Illinois, 2002

Flooding in Illinois, February 1 to 9, 2002

February 1 to 9, 2002 · NWS PAH · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

The Big Muddy River rose above flood stage in response to heavy rains at the end of January. At Plumfield, the crest was less than one foot above the 20-foot flood stage, which resulted in minor flooding of low-lying areas.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
2

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.

The Big Muddy River rose above flood stage in response to heavy rains at the end of January. At Plumfield, the crest was less than one foot above the 20-foot flood stage, which resulted in minor flooding of low-lying areas. At Murphysboro, the crest of 22.3 feet on February 5 resulted in minor flooding of low-lying areas. Flood stage at Murphysboro is 16 feet. No property damage was reported.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Paducah, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 1, 12:50 PM CST, 2 hours 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 1, 12:50 PM CST, 2 hours 10 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1250 PM CST FRI FEB 1 2002

FORECAST CHALLENGE IS THE LATTER HALF OF THE FORECAST PERIOD.

LOW CLOUDS IN THE WAKE OF THE EXITING LOW WILL CONTINUE THEIR TREK
EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA DURING THE EVENING HOURS. CLEAR SKIES WILL
BE THE RESULT FOR THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. PATCHY RADIATIONAL FOG MAY
FORM ACROSS FAR WESTERN AND FAR NORTHERN PARTS OF THE FORECAST AREA.
WINDS IN THIS REGION SHOULD BECOME NEAR-CALM WITH THE SURFACE HIGH
MOVING OVERHEAD. ALSO...GROUND TEMPS STILL WILL BE RELATIVELY MILD
COMPARED TO THE EXPECT AIR TEMPS AND THE GROUND IS VERY WET. THE
REST OF THE AREA SHOULD MAINTAIN A 5 TO 10 MPH NORTH WIND ON THE
BACKSIDE OF THE LOW AND REMAIN REASONABLY MIXED TO NOT MENTION
PATCHY FOG. GOING FORECAST LOW LOOK GOOD.

SATURDAY HIGH PRESSURE MOVES OVERHEAD WITH PLENTY OF SUN EXPECTED
AND NEAR SEASONABLE TEMPS.

SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY CLOUD COVER LOOKS TO BE ON THE INCREASE.
FIRST IN THE FORM OF HIGH LEVEL CLOUDINESS IN ASSOCIATION WITH A
SYSTEM PASSING SOUTH OF THE AREA. THEN FOR SUNDAY ITSELF...A LOW TO
MID DECK CEILING LOOKS TO MOVE INTO THE AREA FROM THE NORTHWEST IN
ASSOCIATION WITH A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY. WILL KEEP MENTION OF
PRECIP OUT OF THE FORECAST FOR SUNDAY AS BEST MOISTURE AND DYNAMICS
ARE PROGGED TO PASS NORTH OF THE AREA. CURRENT FORECAST LOWS AND
HIGHS LOOK ON TRACK WITH NEWEST GUIDANCE.

GUIDANCE FOR NEXT WEEK IS NOT A CLEAR CUT SOLUTION. THE 01/12Z AVN
CONTINUES TO INSIST UPON LOW PRESSURE MOVING OVER THE AREA TUESDAY
BRINGING A CHANCE OF MINOR SNOW ACCUMULATIONS. THE 31/12Z ECMWF
SOLUTION STALLS THE UPPER LOW OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS AND DOESN/T
EJECT THE LOW OVER THE AREA UNTIL WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THE 01/00Z RUN OF
THE CANADIAN SOLUTION IS SIMILAR TO THAT OF THE 01/00Z MRF. DESPITE
RESERVATIONS...WILL SELECT NOT TO FLIP FLOP THE FORECAST AND STAY
WITH TUESDAY AS THE ONLY DAY FOR A SNOW POTENTIAL.

WITH THE WEATHER PATTERN UNCERTAIN FOR TUESDAY...ALL DAYS AFTERWARDS
ARE OF GREATER UNCERTAINTY. NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT LOOKS LIKE A
REASONABLE CALL FOR THE SYNOPTIC SCALE PATTERN.  JUST WHERE OR WHEN
ANY SHORTWAVE TROUGHS MOVING ALONG THAT FLOW WILL AFFECT THE AREA IS
THE BIG QUESTION. FOR NOW WILL KEEP WITH A DRY FORECAST...PARTLY
CLOUDY SKIES AND TEMPERATURES NEAR OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE AVERAGE.

.PAH...NONE.

DFS

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Jackson

When
February 1, 3:00 PM CST to February 9, 7:00 PM CST
Where
Jackson forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
37.785, -89.382 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Franklin

When
February 2, 7:00 PM CST to February 4, 8:00 AM CST
Where
Franklin forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
37.992, -88.924 (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 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, February 2002

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: 5282890, 5282889.