Alert archive / Illinois / Flood Watches in 2026

Flood Watch 5, NWS Lincoln, IL

May 18, 202613 counties in Illinois

NWS Lincoln, IL issued this flood watch at May 18, 2026, 11:24 AM CDT for 13 counties in Illinois. It was in force for 11 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: May 18, 2026, 11:24 AM CDT (16:24 UTC)
Expired: May 18, 2026, 10:00 PM CDT
In force: 11 hr
Issued by: NWS Lincoln, IL
Flood severity: None

Counties Clark County, IL, Clay County, IL, Coles County, IL, Crawford County, IL, Cumberland County, IL, Douglas County, IL, Edgar County, IL, Effingham County, IL, Jasper County, IL, Lawrence County, IL, Moultrie County, IL, Richland County, IL, Shelby County, IL

The radar

The Evansville,IN radar (KVWX), 114 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 16:27 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.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flood watch 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 flood watch went out at May 18, 10:11 AM CDT, 1 hour 13 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 18, 10:11 AM CDT, 1 hour 13 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, May 18, 5:00 AM CDT, 6 hours 24 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Lincoln IL
500 AM CDT Mon May 18 2026

ILZ027>031-036>038-040>043-047>051-191100-
Knox-Stark-Peoria-Marshall-Woodford-Fulton-Tazewell-McLean-Schuyler-
Mason-Logan-De Witt-Cass-Menard-Scott-Morgan-Sangamon-
500 AM CDT Mon May 18 2026

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Illinois and west
central Illinois.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

A broken line of thunderstorms will advance eastward to the I-55 corridor
this morning with a risk for scattered damaging wind gusts and
isolated large hail.

A second line of thunderstorms associated with an approaching cold
front will arrive late tonight. There is a continued risk for
damaging wind gusts and hail.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday.

Thunderstorms will continue into early afternoon Tuesday. There is a
Slight Risk (level 2 of 5) for damaging wind gusts and hail.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation may be needed through noon today.

Expected storm motion is toward the northeast around 35 mph.

ILZ044>046-052>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-191100-
Piatt-Champaign-Vermilion-Christian-Macon-Moultrie-Douglas-Coles-
Edgar-Shelby-Cumberland-Clark-Effingham-Jasper-Crawford-Clay-
Richland-Lawrence-
500 AM CDT Mon May 18 2026

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Illinois, east
central Illinois and southeast Illinois.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

A broken line of thunderstorms will advance into east-central and
southeast IL late this morning through afternoon with a risk for
scattered damaging wind gusts, isolated large hail, and a tornado or
two.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday.

Another round of strong to severe thunderstorms is anticipated
Tuesday morning through evening as a cold front pushes through the
region. There is a Slight Risk (level 2 of 5) for damaging wind
gusts and hail.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation may be needed late morning through afternoon
today.

Expected storm motion is toward the northeast around 35 mph.

37

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 18, 9:54 AM CDT, 1 hour 30 minutes before

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Local storm report, May 18, 9:59 AM CDT, 1 hour 25 minutes before

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Local storm report, May 18, 10:01 AM CDT, 1 hour 23 minutes before

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Local storm report, May 18, 10:06 AM CDT, 1 hour 18 minutes before

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Local storm report, May 18, 10:26 AM CDT, 58 minutes before

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Local storm report, May 18, 10:53 AM CDT, 31 minutes before

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The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 18, 8:18 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Fulton, Logan, Mason, Peoria, Tazewell	39 min
May 18, 9:24 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	McLean, Marshall, Woodford	22 min
May 18, 9:36 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	DeWitt, Macon, Piatt	39 min
May 18, 9:44 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Coles, Douglas, Edgar	46 min
May 18, 9:49 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Christian, Macon, Shelby	41 min
May 18, 10:20 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Champaign, Douglas, Macon, Moultrie, Piatt	40 min
May 18, 10:28 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Clay, Effingham, Jasper	47 min
May 18, 11:54 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	ILX	Clay, Effingham, Jasper	6 hr
May 18, 12:12 PM CDT	River Flood Warning	ILX	Clay, Richland	7 days
May 18, 1:44 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ILX	Clay, Effingham, Jasper	4 hr
May 18, 2:52 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ILX	Clay	3 hr
May 18, 3:23 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	ILX	Clay, Crawford, Jasper, Lawrence, Richland	3 hr
May 18, 5:50 PM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	ILX	Clay, Effingham, Jasper	15 hr
May 18, 5:58 PM CDT	River Flood Warning	ILX	Lawrence	4 days

Nearby

Flood Watches in Illinois, 2026 Every flood watch 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.