Flash Flooding in Illinois, June 29 to 30, 1998

Name: Flash Flooding in Illinois, June 29 to 30, 1998
Start: 1998-06-29T21:45
End: 1998-06-30T03:30
Location: Illinois

June 29 to 30, 1998 · NWS PAH · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

Thunderstorms repeatedly moved over the same areas, causing excessive rainfall amounts over 3 inches in 3 hours. Numerous roads were flooded from DuQuoin to West Frankfort.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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: $300,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

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 PAH wrote it up.

Thunderstorms repeatedly moved over the same areas, causing excessive rainfall amounts over 3 inches in 3 hours. Numerous roads were flooded from DuQuoin to West Frankfort. The flooding was widespread around West Frankfort and DuQuoin, where several feet of water covered some streets. A cooperative observer for the National Weather Service measured 4.7 inches of rain in DuQuoin, most of which fell within two hours. In downtown Carbondale, cars were flooded and water rose within the city's new city hall and civic center. There was an unconfirmed report of 3.5 inches in Carbondale between 10:30 P.M. and midnight. At Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, the basements and ground floors of many of the 24 buildings on campus were saturated from substantial flooding. The Recreation Center suffered the most damage, including indoor basketball and racquetball courts. In Williamson County, more than 4 inches of rain fell at a television station just west of Marion.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Jackson

When: June 29, 9:45 PM CST to June 30, 3:30 AM CST
Where: Jackson County, Carbondale
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 37.785, -89.382 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Franklin

When: June 29, 9:45 PM CST to June 30, 3:30 AM CST
Where: Franklin County, West Frankfort
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 37.992, -88.924 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Perry

When: June 29, 9:45 PM CST to June 30, 12:30 AM CST
Where: Perry County, Du Quoin
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 38.084, -89.367 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Williamson

When: June 29, 9:45 PM CST to June 30, 3:30 AM CST
Where: Williamson County, Crab Orchard
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.730, -88.930 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Illinois in 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history Warnings in Illinois, June 1998

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: 5659542, 5659543, 5659544, 5659545.