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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$50K damage

Alexander, IL · May 1, 2019

Several rivers remained above flood stage due to a persistent wet pattern through the winter and spring. May rainfall totals cracked the top five in many locations. At Paducah, KY, 11.09 inches of rain fell, shattering the previous May record by over an inch.

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Flood$50K damage

Alexander, IL · May 1, 2019

Several rivers remained above flood stage due to a persistent wet pattern through the winter and spring. May rainfall totals cracked the top five in many locations. At Paducah, KY, 11.09 inches of rain fell, shattering the previous May record by over an inch.

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Flood$50K damage

Jackson, IL · May 1, 2019

Several rivers remained above flood stage due to a persistent wet pattern through the winter and spring. May rainfall totals cracked the top five in many locations. At Paducah, KY, 11.09 inches of rain fell, shattering the previous May record by over an inch.

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Flash Flood$9.0M damage

Stark, IL · Jun 24, 2013

A slow-moving cold front triggered showers and thunderstorms across north-central Illinois during the morning of June 24th. Due to the very humid airmass in place across the region, the storms were efficient rain-producers, with much of Stark, Peoria, and Woodford counties…

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Flood$1.0M damage

Shelby, IL · Dec 27, 2015

A multi-faceted storm system brought several periods of heavy rain to central and southeast Illinois from December 26th through 28th. The system began to spread rain into the region from the southwest during the early morning hours of Saturday, December 26th, with the rain…

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Flash Flood

Sangamon, IL · May 7, 2023

An outflow boundary from convection that occurred during the early morning served as the focusing mechanism for additional severe thunderstorm development during the afternoon and evening of May 7th.

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Flash Flood

Christian, IL · May 14, 2023

A stationary frontal boundary extending from northern Missouri to western Kentucky triggered clusters of strong to severe thunderstorms across parts of central Illinois during the late afternoon and evening of May 14th.

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Flash Flood

Wabash, IL · Jul 28, 2022

A large complex of thunderstorms moved east across southern Illinois during the afternoon and evening hours. Very heavy rainfall rates contributed to isolated instances of flash flooding.

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Flood$400K damage

Alexander, IL · Jan 1, 2016

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.

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Flash Flood$10K damage

Jefferson, IL · Aug 29, 2022

An isolated severe thunderstorm drifted slowly over west central Hamilton County, producing large hail. This storm and other scattered thunderstorms developed during the heat of the day ahead of a cold front.

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Flash Flood$37.0M damage

Cook, IL · Aug 2, 2001

Thunderstorms developed over northern Cook county between 6 and 7 am on the morning of Thursday August 2nd. The storms slowly moved southeast across central and eastern Cook county. The thunderstorms began to move out of southern Cook county between 10 and 11 am.

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Flood$3.6M damage

Fulton, IL · Apr 18, 2013

Excessive rainfall during the middle of April led to widespread flooding across a large part of northern and central Illinois. Locations from the Chicago metro area, southwest along the Illinois River Valley, received 5 to 10 inches over a two day period from the 17-18th.

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Flash Flood$1.5M damage

Piatt, IL · Jul 12, 2014

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.

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Flood$3.0M damage

Fulton, IL · Apr 18, 2013

Excessive rainfall during the middle of April led to widespread flooding across a large part of northern and central Illinois. Locations from the Chicago metro area, southwest along the Illinois River Valley, received 5 to 10 inches over a two day period from the 17-18th.

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Flood$30K damage

Pope, IL · Feb 11, 2019

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.

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Flood$30K damage

Wabash, IL · Feb 8, 2019

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.

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Flood$30K damage

Wabash, IL · Jun 20, 2019

The Wabash, Little Wabash, and Ohio Rivers rose back above flood stage late in the month. These river rises were in response to a series of nearly stationary fronts and outflow boundaries between the 16th and 24th.

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Flood$30K damage

Union, IL · May 1, 2019

Several rivers remained above flood stage due to a persistent wet pattern through the winter and spring. May rainfall totals cracked the top five in many locations. At Paducah, KY, 11.09 inches of rain fell, shattering the previous May record by over an inch.

Read the full account →
Flash Flood

Sangamon, IL · May 14, 2023

A stationary frontal boundary extending from northern Missouri to western Kentucky triggered clusters of strong to severe thunderstorms across parts of central Illinois during the late afternoon and evening of May 14th.

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Flash Flood

Sangamon, IL · May 14, 2023

A stationary frontal boundary extending from northern Missouri to western Kentucky triggered clusters of strong to severe thunderstorms across parts of central Illinois during the late afternoon and evening of May 14th.

Read the full account →
Flash Flood$250K damage

Edgar, IL · Apr 26, 2016

A stationary frontal boundary triggered strong to severe thunderstorms across portions of central Illinois during the afternoon of April 26th. The storms were primarily focused south of the I-72 corridor from Winchester eastward to Paris.

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Flood$250K damage

Jackson, IL · Jan 1, 2016

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.

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Flash Flood$240K damage

Tazewell, IL · Aug 12, 2016

An approaching cold front triggered thunderstorms across central Illinois during the late afternoon and evening of August 12th. Due to copious amounts of moisture in the atmosphere and the slow-moving nature of the storms, extremely heavy rain fell along and just west of I-55.

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Flash Flood$500K damage

McLean, IL · Jul 8, 2015

Light to moderate rain fell across central Illinois throughout the day on July 8th. As an area of low pressure tracked northward through the area, pockets of heavy rain developed during the evening hours.

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