Alert archive / Illinois / Flash Flood Warnings in 2026
Flash Flood Warning 81, NWS Lincoln, IL
NWS Lincoln, IL issued this flash flood warning at Aug 21, 2026, 8:40 PM CDT for Marshall County, Illinois. It was in force for 3 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
- Aug 21, 2026, 8:40 PM CDT (01:40 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 21, 2026, 11:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 3 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Lincoln, IL
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Flood severity
- None
County Marshall County, IL
The radar
The Lincoln radar (KILX), 96 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:43 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.
Did it verify
Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this flash flood warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.
Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.
The nearest sounding before it
Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 00:00Z, 1.7 hours before the alert went out and 103 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 922 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -64 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1286 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 36 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 49 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 142 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.2
- Supercell composite
- 1.0
The text
As transmitted.
156
WGUS53 KILX 220140
FFWILX
ILC123-220445-
/O.NEW.KILX.FF.W.0081.260822T0140Z-260822T0445Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Lincoln IL
840 PM CDT Fri Aug 21 2026
The National Weather Service in Lincoln has issued a
* Flash Flood Warning for...
Eastern Marshall County in central Illinois...
* Until 1145 PM CDT.
* At 840 PM CDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing
heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 2 inches of rain
have fallen. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin
shortly.
HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas,
highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor
drainage and low-lying areas.
* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
Toluca and Wenona.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.
Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize the
dangers of flooding.
&&
LAT...LON 4093 8905 4093 8911 4110 8920 4110 8905
FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED
$$
251 follow-up statement
185 WGUS73 KILX 220436 FFSILX Flash Flood Statement National Weather Service Lincoln IL 1136 PM CDT Fri Aug 21 2026 ILC123-220446- /O.EXP.KILX.FF.W.0081.000000T0000Z-260822T0445Z/ /00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/ Marshall IL- 1136 PM CDT Fri Aug 21 2026 ...FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 1145 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR EASTERN MARSHALL COUNTY... The heavy rain has ended. Flooding is no longer expected to pose a threat. Please continue to heed remaining road closures. && LAT...LON 4093 8905 4093 8911 4110 8920 4110 8905 $$ Deubelbeiss
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.
NWS Lincoln, IL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Aug 21, 6:31 PM CDT, 2 hours 9 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- A Slight Risk of severe thunderstorms exists this evening along and north of a line from Beardstown to Lincoln to Gibson City. Hail (15%), wind (15%), and tornado (2%) threats will exist in this area, with lower probabilities further south to near I-70.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 21, 6:31 PM CDT, 2 hours 9 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lincoln IL 631 PM CDT Fri Aug 21 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - A Slight Risk of severe thunderstorms exists this evening along and north of a line from Beardstown to Lincoln to Gibson City. Hail (15%), wind (15%), and tornado (2%) threats will exist in this area, with lower probabilities further south to near I-70. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 215 AM CDT Fri Aug 21 2026 Weak high pressure ridge ~1018 mb was over near central IL early this afternoon and providing a delightful late summer day with mostly sunny skies. Temperatures were in the lower 80s at 2 pm while dewpoints were in the mid to upper 60s except lower 70s from Galesburg and Macomb west/nw. A weak cold front was over central WI into southeast Iowa. Radar mosaic shows scattered convection over northern IL from I-88 north into southern WI and tracking ESE. Moderately unstable airmass in place over the IL river valley where MLCAPES 1500-2500 j/kg nw of I-55 while bulk shear values of 30-35 kts over IL river valley and over 40 kts west of IL over central and northern MO. SPC just issued a mesoscale discussion over northern half of IL north of Lincoln where severe storm threat is increasing and monitoring a possible watch box. HRRR and RRFS models show broken band of convection moving into far northern CWA just after sunset and toward I-55 by