2,067 first-hand accounts of flood events in Illinois, ranked by impact. Each is a NOAA-written narrative of the moment.
Thunderstorms repeatedly moved over the same corridor from Scott County, Missouri northeast across Alexander and Pulaski Counties in Illinois. Rainfall totals were 3 to 5 inches in a few hours' time. In Johnson County, the sheriff's office in Vienna reported 3 inches.
Read the full account →The Ohio River was above flood stage for virtually the entire month from Grand Chain to the confluence of the Mississippi River at Cairo. Major flooding occurred from Grand Chain to Cairo, where flooding was the worst since the Flood of 1997.
Read the full account →Major flooding of the Skillet Fork River occurred. Thousands of acres of farmland were flooded. A man was rescued from his flooded vehicle about one and a half miles east of Springerton in White County.
Read the full account →Powerful and damaging thunderstorms moved across northern Illinois producing widespread wind damage. The most intense wind damage occurred along a path which began in far western Dupage County near the intersection of Roosevelt Road and Washington Street in West Chicago and…
Read the full account →A slow-moving cold front interacted with a very moist, unstable airmass during the afternoon and evening of June 30th, 2025, resulting in a cluster of thunderstorms that produced heavy rainfall along and south of I-70 late that evening.
Read the full account →A slow-moving cold front interacted with a very moist, unstable airmass during the afternoon and evening of June 30th, 2025, resulting in a cluster of thunderstorms that produced heavy rainfall along and south of I-70 late that evening.
Read the full account →A very heavy rainfall event occurred in late June in portions of the Wabash Valley, including west central Indiana. In a 24-hour period from the evening of the 25th through the evening of the 26th, torrential rains of 3 to nearly 8 inches fell in upper portions of the Wabash…
Read the full account →A large thunderstorm complex developed within the warm sector of a low pressure system that tracked northeast across the St. Louis area. A deep southwesterly flow of tropical moisture provided fuel for the storms. Precipitable water values were approaching two inches.
Read the full account →A vigorous short-wave trough interacted with an approaching low pressure system and associated warm frontal boundary to trigger clusters of strong to severe thunderstorms across west-central Illinois during the late afternoon of August 6th.
Read the full account →A vigorous short-wave trough interacted with an approaching low pressure system and associated warm frontal boundary to trigger clusters of strong to severe thunderstorms across west-central Illinois during the late afternoon of August 6th.
Read the full account →A vigorous short-wave trough interacted with an approaching low pressure system and associated warm frontal boundary to trigger clusters of strong to severe thunderstorms across west-central Illinois during the late afternoon of August 6th.
Read the full account →A warm front draped along the I-72 corridor served as the initial focusing mechanism for convection across central Illinois on February 22nd. Midday temperatures ranged from the upper 30s north of the boundary in the Peoria area to the lower 70s along and south of I-70.
Read the full account →A warm front draped along the I-72 corridor served as the initial focusing mechanism for convection across central Illinois on February 22nd. Midday temperatures ranged from the upper 30s north of the boundary in the Peoria area to the lower 70s along and south of I-70.
Read the full account →A warm front draped along the I-72 corridor served as the initial focusing mechanism for convection across central Illinois on February 22nd. Midday temperatures ranged from the upper 30s north of the boundary in the Peoria area to the lower 70s along and south of I-70.
Read the full account →A strong storm system led to significant impacts. Heavy rainfall amounts of 3 to 4.5 inches produced sporadic flash flooding with a few road closures. Creeks and small rivers such as the Skillet Fork rose above flood stage.
Read the full account →A strong storm system led to significant impacts. Heavy rainfall amounts of 3 to 4.5 inches produced sporadic flash flooding with a few road closures. Creeks and small rivers such as the Skillet Fork rose above flood stage.
Read the full account →A nearly stationary front draped itself from central Texas northeast through the Ohio River Valley and produced multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms, some with very heavy rainfall.
Read the full account →A nearly stationary front draped itself from central Texas northeast through the Ohio River Valley and produced multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms, some with very heavy rainfall.
Read the full account →Very heavy rain fell across portions of east central Illinois on August 5th which resulted in areas of flash flooding. The highest storm total rainfall amounts included 6.50 inches in Paxton and two miles west northwest of Loda; 6.34 inches two miles east of Claytonville; 6.28…
Read the full account →Very heavy rain fell across portions of east central Illinois on August 5th which resulted in areas of flash flooding. The highest storm total rainfall amounts included 6.50 inches in Paxton and two miles west northwest of Loda; 6.34 inches two miles east of Claytonville; 6.28…
Read the full account →A cluster of strong thunderstorms brought damaging winds, torrential rainfall, and flash flooding to parts of northern Illinois during the afternoon and evening of July 5.
Read the full account →A cluster of strong thunderstorms brought damaging winds, torrential rainfall, and flash flooding to parts of northern Illinois during the afternoon and evening of July 5.
Read the full account →A cluster of strong thunderstorms brought damaging winds, torrential rainfall, and flash flooding to parts of northern Illinois during the afternoon and evening of July 5.
Read the full account →An extreme rainfall event occurred on July 2 in the Chicago metropolitan area caused by multiple nearly stationary bands of showers and thunderstorms near a slow-moving low pressure area.
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