Flash Flooding in Illinois, April 29 to 30, 1998

A series of thunderstorms developed over Logan and Mclean Counties...mainly along I-55. The Weather Service office in Lincoln recorded 4 inches of rain in 3 hours. Various other sites recorded between 2 to 3 inches in a short amount of time that evening. The heavy rain was rather localized and areas most affected by the flash flooding were between Lincoln and Ellsworth. In Logan County, over a thousand buildings sustained some kind of water damage with 150 homes having between 6 inches and 4 feet of water in their homes or basements. Fifteen businesses sustained extensive damage. In McLean County, the flash flooding was less damaging with a few areas reporting water in basements, mainly from backed up storm drains. Numerous roads in Logan County were closed due to high water and in McLean County a quarter mile stretch of Hwy 9 was closed for a time due to the flood waters. Early on the 30th, firemen had to rescue a drunk man from a tree as flood waters surrounded him. The man had driven around barricades and into the flood waters on the north side of Lincoln, which caused his truck to stall. He was uninjured in the incident. Damage in Logan County was estimated around $1.5 million and no damage estimate was available from McLean County.