 27,600 21,500 35,500 35,200 25,000 49,500 

180 06838000 Red Williow Creek near Red Williow, Nebr. 405 06/1947 18.36 30,000 7/69 5/23/2008 16.02 l3,900 .2–1 u1,700 1,180 2,750 u2,520 1,670 4,380 u3,640 2,300 6,760 u7,920 4,530 17,100

181 06844500 Republican River near Orleans, Nebr. 8,880 06/1947 14.00 145,000 6/62 5/26/2008 13.14 l9,680 2–4 u8,440 6,100 12,800 u10,400 7,380 16,500 u12,500 8,650 20,300 u17,400 11,600 30,100

182 06871500 Bow Creek near Stockton, Kans. 341 07/1951 13.60 12,900 5/58 5/24/2008 13.31 6,090 4–10 8,770 5,620 13,700 12,700 7,740 20,900 17,400 10,100 30,100 -- -- --

183 06893000 Missouri River at Kansas City, Mo. 484,100 06/1844 48.00 625,000 28/81 6/13/2008 29.02 c201,000 > 10 h306,000 -- -- r351,000 -- -- r401,000 -- -- r532,000 -- --

184 06893080 Blue River near Stanley, Kans. 46.0 05/1990 20.51 20,200 4/39 6/4/2008 19.68 16,600 4–10 18,300 13,400 25,000 22,500 15,700 32,200 26,900 17,900 40,400 -- -- --
54 Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008 Table 5 55

Table 5.  Summary of peak stages, streamflows, and flood-probability estimates for selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages during

May and June 2008.—Continued

[mi2, square mile; ft, foot; ft3/s, cubic foot per second; AEP, annual exceedance probability; >, greater than; <, less than; --, no data; R., River]

Site 

number 

(fig. 12)

Station 

number Station name

Contributing 

drainage 

area

(mi2)

Flood data Estimated 

AEP for 

observed 

peak 

streamflow 

(percent)

Expected peak streamflows for selected AEP with 95-percent confidence limits (ft3

/s)b

Previous maximum streamflow Flood of June 2008 4-percent AEP

(25-year recurrence)

2-percent AEP

(50-year recurrence)

1-percent AEP

(100-year recurrence)

0.2-percent AEP

(500-year recurrence)

Date Stage

(ft)

Streamflow

(ft3

/s)

Ranka/

annual 

peaks

Date

Peak 

stage

(ft)

Peak 

streamflow 

(ft3/s)

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Low High Low High Low High Low High

185 06898000 Thompson River at Davis City, Iowa 701 09/1992 24.29 57,000 (

p

) 6/7/2008 16.46 20,900 4–10 23,900 19,800 28,700 28,300 23,000 34,700 32,800 26,100 41,100 44,000 33,100 58,700

186 06899500 Thompson River at Trenton, Mo. 1,720 06/1947 25.70 95,000 (p) 6/25/2008 31.01 50,400 > 10 63,600 53,500 75,700 72,600 58,800 89,600 81,100 63,100 104,000 99,800 70,500 141,000 

187 06901500 Locust Creek near Linneus, Mo. 550 06/1947 26.93 38,000 3/59 6/25/2008 25.83 26,900 1–2 23,000 19,700 27,000 26,400 21,900 31,900 29,900 23,900 37,300 37,800 27,800 51,500 

188 06905500 Chariton River near Prairie Hill, Mo. 1,870 05/2002 23.01 l37,100 (

p

) 6/26/2008 22.84 l36,100 .2–1 25,200 22,200 28,600 28,000 24,000 32,600 30,600 25,500 36,700 36,800 28,600 47,400 

189 06934500 Missouri River at Hermann, Mo. 522,500 07/1993 36.97 c750,000 (

p

) 6/17/2008 -- c286,000 > 10 h533,000 -- -- r604,000 -- -- r673,000 -- -- r833,000 -- --

190 06935965 Missouri River at St. Charles, Mo. 524,000 05/2002 31.69 c350,000 (

p

) 6/18/2008 -- c303,000 > 10 h536,000 -- -- r606,000 -- -- r674,000 -- -- r829,000 -- --

191 07010000 Mississippi River at St. Louis, Mo. 697,000 08/1993 49.58 l1,070,000 25/148 6/30/2008 38.67 l720,000 4–10 r780,000 -- -- r850,000 -- -- r910,000 -- -- r1,120,000 -- --

192 07020500 Mississippi River at Chester, Ill. 708,600 04/1927 34.40 1,060,000 21/84 7/1/2008 39.44 l

696,000 > 10 r805,000 -- -- r893,000 -- -- r948,000 -- -- r1,140,000 -- --

193 07022000 Mississippi River at Thebes, Ill. 713,200 07/1844 -- 1,075,000 26/77 7/3/2008 41.10 l717,000 4–10 r807,000 -- -- r895,000 -- -- r950,000 -- -- r1,142,000 -- --

194 07050700 James River near Springfield, Mo. 246 07/1909 22.00 62,000 (

p

) 6/14/2008 18.53 28,400 4–10 33,200 27,600 39,900 38,200 30,700 47,500 42,900 33,300 55,300 53,400 38,300 74,500 

195 07160350 Skeleton Creek at Enid, Okla. 70.3 11/1998 14.70 l8,180 1/13 6/9/2008 15.97 9,860 4–10 g10,000 6,920 19,400 g12,100 8,060 25,700 g14,400 9,230 33,200 g20,400 12,200 56,300

196 07176000 Verdigris River near Claremore, Okla. 6,534 05/1943 55.05 182,000 14/74 6/16/2008 34.09 l50,400 4–10 g52,100 44,800 63,700 g59,600 50,400 74,600 g67,300 56,100 86,100 g86,000 69,500 115,000

197 07176500 Bird Creek at Avant, Okla. 364 10/1959 31.40 32,400 5/64 6/9/2008 27.58 c27,500 4–10 32,100 25,600 40,300 36,300 27,600 47,800 40,800 29,500 56,500 52,300 33,400 81,900 

a

 Rank of the maximum instantaneous peak streamflow measured during June 2008 compared to all systematic and historic annual peaks. A rank of 1 

indicates that the June 2008 peak streamflow was higher than all other recorded annual peaks.

