2,067 first-hand accounts of flood events in Illinois, ranked by impact. Each is a NOAA-written narrative of the moment.
An unseasonably strong upper level storm system combined with a near semi-moist atmosphere to produce scattered thunderstorms. A lone storm pulsed severe in east central Iowa and produced marginally severe hail.
Read the full account →The Ohio River rose above flood stage at most locations along the Illinois shore on March 20th or 21st. At Shawneetown, where flood stage is 33 feet, the river crested at 43.70 feet on the morning of the 29th.
Read the full account →Moderate flooding of the Big Muddy River occurred. The river was above flood stage at Murphysboro for the entire month. A crest of 33.5 feet occurred on May 18, which was almost 18 feet above flood stage. Parks, woodlands, and fields in the Murphysboro area were flooded.
Read the full account →An area of strong to severe thunderstorms with very heavy rain moved across east central Illinois during the afternoon and evening hours of the 6th. Several storms produced wind damage and one storm produced a tornado that passed through the town of Lerna in Coles County.
Read the full account →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.
Read the full account →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.
Read the full account →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.
Read the full account →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.
Read the full account →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.
Read the full account →Scattered thunderstorms developed along an outflow boundary near I-70 during the afternoon. As clusters of storms moved southeast during the evening, additional development behind the initial storms resulted in multiple rounds of thunderstorms over the same areas.
Read the full account →An unorganized line of strong to severe thunderstorms developed in eastern Iowa on the afternoon of June 3. This line of thunderstorms continued into northwest Illinois, with thunderstorms capable of severe winds and heavy rain.
Read the full account →A derecho moved across northern Illinois during the evening of July 15th producing widespread wind damage and 30 tornadoes in northeast Illinois. One of these tornadoes crossed into northwest Indiana.
Read the full account →A derecho moved across northern Illinois during the evening of July 15th producing widespread wind damage and 30 tornadoes in northeast Illinois. One of these tornadoes crossed into northwest Indiana.
Read the full account →A derecho moved across northern Illinois during the evening of July 15th producing widespread wind damage and 30 tornadoes in northeast Illinois. One of these tornadoes crossed into northwest Indiana.
Read the full account →A derecho moved across northern Illinois during the evening of July 15th producing widespread wind damage and 30 tornadoes in northeast Illinois. One of these tornadoes crossed into northwest Indiana.
Read the full account →A derecho moved across northern Illinois during the evening of July 15th producing widespread wind damage and 30 tornadoes in northeast Illinois. One of these tornadoes crossed into northwest Indiana.
Read the full account →Minor river flooding occurred in response to a combination of snowmelt and heavy rain. A warm front lifted north, helping temperatures reach near 70 degrees by the 20th. Ice and snowmelt ran off into the rivers.
Read the full account →Significant rainfall in late January brought minor river flooding to the Wabash River. Three rain events during the last half of January were responsible for the flooding.
Read the full account →A stationary front draped across southern Missouri and far southern Illinois aided thunderstorm development, including a narrow band of training thunderstorms across southeast Illinois during the early morning hours of August 3.
Read the full account →A stationary front draped across southern Missouri and far southern Illinois aided thunderstorm development, including a narrow band of training thunderstorms across southeast Illinois during the early morning hours of August 3.
Read the full account →A stationary front draped across southern Missouri and far southern Illinois aided thunderstorm development, including a narrow band of training thunderstorms across southeast Illinois during the early morning hours of August 3.
Read the full account →A nearly stationary frontal boundary interacting with a very warm and moist airmass brought heavy rainfall to much of central Illinois, particularly along and west of I-55.
Read the full account →Well above normal rainfall along the Ohio River Valley in January led to rising rivers, with flood stage exceeded slightly at Shawneetown late January, continuing through the first week of February as drier weather allowed floodwaters to recede.
Read the full account →River flooding continued from February into mid March. During March, the flooding was minor on the Wabash, Little Wabash, and Big Muddy Rivers. Low-lying fields and woodlands near these rivers were inundated, primarily dormant cropland.
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