Illinois, 1997

Flooding in Illinois, March 1 to 6, 1997

March 1 to 6, 1997 · NWS ILX · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

Flooding continued along the Illinois River in March with the river cresting at Henry on the 2nd, Peoria on the 3rd, Havana on the 4th, and at Beardstown on the 6th. It took over two weeks to a month for the river to fall below flood stage.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 10 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
10

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS ILX wrote it up.

Flooding continued along the Illinois River in March with the river cresting at Henry on the 2nd, Peoria on the 3rd, Havana on the 4th, and at Beardstown on the 6th. It took over two weeks to a month for the river to fall below flood stage. It was the 6th worst flood in history for Peoria and the 7th worst flood in history for Henry. A few homes in Henry were inundated by flood waters and a few buildings on the east side of Sparland were damaged. Also, some homes immediately adjacent to the river in Peoria experienced minor property damage and some residences in Liverpool were flooded. No damage estimate was available.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Mason

When
March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 6, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Mason forecast zone
Coordinates
40.240, -89.917 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Cass

When
March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 6, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Cass forecast zone
Coordinates
39.974, -90.247 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Scott

When
March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 6, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Scott forecast zone
Coordinates
39.644, -90.475 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Morgan

When
March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 6, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Morgan forecast zone
Coordinates
39.716, -90.201 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Peoria

When
March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 6, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Peoria forecast zone
Coordinates
40.788, -89.760 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Marshall

When
March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 6, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Marshall forecast zone
Coordinates
41.033, -89.345 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Woodford

When
March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 6, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Woodford forecast zone
Coordinates
40.788, -89.211 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Fulton

When
March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 6, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Fulton forecast zone
Coordinates
40.473, -90.207 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Tazewell

When
March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 6, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Tazewell forecast zone
Coordinates
40.508, -89.513 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Schuyler

When
March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 6, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Schuyler forecast zone
Coordinates
40.158, -90.615 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flood
Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Illinois in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, March 1997

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5594109, 5594110, 5594111, 5594112, 5597206, 5597207, 5597208, 5597209, 5597210, 5597211.