b

 Unless otherwise noted, expected peak streamflows are based on Water Resources Council Bulletin 17B weighting by variance method.

c

 Streamflow affected to unknown degree by regulation or diversion. 

d A higher stage exists that corresponds to a streamflow that is less than the peak streamflow.

e

 Streamgage datum changes or stage shifts over period of record. Streamgage vertical datum is referenced to the North American Datum of 1927.

f

 Datum change at site.

g

 Expected peak streamflows based on Bulletin 17B systematic frequency-curve estimate only.

h

 Estimated.

i

 Expected peak streamflows are based on regional regression equation estimates only (Eash, 2001).

j

 Expected peak streamflows are based on inclusion of actual, or area-weighted, annual-peak streamflows from an earlier period of record from nearby 

discontinued downstream streamgage.

k

 Expected peak streamflows are logarithmic interpolations of weighted estimates between upstream and downstream streamgages.

l

 Streamflow affected by regulation or diversion.

m U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (2009).

n

 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (2002).

o

 Expected peak streamflows are based on weighted estimates from nearby downstream streamgage and regional regression estimates for this streamgage.

p The peak streamflow for June 2008 was exceeded by another peak streamflow during 2008.

q A higher peak stage of 20.00 occurred in 1929 but corresponded to a lesser peak streamflow.

r

 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (2004).

s

 Estimated AEP uncharacterized because of regulation.

t

 Expected peak streamflows are based on a regional mixed-population analysis (Sando and others, 2008).

u Analysis based on station skew for the current (2008) regulated condition.

Flooding in Shell Rock, Iowa. Photographs by Don Becker, USGS.
56 Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008 Table 6 57

Table 6. Summary of peak stages, streamflows, and flood-probability estimates for selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages during

July 2008.

[mi2, square mile; ft, foot; ft3/s, cubic foot per second; AEP, annual exceedance probability; <, less than; --, no data]

Site 

number 

(fig. 15)

Station 

number Station name

Contributing 

drainage 

area

(mi2)

Flood data Estimated 

AEP for 

observed 

peak 

streamflow 

(percent)

Expected peak streamflows for selected AEP with 95-percent confidence limits (ft3

/s)b

Previous maximum streamflow Flood of July 2008 4-percent AEP

(25-year recurrence)

2-percent AEP

(50-year recurrence)

1-percent AEP

(100-year recurrence)

0.2-percent AEP

(500-year recurrence)

Date Stage

(ft)

Streamflow

(ft3

/s)

Ranka/

annual 

peaks

Date

Peak 

stage

(ft)

Peak 

streamflow 

(ft3/s)

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Low High Low High Low High Low High

1 05483600 Middle Raccoon River at Panora, Iowa 440 07/1993 20.04 c

22,400 3/52 7/28/2008 14.69 c14,000 2–4 14,000 11,900 16,400 16,700 13,900 20,000 19,500 15,800 23,900 26,400 20,100 34,600

2 05484000 South Raccoon River at Redfield, Iowa 994 07/1993 26.98 44,000 2/69 7/28/2008 24.04 37,100 .2–1 27,400 22,900 32,800 31,600 25,900 38,600 35,800 28,600 44,800 45,900 34,400 61,100

3 05485640 Fourmile Creek at Des Moines, Iowa 92.7 06/1998 15.00 5,600 (

d

) 7/28/2008 15.38 6,390 2–4 6,140 4,880 7,730 7,330 5,690 9,440 8,580 6,500 11,300 11,800 8,310 16,600

4 05487470 South River near Ackworth, Iowa 460 06/1990 31.25 38,100 2/70 7/29/2008 31.57 35,700 2–4 31,000 25,500 37,500 36,200 29,100 44,900 41,400 32,400 52,700 53,500 39,200 73,000

5 05487825 Little White Breast Creek Trib. near Chariton, Iowa .1 08/1993 18.93 e

56 1/19 7/28/2008 19.72 78 2–4 f74 53 126 f90 62 164 f108 72 206 f152 96 329

6 05487980 White Breast Creek near Dallas, Iowa 342 07/1982 33.45 37,300 4/46 7/8/2008 28.44 16,900 4–10 g

19,100 15,700 23,200 g22,700 18,400 28,100 g26,500 21,000 33,400 g36,300 27,200 48,400

7 05488200 English Creek near Knoxville, Iowa 90.1 07/1982 30.28 28,000 3/24 7/8/2008 27.40 14,000 1–2 9,510 7,270 12,400 11,600 8,720 15,500 14,100 10,300 19,300 20,900 14,200 30,800

8 05489000 Cedar Creek near Bussey, Iowa 374 07/1982 34.61 96,000 4/62 7/8/2008 28.91 30,800 2–4 28,000 23,400 33,400 33,400 27,400 40,800 39,000 31,200 48,800 53,500 40,200 71,100

9 05494300 Fox River at Bloomfield, Iowa 87.7 08/2007 25.05 13,100 2/32 7/8/2008 24.69 11,600 2–4 11,500 9,080 14,500 14,000 10,900 17,900 16,500 12,700 21,500 23,400 16,900 32,200

10 05502300 Salt River at Hagers Grove, Mo. 365 05/2002 20.91 42,000 2/35 7/25/2008 20.88 29,300 2–4 27,600 22,100 34,500 32,000 24,600 41,600 36,200 26,700 49,200 46,000 30,500 69,400 

11 05502500 Salt River near Shelbina, Mo. 481 05/2002 28.65 24,600 1/65 7/26/2008 28.65 28,000 .2–1 19,300 16,200 23,000 22,600 18,300 27,900 26,000 20,300 33,300 34,100 24,400 47,800 

12 05503800 Crooked Creek near Paris, Mo. 80.0 04/1973 15.53 12,100 4/30 7/25/2008 12.35 6,810 > 10 8,900 6,780 11,700 10,300 7,540 14,200 11,800 8,200 16,900 15,200 9,520 24,200 

