Alert archive / Illinois / Flash Flood Warnings in 2004

Flash Flood Warning 5, NWS Lincoln, IL

May 18, 2004DeWitt County, Illinois

NWS Lincoln, IL issued this flash flood warning at May 18, 2004, 1:58 PM CDT for DeWitt County, Illinois. It was in force for 6 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 18, 2004, 1:58 PM CDT (18:58 UTC)
Expired
May 18, 2004, 8:00 PM CDT
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS Lincoln, IL
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County DeWitt County, IL

The radar

The Lincoln radar (KILX), 45 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:01 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 12:00Z, 7.0 hours before the alert went out and 17 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, Lincoln, IL at 12:00Z on 2004-05-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 989 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Lincoln, IL at 12:00Z on 2004-05-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 124 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
989 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-53 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
838 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
124 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
85 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
2.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS53 KILX 181900
FFWILX
ILC039-190100-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
158 PM CDT TUE MAY 18 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LINCOLN HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  DE WITT COUNTY IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS

* UNTIL 800 PM CDT

* AT 151 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  HEAVY RAINS CONTINUING FROM NEAR CLINTON EAST TO DEWITT. 1 TO 3
  INCHES OF RAIN HAS BEEN ESTIMATED SINCE 1230 PM. 

* THUNDERSTORMS WITH EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE ACROSS
  DE WITT COUNTY. RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL LIKELY RANGE FROM 2 TO 5
  INCHES BY 400 PM. THESE RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE
  FLASH FLOODING.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.
IF IN A FLOOD PRONE AREA...MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG CREEKS AND STREAMS ARE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE
TO THE EFFECTS OF FLASH FLOODING. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS FLOODED
AREAS BY FOOT OR AUTOMOBILE.

MOST DEATHS IN FLASH FLOODING OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR
VEHICLE INTO AREAS IN WHICH WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. IT ONLY TAKES A
FOOT OR TWO OF WATER TO WASH MOST VEHICLES AWAY. VEHICLES CAUGHT IN
RISING WATERS SHOULD BE ABANDONED QUICKLY.

REPORT FLASH FLOODING TO YOUR LOCAL ESDA...OR THE NEAREST LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY...FOR RELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. STAY
TUNED FOR LATER STATEMENTS.

LAT...LON 4018 8867 4010 8869 4010 8876 4006 8876
          4006 8915 4029 8915 4029 8859

$$

EH

NNNN
3 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS73 KILX 181953
FFSILX
ILC039-190100-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
250 PM CDT TUE MAY 18 2004

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR DE WITT COUNTY UNTIL 800 PM
CDT...

AT 250 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
HEAVY RAINS CONTINUING NEAR DE WITT. 1 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN HAS BEEN 
ESTIMATED SINCE 1230 PM. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO DE 
WITT COUNTY FROM CLINTON EAST TO DE WITT BY 330 PM. ADDITIONAL HEAVY 
RAINFALL WILL AGGRAVATE THE WATER SITUATION. 

AT 155 PM CDT...DE WITT COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTED HIGH WATER ON 
ILLINOIS ROUTE 10 EAST OF CLINTON. THE SHERIFF REPORTED ILLINOIS 
ROUTE 10 WAS STILL PASSABLE...HOWEVER ANY ADDITIONAL RAINFALL MAY 
CAUSE ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS.     

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.
IF IN A FLOOD PRONE AREA...MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG CREEKS AND STREAMS ARE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE
TO THE EFFECTS OF FLASH FLOODING. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS FLOODED
AREAS BY FOOT OR AUTOMOBILE.

MOST DEATHS IN FLASH FLOODING OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR
VEHICLE INTO AREAS IN WHICH WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. IT ONLY TAKES A
FOOT OR TWO OF WATER TO WASH MOST VEHICLES AWAY. VEHICLES CAUGHT IN
RISING WATERS SHOULD BE ABANDONED QUICKLY.

REPORT FLASH FLOODING TO YOUR LOCAL ESDA...OR THE NEAREST LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY...FOR RELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. STAY
TUNED FOR LATER STATEMENTS.

LAT...LON 4018 8867 4010 8869 4010 8876 4006 8876
          4006 8915 4029 8915 4029 8859

$$

EH
000 
WGUS73 KILX 182132
FFSILX
ILC039-190100-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
427 PM CDT TUE MAY 18 2004

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR DE WITT COUNTY UNTIL 800 PM
CDT...

AT 427 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
HEAVY RAINS CONTINUING FROM NEAR CLINTON EAST TO DE WITT. 1 TO 3 
INCHES OF RAIN HAS BEEN ESTIMATED SINCE 1230 PM. 

ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED INTO THE EARLY 
EVENING HOURS WHICH MAY AGGRAVATE THE HIGH WATER SITUATION. 

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.
IF IN A FLOOD PRONE AREA...MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG CREEKS AND STREAMS ARE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE
TO THE EFFECTS OF FLASH FLOODING. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS FLOODED
AREAS BY FOOT OR AUTOMOBILE.

MOST DEATHS IN FLASH FLOODING OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR
VEHICLE INTO AREAS IN WHICH WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. IT ONLY TAKES A
FOOT OR TWO OF WATER TO WASH MOST VEHICLES AWAY. VEHICLES CAUGHT IN
RISING WATERS SHOULD BE ABANDONED QUICKLY.

REPORT FLASH FLOODING TO YOUR LOCAL ESDA...OR THE NEAREST LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY...FOR RELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. STAY
TUNED FOR LATER STATEMENTS.

LAT...LON 4010 8911 4011 8881 4027 8868 4027 8906

$$
13
000 
WGUS73 KILX 182301
FFSILX
ILC039-182315-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
559 PM CDT TUE MAY 18 2004

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR DE WITT COUNTY HAS BEEN CANCELED...

THE HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLOOD THREAT HAS ENDED ACROSS THE WARNED AREA.
THEREFORE...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELED. ADDITIONAL 
STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE AREA BY 7 PM BUT EXCESSIVE 
RUNOFF IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. 

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.
IF IN A FLOOD PRONE AREA...MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG CREEKS AND STREAMS ARE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE
TO THE EFFECTS OF FLASH FLOODING. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS FLOODED
AREAS BY FOOT OR AUTOMOBILE.

REPORT FLASH FLOODING TO YOUR LOCAL ESDA...OR THE NEAREST LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY...FOR RELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. STAY
TUNED FOR LATER STATEMENTS.

LAT...LON 4025 8874 4010 8880 4008 8905 4024 8906

$$

HALL

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 18, 12:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXMorgan63 min
May 18, 1:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXChampaign, Piatt62 min
May 18, 3:41 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXMcLean49 min
May 18, 3:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXMcLean47 min
May 18, 4:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXPeoria, Tazewell, Woodford62 min
May 18, 4:45 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningILXPeoria4 hr
May 18, 4:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXChristian, Shelby52 min
May 18, 5:08 PM CDTTornado WarningILXTazewell, Woodford52 min
May 18, 5:35 PM CDTTornado WarningILXTazewell, Woodford25 min
May 18, 5:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXMcLean65 min
May 18, 6:11 PM CDTTornado WarningILXMcLean64 min
May 18, 6:24 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningILXMcLean3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Illinois, 2004Every flash flood warning in 2004

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.