Buffalo Creek near Wheeling, IL

Cook County, Illinois · USGS gauge 05528500 · NWS WHEI2 · Illinois river levels

Nearby: river levels near Des Plaines

Is Buffalo Creek near Wheeling, IL flooding right now?

Buffalo Creek near Wheeling, IL measured 2.59 ft on 2026-09-22 20:15:00 UTC. That observation was 2.4 ft below its 5 ft flood stage. This is the latest available reading, not a guarantee of current conditions.

Gauge height
2.59 ft
as of 2 hours ago
Streamflow
50 cfs
data refreshed just now

Minor flooding here begins at 5 ft, with major flooding at 7.5 ft. The highest crest on record was 8.46 ft on Wed, Jun 26, 2013.

Streamflow outlook

NOAA National Water Model forecast, issued 10 hours ago. The NWM models discharge for every river reach in the country, including the many gauges the National Weather Service does not forecast individually. It is a model, not an official NWS river forecast, and it predicts flow rather than water level.

Flood stages at this gauge

CategoryStageCurrent distance
Action4.5 ft1.9 ft below
Minor flood5 ft2.4 ft below
Moderate flood6.5 ft3.9 ft below
Major flood7.5 ft4.9 ft below

New to these numbers? What does flood stage mean? · How to read a river gauge · Why is the river rising?

Highest crests on record

StageDate
8.46 ft2013-06-26
7.94 ft1982-07-22
7.83 ft2017-07-12
7.83 ft2007-08-23
7.56 ft2011-07-23

Nearby gauges

GaugeDistanceCounty
Des Plaines River at Lincolnshire, IL3.9 miLake County
Indian Creek at Prairie View, IL4.0 miLake County
Mc Donald Creek near Mount Prospect, IL4.5 miCook County
Wf of Nb Chicago River at Deerfield, IL5.3 miLake County
Des Plaines River near Des Plaines, IL5.7 miCook County
Provisional data: Real-time readings are provisional and subject to revision by the USGS — sensors can be affected by ice, debris, or equipment malfunction. Do not rely on this site for decisions involving personal safety; follow official guidance from the National Weather Service and local authorities.

Sources: USGS monitoring location · NWS gauge & forecast