13 05504800 South Fork Salt River above Santa Fe, Mo. 233 09/1993 28.66 31,800 (

d

) 7/26/2008 24.72 15,500 4–10 20,000 13,700 29,100 23,600 15,400 36,100 27,300 17,000 43,900 36,200 20,100 65,100 

14 05506100 Long Branch near Santal Fe, Mo. 180 07/1998 22.43 16,700 1/14 7/25/2008 24.43 19,500 1–2 16,200 11,400 23,000 18,600 12,500 27,800 21,200 13,600 33,000 27,400 15,800 47,600 

15 05506800 Elk Fork Salt River near Madison, Mo. 200 04/1973 33.40 42,300 3/41 7/25/2008 30.77 24,300 2–4 21,700 16,000 29,600 25,700 18,000 36,700 29,700 19,800 44,600 39,400 23,400 66,100 

16 05507600 Lick Creek near Perry, Mo. 104 05/1996 22.25 11,800 2/30 7/25/2008 26.14 15,200 2–4 14,500 11,400 18,400 16,600 12,600 22,000 18,800 13,600 25,800 23,900 15,700 36,400 

17 05508805 Spencer Creek at Plum Creek, Frankford, Mo. 206 09/1993 18.54 20,300 1/30 7/25/2008 19.60 20,700 2–4 19,400 16,100 23,300 21,200 17,100 26,400 23,000 17,900 29,600 27,100 19,400 37,800 

18 06818750 Platte River near Diagonal, Iowa 217 09/1989 23.60 8,630 1/36 7/25/2008 25.97 13,400 1–2 10,800 9,060 12,900 12,500 10,300 15,300 14,300 11,500 17,800 18,200 13,800 24,100

19 06898000 Thompson River at Davis City, Iowa 701 09/1992 24.29 57,000 5/83 7/24/2008 16.77 21,500 4–10 23,900 19,800 28,700 28,300 23,000 34,700 32,800 26,100 41,100 44,000 33,100 58,700

20 06899500 Thompson River at Trenton, Mo. 1,720 06/1947 25.70 95,000 4/84 7/25/2008 31.96 63,400 4–10 63,600 53,500 75,700 72,600 58,800 89,600 81,100 63,100 104,000 99,800 70,500 141,000 

21 06903700 South Fork Chariton River near Promise City, Iowa 168 09/1992 34.84 70,600 5/42 7/25/2008 25.78 17,700 4–10 17,900 14,900 21,500 21,000 17,100 25,700 24,400 19,400 30,500 33,600 25,300 44,600

22 06904010 Chariton River near Moulton, Iowa 740 08/2007 37.94 c

21,200 3/29 7/9/2008 35.81 c10,300 < 2 h8,130 -- -- h8,660 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

23 06904500 Chariton River at Novinger, Mo. 1,370 06/1917 28.60 27,000 1/86 7/25/2008 28.44 c

30,200 1–2 25,900 21,600 31,200 30,100 24,100 37,700 34,400 26,300 44,900 44,300 30,700 64,000 

24 06905500 Chariton River near Prairie Hill, Mo. 1,870 05/2002 23.01 c

37,100 1/80 7/27/2008 23.27 c38,400 < .2 25,200 22,200 28,600 28,000 24,000 32,600 30,600 25,500 36,700 36,800 28,600 47,400 

25 06906150 Long Banch Creek near Atlanta, Mo. 23.0 05/2002 16.44 3,360 1/13 7/25/2008 16.43 4,870 2–4 4,230 2,640 6,780 5,100 3,040 8,560 6,020 3,430 10,600 8,240 4,230 16,000 

a

 Rank of the maximum instantaneous peak streamflow measured during July 2008 compared to all systematic and historic annual peaks. A rank of 1 

indicates that the July 2008 peak streamflow was higher than all other recorded annual peaks.

b

 Unless otherwise noted, expected peak streamflows are based on Water Resources Council Bulletin 17B weighting by variance method.

c

 Streamflow affected by regulation or diversion.

d The peak streamflow for July 2008 was exceeded by another peak streamflow during 2008.

e

 Estimated.

f

 Expected peak streamflows based on Bulletin 17B systematic frequency-curve estimate only.

g

 Expected peak streamflows are based on inclusion of actual, or area-weighted, annual-peak streamflows from an earlier period of record from nearby 

discontinued downstream streamgage.

h

 Edward Parker, P.E., Hydraulic Engineer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District, written commun., January 6, 2010.

Flooding in Spencer, Indiana. Photograph by Paul Baker, USGS. Flooding in St. Joseph, Illinois. Photograph by Robert Holmes, USGS.
58 Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008 Table 7 59

Table 7. Summary of peak stages, streamflows, and flood-probability estimates for selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages during

September 2008.—Continued

[mi2, square mile; ft, foot; ft3/s, cubic foot per second; AEP, annual exceedance probability; <, less than; --, no data; Br., Branch; >, greater than]

Site 

number 

(fig. 16)

Station 

number Station name

Contributing 

drainage 

area

(mi2)

Flood data Estimated 

AEP for 

observed 

peak 

streamflow 

(percent)

Expected peak streamflows for selected AEP with 95-percent confidence limits (ft3

/s)b

Previous maximum streamflow Flood of September 2008 4-percent AEP

(25-year recurrence)

2-percent AEP

(50-year recurrence)

1-percent AEP

(100-year recurrence)

0.2-percent AEP

(500-year recurrence)

Date Stage

(ft)

Streamflow

(ft3

/s)

Ranka/

annual 

peaks

Date

Peak 

stage

(ft)

Peak 

streamflow 

(ft3/s)

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Low High Low High Low High Low High

1 04093000 Deep River at Lake George Outlet, Hobart, Ind. 124 11/1990 17.58 4,230 1/62 9/15/2008 22.18 5,280 1–2 4,440 3,530 6,380 5,220 4,040 7,910 6,070 4,570 9,670 8,320 5,900 14,800

