Alert archive / Illinois / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990

Flash Flood Warning 36, NWS Lincoln, IL

July 19, 1990Lee County, Illinois

NWS Lincoln, IL issued this flash flood warning at Jul 19, 1990, 5:09 PM CDT for Lee County, Illinois. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 19, 1990, 5:09 PM CDT (22:09 UTC)
Expired
Jul 19, 1990, 8:15 PM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Lincoln, IL
Area
Whole counties

County Lee County, IL

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

The nearest sounding before it

Green Bay/Straub, WI (KGRB), launched 12:00Z, 10.2 hours before the alert went out and 319 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Green Bay/Straub, WI at 12:00Z on 1990-07-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Green Bay/Straub, WI at 12:00Z on 1990-07-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 21 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1936 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
21 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
40 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KRFD 192209
FFWRFD
ILC177-201-007-141-103-200115-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
FLASH FLOOD WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROCKFORD IL
509 PM CDT THU JUL 19 1990

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 815 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES

   IN THE NORTH CENTRAL PART OF ILLINOIS
      STEPHENSON...WINNEBAGO...SOUTHERN BOONE...OGLE...LEE

THIS AFTERNOON AT 510 CDT THERE WERE NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS OVER
NORTHERN ILLINOIS. THESE STORMS HAVE PRODUCED EXCESSIVE RAINFALL
AMOUNTS OVER THE WARNED COUNTIES.

SOME COMMUNITIES THAT ARE IN OR NEAR THE FLASH FLOOD AREA...
FREEPORT..ROCKFORD..BELVIDERE..OREGON..AND DEKALB.

THIS FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS AN IMMEDIATED THREAT!
PERSONS IN LOW LYING OR FLOOD PRONE AREAS MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND..
IF YOU ARE IN AREAS WHERE YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR... BE EXTREMELY
CAUTIOUS AND CONSIDER HEADING FOR HIGHER GROUND.  IF CAMPING OR
IN A CAR WATCH FOR RAPIDLY RISING WATER THAT MAY ENDANGER YOUR
CAMPSITE OR CUT OFF ESCAPE ROUTES.  DO NOT CROSS ROADS COVERED
BY WATER... THE ROAD MAY BE WASHED OUT OR THE WATER MUCH DEEPER
THAN YOU THINK!  REMEMBER THESE FLOODS HAPPEN RAPIDLY... BE ALERT!

ATTN: ISP DIST [1..2..16                                FIELDS

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 19, 2:37 PM CDT, 2 hours 32 minutes before
ILZ005>007-009-192040-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL
235 PM CDT THU JUL 19 1990

...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE MOVING OVER CENTRAL ILLINOIS...

AT 230 PM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS OVER WESTERN AND CENTRAL ILLINOIS MAINLY WEST OF A LINE
FROM ST. LOUIS TO BLOOMINGTON. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE NEAR TOULON
IN CENTRAL STARK COUNTY...30 MILES NORTH OF PEORIA AND NEAR ABINGDON IN
WESTERN KNOX COUNTY...45 MILES WEST OF PEORIA. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE
NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL...BRIEF GUSTY WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING
MAY OCCUR WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS IN WESTERN AND CENTRAL ILLINOIS THIS
JAFTERNOON AND EVENING.

MILLER
Special weather statement, Jul 19, 2:48 PM CDT, 2 hours 21 minutes before
ILZ009-010-192040

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD IL
245 PM CDT THU JUL 19 1990

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN WESTERN AND CENTRAL ILLINOIS...

AT 235PM CDT WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN LOGAN COUNTY...5 MILES NORTH OF LINCOLN.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR SAN JOSE ILLINOIS...25 MILES
NORTH OF SPRINGFIELD.

HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HAIL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING MAY
ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

OTHER SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED NORTH OF A LINE
FROM 20 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BLOOMINGTON TO 40 MILES WEST OF ST LOUIS
MISSOUSRI.

MUNDY
Special weather statement, Jul 19, 3:30 PM CDT, 1 hour 39 minutes before
ILZ005>007-009-192130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL
330 PM CDT THU JUL 19 1990

...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE MOVING OVER CENTRAL ILLINOIS...

AT 325 PM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS OVER WESTERN AND CENTRAL ILLINOIS. THE STRONGEST STORMS
WERE NEAR LACON IN CENTRAL MARSHALL COUNTY...25 MILES NORTHEAST OF PEORIA
AND JUST WEST OF CUBA IN FULTON COUNTY...40 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PEORIA.
MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL...BRIEF GUSTY WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING
MAY OCCUR WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS IN WESTERN AND CENTRAL ILLINOIS THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

MILLER
Special weather statement, Jul 19, 3:41 PM CDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before
ILZ009-010-192140

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD IL
340 PM CDT THU JUL 19 1990

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN WESTERN AND CENTRAL ILLINOIS...

AT 335PM CDT WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN CASS...WESTERN MORGAN AND MONTGOMERY COUNTIES...
35 MILES WEST AND 35 MILES SOUTH OF SPRINGFIELD.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED JUST SOUTH OF WINCHESTER ILLINOIS
IN SCOTT COUNTY...35 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF SPRINGFIELD.

HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HAIL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING MAY
ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

OTHER SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED NORTH OF A LINE
FROM 35 MILES NORTHEAST OF PEORIA TO 40 MILES WEST OF ST LOUIS MISSOURI.

MUNDY
Special weather statement, Jul 19, 4:35 PM CDT, 34 minutes before
ILZ009-010-192240

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD IL
435 PM CDT THU JUL 19 1990

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN WESTERN AND CENTRAL ILLINOIS...

AT 425PM CDT WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN CASS...MENARD...MORGAN AND SOUTHERN MONTGOMERY
COUNTIES 20 MILES WEST AND 40 MILES SOUTH OF SPRINGFIELD.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR CHAPIN ILLINOIS...30 MILES
WEST SOUTHWEST OF SPRINGFIELD.

HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HAIL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING MAY
ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 25 MPH.

OTHER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED NORTH OF A LINE FROM 35
MILES SOUTHWEST OF JOLIET TO 35 MILES NORTHWEST OF ST LOUIS MISSOURI.

MUNDY
Special weather statement, Jul 19, 5:02 PM CDT, 7 minutes before
ILZ005>007-009-192300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL
500 PM CDT THU JUL 19 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS...

AT 455 PM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS FROM NEAR MARSEILLES TO 25 MILES NORTHWEST OF ST. LOUIS.
THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE EAST OF THE ILLINOIS RIVER IN TAZEWELL AND
WOODFORD COUNTIES NEAR THE TOWNS OF MORTON...EUREKA AND MINONK...15 MILES
SOUTHEAST TO 30 MILES NORTHEAST OF PEORIA. HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL HAVE
BEEN REPORTED WITH THESE STORMS. AROUND 1.60 INCHES OF RAIN FELL IN 40
MINUTES...2 MILES WEST OF LOW POINT IN WESTERN WOODFORD COUNTY.

THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL MOVE
INTO EASTERN WOODFORD AND WESTERN MCLEAN COUNTIES DURING THE NEXT HOUR.

MILLER

The office that day

Everything else NWS Lincoln, IL issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 19, 5:09 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningILXOgle, Stephenson, Winnebago3 hr
Jul 19, 5:09 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningILXBoone3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Illinois, 1990Every flash flood warning in 1990

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.