Jun 16, 2004
Scattered thunderstorms developed ahead of a cold front moving east through Iowa. By the evening, a surface low had developed along the cold front as it moved into Eastern Iowa. This enhanced the overall lift in a near tropical atmosphere and produced copious amounts of rain in a very short time period. This resulted in flash flooding across parts of Northeast Iowa and Northwest Illinois due to the hilly terrain.
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database (event 5418456). Narrative written by NWS staff at the time of the event.
This event is one of many recorded floods in Stephenson County. See the full FEMA flood zone map, NFIP claim totals, and disaster history for the area.