2 04094000 Little Calumet River at Porter, Ind. 66.2 11/1990 10.93 3,880 1/64 9/15/2008 12.04 5,320 2–4 4,490 3,230 7,530 5,660 3,920 10,300 7,010 4,680 13,700 11,000 6,750 25,200

3 04095300 Trail Creek at Michigan City, Ind. 54.1 06/1993 12.97 4,240 3/26 9/14/2008 13.07 3,310 2–4 3,190 2,190 4,640 3,770 2,480 5,730 4,350 2,750 6,890 5,820 3,390 9,990

4 04096015 Galien River near Sawyer, Mich. 80.7 05/1996 14.13 3,440 2/13 9/15/2008 13.26 2,510 4–10 c

2,880 2,210 4,580 c3,370 2,510 5,770 c3,910 2,820 7,160 c5,330 3,600 11,300

5 04096405 St. Joseph River at Burlington, Mich. 206 06/1989 5.82 1,390 4/47 9/16/2008 6.83 1,130 4–10 c

1,250 1,100 1,500 c1,400 1,210 1,710 c1,550 1,320 1,920 c1,890 1,570 2,430

6 04097500 St. Joseph River at Three Rivers, Mich. 1,350 04/1950 10.60 8,260 (d

) 9/17/2008 9.29 6,120 4–10 c6,360 5,720 7,310 c6,970 6,200 8,140 c7,560 6,660 8,950 c8,900 7,680 10,900

7 04099000 St. Joseph River at Mottville, Mich. 1,866 06/1989 10.41 e

11,400 (

d

) 9/17/2008 8.25 e7,550 4–10 c8,780 8,080 9,730 c9,800 8,930 11,000 c10,800 9,780 12,300 c13,400 11,800 15,700

8 04101370 Juday Creek near South Bend, Ind. 38.0 06/1993 3.39 226 1/16 9/15/2008 3.65 249 2–4 c

238 173 410 c282 199 521 c329 225 649 c450 288 1,020

9 04101800 Dowagiac River at Sumnerville, Mich. 255 02/1985 9.26 1,590 1/49 9/15/2008 11.60 2,300 < 1 1,590 1,360 1,850 1,770 1,470 2,130 1,950 1,570 2,430 -- -- --

10 04102500 Paw Paw River at Riverside, Mich. 390 10/1986 10.90 3,580 1/57 9/17/2008 11.24 3,870 1–2 2,980 2,430 3,650 3,450 2,700 4,400 3,950 2,960 5,250 -- -- --

11 04102700 South Branch Black River near Bangor, Mich. 83.6 02/1997 14.90 2,390 2/43 9/15/2008 13.78 1,950 2–4 1,860 1,460 2,360 2,150 1,620 2,860 2,470 1,780 3,440 -- -- --

12 04103010 Kalamazoo River near Marengo, Mich. 267 06/1989 10.18 1,160 2/22 9/14/2008 10.05 1,120 2–4 c

1,080 950 1,320 c1,180 1,020 1,470 c1,280 1,090 1,630 c1,500 1,250 2,010

13 04103500 Kalamazoo River at Marshall, Mich. 449 03/1950 8.20 2,130 2/42 9/15/2008 7.89 e

2,030 2–4 1,910 1,590 2,290 2,150 1,740 2,660 2,410 1,880 3,080 -- -- --

14 04105000 Battle Creek at Battle Creek, Mich. 241 04/1947 4.48 3,640 9/77 9/17/2008 3.46 2,410 4–10 2,800 2,340 3,350 3,210 2,580 3,980 3,620 2,810 4,670 -- -- --

15 04105500 Kalamazoo River near Battle Creek, Mich. 824 04/1947 -- 7,290 3/72 9/17/2008 7.78 5,240 4–10 5,340 4,510 6,320 6,110 4,990 7,490 6,930 5,460 8,790 -- -- --

16 04105700 Augusta Creek near Augusta, Mich. 38.9 06/1978 3.41 560 2/44 9/14/2008 3.48 312 1–2 263 206 336 303 226 406 344 244 485 -- -- --

17 04106000 Kalamazoo River at Comstock, Mich. 1,010 04/1947 7.94 6,910 4/72 9/18/2008 10.43 5,670 2–4 c

5,640 5,080 6,420 c6,300 5,620 7,280 c6,960 6,140 8,150 c8,510 7,360 10,300

18 04106300 Portage Creek near Kalamazoo, Mich. 22.4 05/1989 3.09 407 2/44 9/14/2008 3.43 398 < 1 288 234 355 323 252 415 360 269 481 -- -- --

19 04106320 West Fork Portage Creek near Oshtemo, Mich. 13.0 12/1992 2.47 36 3/37 9/15/2008 2.17 26 4–10 c

29 25 35 c33 28 41 c38 32 48 c49 40 67

20 04106400 West Fork Portage Creek at Kalamazoo, Mich. 18.7 12/1992 3.23 41 1/49 9/15/2008 3.69 69 .2–1 c

47 42 55 c53 46 63 c59 51 72 c75 63 95

21 04108600 Rabbit River near Hopkins, Mich. 71.4 06/1997 11.11 f

3,740 (

d

) 9/14/2008 8.90 1,360 4–10 1,550 1,140 2,100 1,830 1,270 2,620 2,120 1,400 3,200 -- -- --

22 04111000 Grand River near Eaton Rapids, Mich. 661 04/1950 8.15 3,860 2/47 9/16/2008 8.17 3,590 4–10 c

3,970 3,520 4,640 c4,360 3,830 5,190 c4,750 4,130 5,730 c5,610 4,780 6,980

23 04112700 Sycamore Creek at Harper Rd near Mason, Mich. 39.5 04/1975 12.53 1,080 3/34 9/15/2008 12.08 879 2–4 c

877 731 1,130 c1,040 845 1,390 c1,210 966 1,680 c1,680 1,280 2,520

24 05448000 Mill Creek at Milan, Ill. 62.4 04/1973 11.65 9,300 3/67 9/13/2008 g

11.37 8,790 4–10 9,090 7,110 11,600 10,800 8,110 14,300 12,500 8,980 17,300 16,500 10,700 25,400 

