Illinois, 1999

Flooding in Illinois, January 22 to 31, 1999

January 22 to 31, 1999 · NWS PAH · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

Repeated heavy rainfall events from a succession of March-like storm systems caused the Ohio River to rise 5 to 10 feet above flood stage. 5 feet on the 30th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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
6

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.

Repeated heavy rainfall events from a succession of March-like storm systems caused the Ohio River to rise 5 to 10 feet above flood stage. At Shawneetown, where flood stage is 33 feet, the river crested at 43.5 feet on the 30th. At Brookport, where flood stage is 37 feet, the river crested at 45.9 feet on the 27th. Further downstream, the river crested 8 feet above flood stage at both Grand Chain and Cairo by early on the 28th. At these stages, flooding is minor, but approaches the moderate category. Considerable flooding of farmland occurs, and some county roads are closed. Riverside parks become inundated and are closed.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Alexander

When
January 22, 6:00 AM CST to January 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Alexander forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
37.192, -89.338 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Gallatin

When
January 22, 6:00 AM CST to January 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Gallatin forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
37.763, -88.230 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Hardin

When
January 22, 6:00 AM CST to January 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Hardin forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
37.518, -88.267 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Massac

When
January 22, 6:00 AM CST to January 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Massac forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
37.219, -88.708 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Pope

When
January 22, 6:00 AM CST to January 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Pope forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
37.413, -88.562 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Pulaski

When
January 22, 6:00 AM CST to January 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Pulaski forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
37.223, -89.127 (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 1999Every state in 1999This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, January 1999

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: 5680481, 5680482, 5680483, 5680484, 5680485, 5680486.