2,067 first-hand accounts of flood events in Illinois, ranked by impact. Each is a NOAA-written narrative of the moment.
Isolated thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours on the 12th in the Quad State. Wind damage occurred in the town of Sesser, including tree and powerline damage. Storms from the previous evening in Sesser might have made some trees more susceptible to damage.
Read the full account →A slow-moving frontal boundary brought very heavy rainfall to central Illinois from Monday, February 19th through Tuesday, February 20th. Many locations east of I-55 and north of I-70 picked up 3 to 5 inches of rain...with locally higher amounts in excess of 6 inches.
Read the full account →Scattered thunderstorms produced heavy rain and severe winds across northeastern Illinois during the early evening hours. Additional thunderstorms developed overnight producing heavy rain that resulted in flooding.
Read the full account →An upper-level disturbance interacting with a very moist airmass triggered a cluster of thunderstorms across east-central Illinois during the morning of July 12th.
Read the full account →As high pressure slowly crept northward towards the Quad State region, ridging remained over the middle Mississippi River Valley. A slow-moving MCS moved through the northeastern half of the Quad State midday to near sunset.
Read the full account →As high pressure slowly crept northward towards the Quad State region, ridging remained over the middle Mississippi River Valley. A slow-moving MCS moved through the northeastern half of the Quad State midday to near sunset.
Read the full account →As high pressure slowly crept northward towards the Quad State region, ridging remained over the middle Mississippi River Valley. A slow-moving MCS moved through the northeastern half of the Quad State midday to near sunset.
Read the full account →As high pressure slowly crept northward towards the Quad State region, ridging remained over the middle Mississippi River Valley. A slow-moving MCS moved through the northeastern half of the Quad State midday to near sunset.
Read the full account →Low pressure tracking across central Illinois triggered a line of fast-moving thunderstorms during the afternoon of April 3rd. The storms primarily impacted locations south of the I-72 corridor, with one cell embedded within the line producing an EF-1 tornado in southern…
Read the full account →A series of disturbances tracking along a nearly stationary frontal boundary resulted in two periods of heavy rainfall across parts of central Illinois on June 25th and June 26th.
Read the full account →Moderate to major river flooding developed during the month. After a wet January, the active weather pattern continued into February. Frequent moderate to heavy rain events continued pushing not only the monthly and seasonal precipitation totals higher but also the rivers.
Read the full account →Major flash flooding struck parts of far southern Illinois. The hardest hit counties were Alexander, Pulaski, and Massac in the southern tip of Illinois.
Read the full account →Major flash flooding struck parts of far southern Illinois. The hardest hit counties were Alexander, Pulaski, and Massac in the southern tip of Illinois.
Read the full account →A large complex of thunderstorms moved slowly southeast across southeast Missouri into southwest Illinois, producing torrential downpours. The storms occurred south of a stationary front that extended from east central Missouri to southwest Indiana.
Read the full account →Numerous thunderstorms developed along and ahead of a cold front during the late morning into early afternoon of July 6th. The high moisture/low shear environment was favorable for wet microbursts and heavy rainfall.
Read the full account →During the early morning of Tuesday, July 26th, 2022, a complex of training thunderstorms set up roughly along the I-70 corridor in Missouri and I-64 corridor in Illinois. Several rounds of thunderstorms with rainfall rates exceeding 2in/hr affected this area, including the St.
Read the full account →As high pressure slowly crept northward towards the Quad State region, ridging remained over the middle Mississippi River Valley. A slow-moving MCS moved through the northeastern half of the Quad State midday to near sunset.
Read the full account →As high pressure slowly crept northward towards the Quad State region, ridging remained over the middle Mississippi River Valley. A slow-moving MCS moved through the northeastern half of the Quad State midday to near sunset.
Read the full account →Several rivers remained above flood stage from May. On the Mississippi River, major flooding continued through the month of June. Backwater from the Mississippi kept moderate flooding going on the lowest reaches of the Ohio River as well as the Big Muddy River.
Read the full account →After a very snowy winter across the upper Midwest and numerous rounds of heavy rain across the Missouri and Mississippi River basins through the spring and early summer months, the rivers rose to record levels.
Read the full account →Extreme rainfall totals occurred during the morning of the 16th in and around Nashville, Illinois, just northwest of the Quad State region, which resulted in a secondary dam failure. Neighboring portions of Jefferson and Perry Counties received 3-6 and 2-5 inches, respectively.
Read the full account →A slow-moving frontal boundary brought very heavy rainfall to central Illinois from Monday, February 19th through Tuesday, February 20th. Many locations east of I-55 and north of I-70 picked up 3 to 5 inches of rain...with locally higher amounts in excess of 6 inches.
Read the full account →Flooding along parts of the Mississippi River surpassed the Great Flood of 1993. Along most other rivers, the flooding was relatively minor. The Governor of Illinois declared some counties disaster areas, including the Mississippi River counties of Alexander and Jackson.
Read the full account →Scattered thunderstorms moved across portions of northern Illinois during the afternoon of July 10th producing large hail, wind damage and heavy rain. Localized flash flooding occurred around Rockford.
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