25 05466500 Edwards River near New Boston, Ill. 445 04/1973 23.33 18,000 2/74 9/14/2008 24.13 10,300 2–4 10,200 8,490 12,200 11,800 9,500 14,600 13,400 10,400 17,100 17,200 12,300 24,000 

26 05469350 Haight Creek at Kingston, Iowa 2.7 06/2007 18.16 2,450 2/19 9/13/2008 f

16.02 f1,740 4–10 2,270 1,710 3,000 2,860 2,110 3,860 3,500 2,530 4,860 5,280 3,540 7,860

27 05473400 Cedar Creek near Oakland Mills, Iowa 530 08/2007 21.28 13,100 1/31 9/14/2008 21.96 14,100 2–4 13,600 11,400 16,200 15,700 12,900 19,000 17,800 14,300 22,100 22,700 17,300 29,900

28 05473450 Big Creek north of Mount Pleasant, Iowa 58.0 04/1973 -- 9,580 2/12 9/13/2008 16.90 4,520 4–10 5,300 3,990 7,050 6,490 4,810 8,770 7,710 5,590 10,600 10,800 7,330 16,000

29 05495000 Fox River at Waylund, Mo. 400 04/1973 21.71 26,400 4/87 9/15/2008 20.61 18,600 4–10 18,900 15,600 22,900 22,300 17,700 28,000 25,900 19,800 33,800 34,600 24,100 49,600 

30 05502500 Salt River near Shelbina, Mo. 481 05/2002 28.65 24,600 (d

) 9/16/2008 24.29 17,800 4–10 19,300 16,200 23,000 22,600 18,300 27,900 26,000 20,300 33,300 34,100 24,400 47,800 

31 05504800 South Fork Salt River above Santa Fe, Mo. 233 09/1993 28.66 31,800 2/21 9/15/2008 26.60 22,100 2–4 20,000 13,700 29,100 23,600 15,400 36,100 27,300 17,000 43,900 36,200 20,100 65,100 

32 05512500 Bay Creek at Pittsfield, Ill. 39.4 09/1926 18.40 35,000 3/70 9/14/2008 14.75 12,900 4–10 14,300 11,200 18,200 17,000 12,800 22,600 19,600 14,100 27,300 25,500 16,500 39,400 

33 05515500 Kankakee River at Davis, Ind. 537 01/2005 13.05 1,930 (d

) 9/15/2008 13.74 1,900 2–4 1,830 1,710 1,960 1,940 1,790 2,100 2,050 1,860 2,250 2,300 2,010 2,620

34 05518000 Kankakee River at Shelby, Ind. 1,779 03/1982 12.98 7,650 5/86 9/19/2008 g

12.86 6,230 4–10 6,370 5,940 6,830 6,730 6,180 7,320 7,060 6,390 7,810 7,760 6,740 8,930

35 05520500 Kankakee River at Momence, Ill. 2,294 03/1979 10.51 f

16,000 2/94 9/15/2008 6.98 11,800 2–4 11,700 10,600 12,900 12,600 11,300 14,200 13,500 11,800 15,500 15,300 12,600 18,400 

36 05527500 Kankakee River near Wilmington, Ill. 5,150 07/1957 11.40 75,900 (

d

) 9/15/2008 8.68 48,800 4–10 54,700 47,300 63,300 61,300 51,600 72,900 67,500 55,200 82,600 80,800 61,300 106,000 

37 05530990 Salt Creek at Rolling Meadows, Ill. 30.5 08/1987 14.03 1,650 1/35 9/13/2008 12.99 h

2,510 < .2 1,520 1,320 1,860 1,690 1,440 2,110 1,850 1,560 2,360 2,220 1,820 2,950

38 05531300 Salt Creek at Elmhurst, Ill. 91.5 08/1972 7.27 2,230 2/45 9/14/2008 13.27 i

1,940 j-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

39 05531500 Salt Creek at Western Springs, Ill. 115 08/1987 10.54 3,540 2/63 9/14/2008 9.92 i

2,890 j-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

40 05532000 Addison Creek at Bellwood, Ill. 17.9 08/1987 12.84 1,120 4/58 9/13/2008 10.33 808 4–10 c

858 767 988 c944 837 1,100 c1,030 902 1,220 c1,210 1,050 1,470
60 Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008 Table 7 61

Table 7. Summary of peak stages, streamflows, and flood-probability estimates for selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages during

September 2008.—Continued

[mi2, square mile; ft, foot; ft3/s, cubic foot per second; AEP, annual exceedance probability; <, less than; --, no data; Br., Branch; >, greater than]

Site 

number 

(fig. 16)

Station 

number Station name

Contributing 

drainage 

area

(mi2)

Flood data Estimated 

AEP for 

observed 

peak 

streamflow 

(percent)

Expected peak streamflows for selected AEP with 95-percent confidence limits (ft3

/s)b

Previous maximum streamflow Flood of September 2008 4-percent AEP

(25-year recurrence)

2-percent AEP

(50-year recurrence)

1-percent AEP

(100-year recurrence)

0.2-percent AEP

(500-year recurrence)

Date Stage

(ft)

Streamflow

(ft3

/s)

Ranka/

annual 

peaks

Date

Peak 

stage

(ft)

Peak 

streamflow 

(ft3/s)

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Low High Low High Low High Low High

41 05532500 Des Plaines River at Riverside, Ill. 630 08/1987 9.90 9,770 2/95 9/14/2008 9.87 9,560 0.2–1 c

7,340 6,710 8,160 c8,010 7,280 9,000 c8,640 7,800 9,800 c9,990 8,900 11,500

42 05534500 North Branch Chicago River at Deerfield, Ill. 19.7 08/1987 11.52 933 4/56 9/13/2008 11.39 749 4–10 c

