Alert archive / Illinois / River Flood Warnings in 2026

River Flood Warning 25, NWS Quad Cities, IA

April 17, 2026Stephenson County, Illinois

NWS Quad Cities, IA issued this river flood warning at Apr 17, 2026, 10:15 AM CDT for Stephenson County, Illinois. It took effect at Apr 17, 2026, 11:54 PM CDT. It was in force for 5 days.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: Apr 17, 2026, 10:15 AM CDT (15:15 UTC)
In effect from: Apr 17, 2026, 11:54 PM CDT
Expired: Apr 23, 2026, 9:00 AM CDT
In force: 5 days
Issued by: NWS Quad Cities, IA
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: Minor

County Stephenson County, IL

The radar

The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 112 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 15:15 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 river

Written for the forecast point Pecatonica River at Freeport (FEEI2). The gauge peaked at 13.32 ft at Apr 19, 2026, 10:00 PM CDT.

Action stage: 11.5 ft
Minor stage: 13 ft
Moderate stage: 14 ft
Major stage: 16 ft

This gauge today: stage, forecast and historic crests

Stage from the USGS instantaneous record for site 05435500, one reading an hour, from a day before the product to a day after it ended. Flood stages are today's.

What forecasters said that day

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

NWS Quad Cities, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this river flood warning went out at Apr 17, 6:22 AM CDT, 3 hours 53 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 17, 6:22 AM CDT, 3 hours 53 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 17, 3:23 AM CDT, 6 hours 52 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Quad Cities IA IL
323 AM CDT Fri Apr 17 2026

IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007-
009-015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-180900-
Buchanan-Delaware-Dubuque-Benton-Linn-Jones-Jackson-Iowa-Johnson-
Cedar-Clinton-Muscatine-Scott-Keokuk-Washington-Louisa-Jefferson-
Henry IA-Des Moines-Van Buren-Lee-Jo Daviess-Stephenson-Carroll-
Whiteside-Rock Island-Henry IL-Bureau-Putnam-Mercer-Henderson-
Warren-Hancock-McDonough-Scotland-Clark-
323 AM CDT Fri Apr 17 2026

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of north central
Illinois...northwest Illinois...west central Illinois...east
central Iowa...northeast Iowa...southeast Iowa and northeast
Missouri.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

An Enhanced Risk (Level 3 of 5) for severe weather remains in
place across the area for this afternoon and evening. Damaging
winds and tornadoes, some possibly strong, are the primary
threats. Localized flash flooding is also possible.

Southerly winds will gust to around 40 mph this afternoon prior to
the severe thunderstorm development.

Area rivers are experiencing flooding. Please see the latest Flood
Statements and Flood Warnings for details.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

Much colder air will bring the potential for frost and freeze
conditions to parts of the area Saturday night and Sunday night.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is likely for this afternoon and evening.

JTS

The office that day

Everything else NWS Quad Cities, IA issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 17, 11:21 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	DVN	Muscatine, Scott	10 days
Apr 17, 11:21 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	DVN	Muscatine	21 days
Apr 17, 12:46 PM CDT	Flood Watch	DVN	Buchanan, Cedar, Clinton, Delaware, Des Moines, Dubuque and 10 more	12 hr
Apr 17, 12:47 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DVN	Delaware, Dubuque, Jones, Linn	58 min
Apr 17, 12:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DVN	Cedar, Clinton, Jackson, Johnson, Jones, Linn	61 min
Apr 17, 1:10 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DVN	Delaware, Dubuque, Jackson, Jones	65 min
Apr 17, 1:45 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DVN	Dubuque, Jackson	45 min
Apr 17, 1:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DVN	Clinton, Dubuque, Jackson, Jones	64 min
Apr 17, 2:11 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DVN	Dubuque, Jackson	49 min
Apr 17, 2:14 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DVN	Jackson	46 min
Apr 17, 2:23 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	DVN	Dubuque, Jackson	6 hr
Apr 17, 2:48 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DVN	Jackson	42 min
Apr 17, 3:24 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DVN	Benton, Iowa, Johnson, Linn	66 min
Apr 17, 3:25 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DVN	Dubuque, Jackson	35 min
Apr 17, 3:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DVN	Benton, Buchanan, Iowa, Johnson, Linn	76 min
Apr 17, 3:47 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DVN	Benton, Linn	43 min
Apr 17, 4:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DVN	Buchanan, Delaware, Dubuque	60 min
Apr 17, 4:13 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DVN	Henry, Jefferson, Keokuk, Van Buren, Washington	77 min
Apr 17, 4:18 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DVN	Buchanan, Delaware, Jones, Linn	42 min
Apr 17, 4:22 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DVN	Jones, Linn	38 min
Apr 17, 4:23 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DVN	Des Moines, Lee, Van Buren	54 min
Apr 17, 4:27 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DVN	Jefferson, Van Buren	48 min
Apr 17, 4:36 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DVN	Henry, Jefferson, Keokuk, Washington	54 min
Apr 17, 4:48 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	DVN	Dubuque, Jackson, Jones	57 min
Apr 17, 4:53 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DVN	Delaware, Dubuque	52 min
Apr 17, 4:54 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DVN	Delaware, Dubuque, Jackson	66 min
Apr 17, 4:58 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DVN	Dubuque, Jackson, Jones	62 min
Apr 17, 5:08 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DVN	Cedar, Johnson, Louisa, Muscatine, Washington	52 min
Apr 17, 5:12 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Destructive damage threat	DVN	Cedar, Johnson, Louisa, Muscatine, Washington	63 min
Apr 17, 5:19 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DVN	Lee	41 min
Apr 17, 5:26 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DVN	Cedar, Dubuque, Jones, Linn	31 min
Apr 17, 5:27 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	DVN	Des Moines, Henry, Jefferson, Lee, Louisa, Van Buren and 1 more	63 min
Apr 17, 5:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	DVN	Jackson	75 min
Apr 17, 5:43 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DVN	Cedar, Clinton, Scott	62 min
Apr 17, 5:46 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DVN	Des Moines, Henry, Louisa	24 min
Apr 17, 5:47 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DVN	Lee	43 min
Apr 17, 5:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	DVN	Clinton, Muscatine, Scott	54 min
Apr 17, 5:55 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	DVN	Lee	50 min
Apr 17, 6:06 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Destructive damage threat	DVN	Clinton, Muscatine, Scott	42 min
Apr 17, 6:31 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	DVN	Lee	59 min
Apr 17, 6:37 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	DVN	Clinton	68 min
Apr 17, 3:27 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DVN	Carroll, Jo Daviess, Stephenson	48 min
Apr 17, 4:09 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DVN	Stephenson	39 min
Apr 17, 5:02 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DVN	Stephenson	8 min
Apr 17, 6:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	DVN	Hancock, Henderson, McDonough, Mercer, Rock Island, Warren	60 min
Apr 17, 6:14 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	DVN	Bureau, Henry	76 min
Apr 17, 6:25 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DVN	Hancock	65 min
Apr 17, 6:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DVN	Carroll, Stephenson	29 min
Apr 17, 6:43 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	DVN	Bureau, Henry, Mercer, Rock Island	62 min
Apr 17, 6:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	DVN	Hancock, Henderson, McDonough, Warren	63 min

Nearby

River Flood Warnings in Illinois, 2026 Every river flood warning in 2026

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive; the gauge from the NWS water service and the USGS.