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Illinois Flood Stories

2,067 first-hand accounts of flood events in Illinois, ranked by impact. Each is a NOAA-written narrative of the moment.

Flood$60K damage

Jasper, IL · Jun 6, 2008

As a frontal boundary slowly dropped southward into the area during the evening of June 6th, thunderstorms continued to develop across parts of east-central and southeast Illinois.

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Flood

Wayne, IL · Dec 27, 2015

A cold front lifted north and stalled over the region for a few days. A couple of areas of low pressure developed and moved northeast along the front, bringing multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms.

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Flood$20K damage

Alexander, IL · Jul 1, 2015

The active June weather pattern continued through July, bringing fronts that moved in and near the regional river basins. After having the wettest June on record, the state of Illinois experienced a very wet July.

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Flood$20K damage

Union, IL · Jul 1, 2015

The active June weather pattern continued through July, bringing fronts that moved in and near the regional river basins. After having the wettest June on record, the state of Illinois experienced a very wet July.

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Flash Flood$50K damage

Perry, IL · Jun 29, 1998

Thunderstorms repeatedly moved over the same areas, causing excessive rainfall amounts over 3 inches in 3 hours. Numerous roads were flooded from DuQuoin to West Frankfort.

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Flash Flood$50K damage

Williamson, IL · Jun 29, 1998

Thunderstorms repeatedly moved over the same areas, causing excessive rainfall amounts over 3 inches in 3 hours. Numerous roads were flooded from DuQuoin to West Frankfort.

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Flash Flood$50K damage

Rock Island, IL · Mar 12, 2006

A strong spring storm system moved from the central Plains into the Great Lakes region from 12 March to 13 March 2006. An initial low level jet of 30-40 knots increased to 40-50 knots after sunset on 12 March which increased the available moisture for thunderstorms and heavy…

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Flash Flood$50K damage

Rock Island, IL · Jun 19, 2009

A cold front pushed through Iowa and Illinois during the afternoon and evening of June 19, bringing severe thunderstorms and flooding to much of the area.

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Flash Flood$50K damage

Whiteside, IL · May 13, 2010

A warm front slowly lifted northward from central Missouri into eastern Iowa and northern Illinois May 12th and 13th. Several rounds of showers and thunderstorms moved across the area producing widespread torrential rains and some hail.

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Flash Flood$50K damage

Mercer, IL · Jun 18, 2010

A frontal system over the area brought two rounds of showers and thunderstorms to the mid Mississippi Valley on June 18. The first was during the midday to early afternoon hours, quickly followed by the second round in the late afternoon and evening.

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Flash Flood$50K damage

Henry, IL · Jun 23, 2010

A line of showers and thunderstorms moved across parts of eastern Iowa and Illinois during the afternoon and evening of June 23. These storms produced rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches and strong winds of 60 to 80 mph.

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Flood$50K damage

Massac, IL · Jan 5, 2005

Moderate to major flooding of the Ohio River and some of its tributaries occurred. A state disaster declaration included Massac, Pope, Hardin, and Gallatin Counties. Floodfighting activities included the construction of temporary sandbag levees.

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Flood$50K damage

Hardin, IL · Mar 18, 2008

Torrential rainfall amounts from 6 to 12 inches occurred over a two-day period, causing an historic flood event. A very slow-moving cold front over southwest Illinois and southeast Missouri provided the focus for prolonged heavy rainfall.

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Flood$50K damage

Madison, IL · Jun 4, 2008

An extraordinary flood took place on the Mississippi River in June, resulting from two major rainfall events in Wisconsin and Iowa. The Wisconsin flooding resulted from two separate events, totaling more than 10 inches of rain over most of the southern third of the state.

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Flood$50K damage

Wabash, IL · Jun 8, 2008

Excessive rainfall in the upper Midwest caused major flooding on the Wabash River. The ground was already saturated over central Indiana and eastern Illinois when a deluge occurred on the 6th.

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Flood

Wayne, IL · Jun 1, 2013

June turned out to be a very wet month across the region with many places 3 to 5 inches above normal. Heavy rain fell during the first two days of June and was scattered during the last half of the month.

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Flash Flood

Rock Island, IL · Jul 11, 2025

On July 11th, a line of severe thunderstorms moved across eastern Iowa and into northwest Illinois. These storms produced damaging straight-line winds and very heavy rain.

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Flash Flood

Rock Island, IL · Jul 11, 2025

On July 11th, a line of severe thunderstorms moved across eastern Iowa and into northwest Illinois. These storms produced damaging straight-line winds and very heavy rain.

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Flash Flood

Mercer, IL · Jul 11, 2025

On July 11th, a line of severe thunderstorms moved across eastern Iowa and into northwest Illinois. These storms produced damaging straight-line winds and very heavy rain.

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Flash Flood

McDonough, IL · Jul 11, 2025

On July 11th, a line of severe thunderstorms moved across eastern Iowa and into northwest Illinois. These storms produced damaging straight-line winds and very heavy rain.

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Flash Flood

Lawrence, IL · Apr 2, 2025

Several rounds of showers and thunderstorms occurred across southeast Illinois in advance of a warm front on April 1st into the early morning of April 2nd. Rainfall amounts of 1.50 to 2.50 were common...with a few spots approaching 3.00.

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Flash Flood$250K damage

Hancock, IL · Jun 14, 2011

Heavy rain-producing showers and thunderstorms kept developing and redeveloping north of a warm front across southeast Iowa, northeast Missouri and west central Illinois during the late evening of June 13 and early morning of June 14.

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Flash Flood$100K damage

Knox, IL · May 29, 2011

Thunderstorms initiated across eastern Iowa during the morning of May 29th, then tracked eastward along a stationary frontal boundary into north-central Illinois. A large bow echo signature developed, with the strongest winds remaining north of a Galesburg to Henry line.

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Flash Flood

Champaign, IL · May 24, 2024

On the morning of May 24th a low pressure system was located over the eastern Dakotas, with Illinois positioned in the warm sector. Over the course of the day, several rounds of thunderstorms occurred. First, a squall line tracked across Iowa and reached Illinois by the morning.

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