871 741 1,090 c960 806 1,230 c1,040 867 1,360 c1,230 995 1,660

43 05535000 Skokie River at Lake Forest, Ill. 13.0 08/2001 7.78 h

580 5/57 9/13/2008 7.01 464 4–10 c509 442 607 c563 485 682 c614 524 753 c721 604 908

44 05536000 North Branch Chicago River at Niles, Ill. 100 08/1987 11.35 2,590 1/58 9/13/2008 12.13 3,340 .2–1 c

2,570 2,170 3,350 c2,890 2,400 3,920 c3,230 2,620 4,550 c4,080 3,170 6,230

45 05536179 Hart Ditch at Dyer, Ind. 37.6 11/1990 15.33 3,010 1/19 9/14/2008 16.76 3,110 2–4 c

3,100 2,380 4,690 c3,730 2,780 5,990 c4,420 3,200 7,540 c6,340 4,290 12,300

46 05536190 Hart Ditch at Munster, Ind. 70.7 09/2006 -- 3,260 1/66 9/14/2008 9.94 h,f3,840 j

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

47 05536275 Thorn Creek at Thornton, Ill. 104 04/2006 15.10 h

5,540 1/62 9/14/2008 15.89 5,860 1–2 c4,730 4,110 5,650 c5,430 4,650 6,610 c6,140 5,190 7,620 c7,860 6,470 10,100

48 05539000 Hickory Creek at Joliet, Ill. 107 06/1981 14.90 17,300 10/67 9/14/2008 18.39 7,150 4–10 c

8,480 6,660 12,400 c10,100 7,670 15,600 c11,800 8,730 19,200 c16,400 11,400 30,100

49 05539900 West Branch DuPage River near West Chicago, Ill. 28.5 08/2007 10.35 h

1,040 1/48 9/13/2008 12.28 1,840 .2–1 c1,340 1,090 1,860 c1,560 1,230 2,260 c1,780 1,380 2,710 c2,370 1,740 3,990

50 05540060 Kress Creek at West Chicago, Ill. 18.1 07/1996 9.24 1,980 1/43 9/14/2008 9.37 2,100 1–2 c

1,320 893 2,460 c1,750 1,130 3,570 c2,260 1,390 5,040 c3,900 2,160 10,500

51 05540095 West Branch DuPage River near Warrenville, Ill. 90.4 07/1996 6.41 h

3,470 1/40 9/14/2008 8.03 4,930 1–2 c3,750 2,940 5,510 c4,450 3,390 6,930 c5,220 3,860 8,580 c7,310 5,070 13,500

52 05540130 West Branch DuPage River near Naperville, Ill. 123 07/1996 14.31 h

6,620 2/20 9/14/2008 11.98 4,160 4–10 c4,870 3,900 6,900 c5,690 4,440 8,490 c6,580 5,000 10,300 c8,930 6,410 15,600

53 05540160 East Br. DuPage River near Downers Grove, Ill. 26.6 08/1972 16.94 1,720 3/35 9/14/2008 17.26 1,190 4–10 c

1,200 991 1,610 c1,360 1,110 1,920 c1,540 1,220 2,260 c1,990 1,510 3,190

54 05540250 East Branch DuPage River at Bolingbrook, Ill. 75.8 07/1996 23.75 h

3,980 2/20 9/14/2008 24.01 2,410 4–10 c2,980 2,310 4,450 c3,570 2,680 5,650 c4,210 3,070 7,070 c5,980 4,090 11,400

55 05540500 Du Page River at Shorewood, Ill. 324 07/1996 14.03 h

17,300 4/68 9/15/2008 9.94 9,440 4–10 c11,400 8,660 17,600 c13,800 10,200 22,800 c16,600 11,800 29,000 c24,200 16,100 48,500

56 05542000 Mazon River near Coal City, Ill. 455 12/1982 19.51 22,400 4/69 9/15/2008 18.54 18,800 4–10 19,900 16,800 23,600 21,900 17,900 26,900 23,700 18,700 30,100 27,200 19,700 37,400 

57 05550300 Tyler Creek at Elgin, Ill. 38.9 08/2002 8.26 h

1,650 3/28 9/13/2008 8.53 1,250 > 10 c1,860 1,380 3,260 c2,190 1,570 4,190 c2,560 1,770 5,300 c3,530 2,270 8,750

58 05550500 Poplar Creek at Elgin, Ill. 35.2 02/1997 6.78 h

1,180 1/57 9/13/2008 7.69 1,560 2–4 c1,420 1,110 2,100 c1,690 1,280 2,650 c1,990 1,460 3,280 c2,790 1,930 5,200

59 05551200 Ferson Creek near St. Charles, Ill. 51.7 02/1997 8.77 2,580 1/48 9/13/2008 8.96 2,980 1–2 2,540 2,000 3,230 2,930 2,220 3,870 3,310 2,410 4,540 4,140 2,730 6,290 

60 05551700 Blackberry Creek near Yorkville, Ill. 70.2 07/1996 13.16 5,510 2/48 9/15/2008 9.94 2,130 > 10 c

3,650 2,300 7,550 c5,050 3,010 11,600 c6,820 3,860 17,400 c12,900 6,450 41,100

61 05552500 Fox River at Dayton, Ill. 2,642 07/1996 24.47 k

55,400 3/93 9/14/2008 21.48 e44,300 2–4 c42,100 30,900 68,800 c52,000 36,800 91,300 c63,100 43,200 119,000 c95,200 60,200 208,000

62 05555300 Vermilion River near Leonore, Ill. 1,251 07/1958 15.30 33,500 (d

) 9/15/2008 24.51 25,200 4–10 30,700 25,600 36,900 35,000 28,300 43,400 39,100 30,500 50,200 48,200 34,400 67,500 

63 05556500 Big Bureau Creek at Princeton, Ill. 196 05/1974 16.01 12,500 1/72 9/14/2008 16.62 12,700 2–4 11,500 9,470 14,100 13,100 10,400 16,600 14,600 11,000 19,200 17,700 12,200 25,800 