late evening, and weakening as it moves toward I-70 around 3 am. SPC continues slight risk of severe storms this evening along and north of a line from Beardstown to Lincoln to Gibson City. Hail (15%), wind (15%), and tornado (2%) threats will exist in the Slight Risk area. CAPES reach 2000-3000 j/kg over the IL river valley nw of I-55 while wind shear values 30-40 kts and also in favorable region of se moving upper level jet for enhanced lift. Further south a Marginal Risk exists as far southeast as near I-70, with mainly low end hail/wind (5%) threats for this evening in this area. WPC Day1 outlook has marginal risk of excessive rainfall over northern CWA this evening where pockets of 1 inch or more of rain possible on a saturated ground. But convection bands will be more progressive than Wed night system so rainfall amounts should be much lower. Quieter weather is generally expected this weekend into early next week over central/se IL, though a few model members show isolated convection (20% or less) over ne CWA Sat afternoon where MUCAPES get to 1000-1500 j/kg. The stronger short wave forcing is ne of CWA Sat afternoon over ne IL into northern IN where better chance of convection will be. A Northwest upper level flow to prevail over IL through middle of next week with strong mid/upper level ridge over Southwest States and upper level low/trof in eastern Canada and northeast US. Another northern stream short wave disturbance to move se into the Midwest for middle of next week and bring next chance of convection around Wednesday though current NBM just has slight pops over area. Temps to be near a bit below normal early next week with highs in the upper 70s to lower 80s Sun/Monday and coolest night Sunday night with lows in mid to upper 50s. Temps moderate a bit for middle of next week along with increasing humidity levels/dewpoints with highs back in the low to mid 80s Tue-Fri (mid to upper 80s southern CWA Wed-Fri). The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) 8-14 Day Outlook for Aug 29-Sep 4 has 40-50% chance of above normal temperatures over central/se IL and precipitation trending near normal except slight above normal near the Indiana border. && .AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SUNDAY/... Issued at 630 PM CDT Fri Aug 21 2026 Primarily VFR conditions at all sites outside of thunderstorms, but do have MVFR vis when the line of storms does move through each site this evening. There could be a brief period of cigs dropping below 3kft but believe it will be when heaviest rain occurs only. Except for PIA, have started all sites with VCTS and then a one hr tempo group for when storms will be on site. Conditions should improve quickly behind the line of storms after they pass. Expecting scattered clouds tomorrow with clearing in the afternoon. Winds will be southwest ahead of the line of storms and then become west to northwest behind them. Speeds of 10kts of less ahead and behind, but expecting winds 10-15kts tomorrow. && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && KEY MESSAGES...07 DISCUSSION...07 AVIATION...Auten
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 21, 1:38 PM CDT, 7 hours 2 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Lincoln IL 138 PM CDT Fri Aug 21 2026 ILZ027>031-036>038-040>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-221845- Knox-Stark-Peoria-Marshall-Woodford-Fulton-Tazewell-McLean-Schuyler- Mason-Logan-De Witt-Piatt-Champaign-Vermilion-Cass-Menard-Scott- Morgan-Sangamon-Christian-Macon-Moultrie-Douglas-Coles-Edgar-Shelby- Cumberland-Clark-Effingham-Jasper-Crawford-Clay-Richland-Lawrence- 138 PM CDT Fri Aug 21 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Illinois, east central Illinois, southeast Illinois and west central Illinois. .DAY ONE...Tonight. Scattered thunderstorms are possible (30-50% chance) this evening into tonight. Damaging wind gusts and heavy rain are the main hazards, however isolated large hail and a brief tornado cannot be ruled out. Due to recent heavy rainfall, river flooding is occurring on portions of the Illinois, Sangamon, and Wabash rivers. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. Flooding will continue for several days along portions of the Illinois, Sangamon, and Wabash Rivers. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed later tonight. NMA
The office that day
Everything else NWS Lincoln, IL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 21, 10:00 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | ILX | Marshall, Woodford | 30 min |
| Aug 21, 10:33 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | ILX | Tazewell | 42 min |
| Aug 21, 11:09 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | ILX | Tazewell | 36 min |
| Aug 21, 11:17 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Fulton, Mason, Menard | 43 min |
| Aug 22, 12:41 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | ILX | Sangamon | 49 min |
| Aug 22, 1:07 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | ILX | Christian | 38 min |
Nearby
Flash Flood Warnings in Illinois, 2026Every flash 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.