Illinois, 2000

Flooding and Hail in Illinois, September 11, 2000

September 11, 2000 · NWS LOT · 9 events in 4 counties and zones

A line of severe thunderstorms developed during the early afternoon, stretching from just west of Rockford southwestward to near Quincy, IL. These storms moved east-northeast at 40 to 45 MPH during the course of the afternoon, with several communities reporting heavy rains, dangerous lightning, strong winds and widespread hail.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
$100,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
9

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 LOT wrote it up.

A line of severe thunderstorms developed during the early afternoon, stretching from just west of Rockford southwestward to near Quincy, IL. These storms moved east-northeast at 40 to 45 MPH during the course of the afternoon, with several communities reporting heavy rains, dangerous lightning, strong winds and widespread hail. In the town of Wilmette the McKenzie Elementary School's entire first floor was flooded when 2.75 inches of rain fell in a very short time. School was canceled the next day due to cleanup. In Berwyn very heavy rains caused urban flooding throughout the community with all major intersections under water for nearly four hours. Lightning struck a newer home in Kildeer, causing considerable fire damage. The strong winds tore down many trees and power lines across northern Illinois during the afternoon, and by 5:00 PM the Winnebago County Athorities reported that nearly 35,000 ComEd customers were without power, with some not being restored until the following morning. During the course of the afternoon pea size hail and winds gusting to 40 to 50 MPH were reported throughout northern Illinois.

The radar

The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 100 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:05 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 hail, 2 flood, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Ogle

When
September 11, 1:03 PM CST
Where
Ogle County, Forreston
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
42.117, -89.583

Lightning, Lake

When
September 11, 1:45 PM CST
Where
Lake County, Kildeer
Property damage
$100,000
Reported by
FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
Coordinates
42.349, -87.862 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Cook

When
September 11, 2:00 PM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Cook County, Wilmette
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
41.895, -87.646 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Cook

When
September 11, 2:00 PM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Cook County, Berwyn
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
41.895, -87.646 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Du Page

When
September 11, 2:06 PM CST
Where
Du Page County, Downers Grove
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
41.800, -88.000

Hail, Ogle

When
September 11, 2:10 PM CST
Where
Ogle County, 5 mi N of Rochelle
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
41.983, -89.067

Hail, Cook

When
September 11, 2:25 PM CST
Where
Cook County, Schaumburg
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.033, -88.083

Hail, Cook

When
September 11, 2:56 PM CST
Where
Cook County, Markham
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
41.600, -87.700

Hail, Cook

When
September 11, 3:20 PM CST
Where
Cook County, Tinley Park
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
41.583, -87.783

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
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 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, September 2000

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: 5174051, 5174056, 5174057, 5174058, 5174052, 5174053, 5174054, 5174055, 5174059.