64 05567500 Mackinaw River near Congerville, Ill. 767 12/1982 20.21 44,800 5/64 9/15/2008 18.84 25,400 4–10 29,600 22,500 38,900 35,800 26,000 49,300 42,200 29,300 60,900 57,800 35,900 93,200 

65 05573540 Sangamon River at Route 48 at Decatur, Ill. 938 05/2002 24.33 i

31,800 2/26 9/14/2008 24.43 i21,500 j-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

66 05586100 Illinois River at Valley City, Ill. 26,743 05/1943 28.61 e

123,000 17/88 9/24/2008 g21.11 e92,200 > 10 l110,000 -- -- l121,000 -- -- l132,000 -- -- l157,000 -- --

67 05593900 East Fork Shoal Creek near Coffeen, Ill. 55.5 12/1966 14.45 5,910 5/45 9/14/2008 14.25 5,070 4–10 5,460 4,350 6,860 6,340 4,860 8,250 7,240 5,350 9,800 9,450 6,360 14,000 

68 06928300 Roubidoux Creek above Fort Wood, Mo. 165 05/2002 14.86 12,900 1/7 9/14/2008 22.45 25,900 1–2 m21,200 -- -- m25,300 -- -- m29,700 -- -- m40,300 -- --

69 06934500 Missouri River at Hermann, Mo. 522,500 07/1993 36.97 750,000 24/82 9/15/2008 31.34 e

350,000 > 10 f533,000 -- -- l604,000 -- -- l673,000 -- -- l833,000 -- --

70 06935850 Creve Coeur Creek at Chesterfield, Mo. 5.6 06/2000 15.88 2,050 1/11 9/14/2008 17.56 2,820 .2–1 2,370 1,800 3,120 2,530 1,900 3,360 2,680 1,990 3,610 2,990 2,190 4,090

71 06935890 Creve Coeur Creek near Creve Coeur, Mo. 22.0 06/2000 16.43 6,560 1/20 9/14/2008 16.22 8,780 4–10 9,470 6,900 13,000 12,500 8,760 17,700 16,000 10,900 23,400 26,500 17,200 40,700 

72 06935955 Fee Fee Creek near Bridgeton, Mo. 11.7 04/1979 21.62 3,810 1/21 9/14/2008 20.41 4,680 2–4 4,650 3,800 5,680 5,200 4,160 6,500 5,740 4,500 7,320 6,950 5,260 9,170

73 06935965 Missouri River at St. Charles, Mo. 524,000 05/2002 31.69 350,000 1/8 9/16/2008 31.82 e

353,000 > 10 f536,000 -- -- l606,000 -- -- l674,000 -- -- l829,000 -- --

74 06935980 Cowmire Creek at Bridgeton, Mo. 3.7 06/2003 16.04 3,490 1/19 9/14/2008 16.20 3,580 4–10 3,890 3,120 4,840 4,290 3,310 5,550 4,590 3,420 6,170 5,020 3,490 7,230 

75 06936475 Coldwater Creek near Black Jack, Mo. 40.4 04/2001 10.67 10,600 2/12 9/14/2008 15.62 9,690 4–10 9,430 7,120 12,500 10,100 7,320 13,900 10,600 7,430 15,100 11,500 7,590 17,300 

76 07005000 Maline Creek at Bellefontaine Neighbors, Mo. 24.4 05/2004 14.06 8,210 1/13 9/14/2008 18.08 12,800 4–10 13,300 9,460 18,600 16,100 11,100 23,400 19,600 13,200 29,200 30,600 19,700 47,600 

77 07010022 River Des Peres near University City, Mo. 8.9 06/2003 16.31 4,430 1/12 9/14/2008 17.40 5,050 4–10 5,150 4,050 6,560 5,530 4,150 7,380 5,890 4,210 8,240 6,640 4,230 10,400 

78 07010030 River Des Peres Tributary at Pagedale, Mo. 2.0 07/1998 8.84 1,290 1/12 9/14/2008 10.38 2,160 .2–1 1,700 1,120 2,580 1,870 1,160 3,010 2,010 1,180 3,420 2,240 1,160 4,320 

79 07010035 Engelholm Creek near Wellston, Mo. 1.4 07/1998 8.88 1,090 1/11 9/14/2008 10.29 1,570 2–4 1,480 1,100 1,990 1,620 1,200 2,190 1,750 1,280 2,380 1,990 1,450 2,740
62 Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008 Table 7 63

Table 7. Summary of peak stages, streamflows, and flood-probability estimates for selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages during

September 2008.—Continued

[mi2, square mile; ft, foot; ft3/s, cubic foot per second; AEP, annual exceedance probability; <, less than; --, no data; Br., Branch; >, greater than]

Site 

number 

(fig. 16)

Station 

number Station name

Contributing 

drainage 

area

(mi2)

Flood data Estimated 

AEP for 

observed 

peak 

streamflow 

(percent)

Expected peak streamflows for selected AEP with 95-percent confidence limits (ft3

/s)b

Previous maximum streamflow Flood of September 2008 4-percent AEP

(25-year recurrence)

2-percent AEP

(50-year recurrence)

1-percent AEP

(100-year recurrence)

0.2-percent AEP

(500-year recurrence)

Date Stage

(ft)

Streamflow

(ft3

/s)

Ranka/

annual 

peaks

Date

Peak 

stage

(ft)

Peak 

streamflow 

(ft3/s)

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Estimate

Confidence limit

Low High Low High Low High Low High

80 07010086 Deer Creek at Maplewood, Mo. 36.5 07/2004 16.57 5,560 1/13 9/14/2008 21.53 10,300 < .2 7,570 5,240 11,000 7,880 5,270 11,800 8,100 5,280 12,400 8,500 5,350 13,500 

81 07010090 MacKenzie Creek near Shrewsbury, Mo. 3.5 06/1998 10.80 1,730 1/12 9/14/2008 11.36 1,970 4–10 2,010 1,570 2,580 2,110 1,560 2,840 2,180 1,550 3,060 2,290 1,520 3,430 

82 07010180 Gravois Creek near Mehlville, Mo. 18.1 09/2003 16.66 4,450 1/12 9/14/2008 19.17 5,870 .2–1 5,170 4,040 6,620 5,450 4,180 7,120 5,720 4,310 7,580 6,280 4,630 8,510

83 07010208 Martigney Creek near Arnold, Mo. 2.6 07/2006 13.31 1,710 1/10 9/14/2008 14.67 2,120 2–4 2,100 1,590 2,770 2,330 1,750 3,100 2,560 1,900 3,440 3,070 2,250 4,190

84 07015720 Bourbeuse River near High Gate, Mo. 135 12/1982 23.65 49,300 3/45 9/14/2008 24.38 38,800 1–2 33,700 26,800 42,400 37,700 28,900 49,200 41,200 30,400 55,800 48,900 33,400 71,800 

85 07019317 Mattese Creek near Mattese, Mo. 7.9 07/2006 13.93 6,560 1/13 9/14/2008 16.71 10,700 < .2 7,730 5,760 10,400 8,400 6,220 11,300 9,050 6,660 12,300 10,500 7,660 14,500

86 07053810 Bull Creek near Walnut Shade, Mo. 191 05/2002 14.41 32,200 3/12 9/14/2008 16.38 25,900 4–10 33,000 21,100 51,600 39,600 24,700 63,300 46,400 28,500 75,700 62,900 36,900 107,000 

87 07144550 Arkansas River at Derby, Kans. 33,567 11/1998 16.45 58,300 7/40 9/13/2008 15.19 37,100 > 10 c

55,800 42,600 80,400 c70,100 52,000 105,000 c86,000 66,200 135,000 c130,000 89,100 223,000

88 07145700 Slate Creek at Wellington, Kans. 154 06/1975 25.82 28,500 2/49 9/13/2008 24.28 14,100 4–10 15,000 11,200 20,200 18,500 13,100 26,000 22,200 15,000 32,900 -- -- --

89 07146500 Arkansas River at Arkansas City, Kans. 36,106 06/1923 28.43 103,000 4/91 9/14/2008 27.53 i

79,100 4–10 c81,200 66,200 104,000 c99,700 80,000 131,000 c119,000 94,100 159,000 c168,000 129,000 234,000

90 07151000 Salt Fork Arkansas River at Tonkawa, Okla. 4,520 10/1973 28.98 e

97,300 4/77 9/15/2008 25.60 e47,300 4–10 c50,600 40,000 67,700 c61,500 47,800 84,400 c72,700 55,600 102,000 c100,000 73,900 147,000

91 07151500 Chikaskia River near Corbin, Kans. 794 06/1923 28.00 60,000 6/50 9/13/2008 20.07 f

27,100 4–10 35,800 28,000 45,900 43,600 32,600 58,300 51,700 36,900 72,400 -- -- --

92 07152000 Chikaskia River near Blackwell, Okla. 1,859 06/1923 37.00 e

100,000 4/75 9/14/2008 35.36 e66,500 4–10 72,900 54,900 96,900 90,800 65,600 126,000 110,000 76,100 160,000 163,000 101,000 263,000 

93 07260000 Dutch Creek at Waltreak, Ark. 81.4 07/1969 22.38 24,500 d 9/3/2008 19.61 21,000 1–2 17,800 14,300 22,200 21,200 16,400 27,500 24,600 18,200 33,200 33,400 22,300 50,000 

94 07361500 Antoine River at Antoine, Ark. 178 05/1905 29.70 40,000 6/71 9/3/2008 26.64 25,300 4–10 26,800 22,400 32,100 30,300 24,400 37,500 33,700 26,300 43,200 41,800 29,900 58,500 

95 07363000 Saline River at Benton, Ark. 550 04/1927 30.50 110,000 3/80 9/3/2008 29.27 i

94,800 1–2 79,600 64,800 97,600 93,700 73,600 119,000 108,000 81,700 143,000 144,000 98,600 209,000 

a

 Rank of the maximum instantaneous peak streamflow measured during September 2008 compared to all systematic and historic annual peaks. A rank of 1 

indicates that the September 2008 peak streamflow was higher than all other recorded annual peaks.

b

 Unless otherwise noted, expected peak streamflows are based on Water Resources Council Bulletin 17B weighting by variance method.

c

 Expected peak streamflows based on Bulletin 17B systematic frequency-curve estimate only.

d The peak streamflow for September 2008 was exceeded by another peak streamflow during 2008.

e

 Streamflow affected to unknown degree by regulation or diversion. 

f

 Estimated.

g A higher stage exists that corresponds to a streamflow that is less than the peak streamflow.

h All or part of the record affected by urbanization, mining, agricultural changes, channelization, or other. 

i

 Streamflow affected by regulation or diversion.

j

 Estimated AEP uncharacterized because of regulation, diversion, or insufficient data.

k

 Streamflow affected by dam failure.

l

 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (2004).

m Expected peak streamflows are based on regional regression equation estimates only.

Flooding in Coralville, Iowa. Photographs by Don Becker, USGS.
Publishing support provided by:

Rolla and Denver Publishing Service Centers

For more information concerning this publication, contact:

Chief, USGS Office of Surface Water

415 National Center

12201 Sunrise Valley Drive

Reston, VA 20192

(703) 648-5301

Or visit the Office of Surface Water Web site at:

http://water.usgs.gov/osw/

USGS hydrographer installing a temporary 

streamgage in the town of Cedar Rapids, Iowa 

along Interstate 380. The Cedar River at Cedar 

Rapids, Iowa (USGS streamgage 05464500) 

main streamgage was inundated by the flood. 

Photograph by Jason McVay, USGS.
Back cover.

USGS hydrographers wade through the flooded streets of Cedar Rapids, Iowa to access streamgage

on the Cedar River at Cedar Rapids, Iowa (USGS streamgage 05464500). Photograph by Scott Strader,

USGS.
ISBN 978-1-4113-2841-9

9781411328419

Holmes and others—Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008—Professional Paper 1775

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