Illinois, 2002

Flash Flooding and Flooding in Illinois, May 6 to 7, 2002

May 6 to 7, 2002 · NWS ILX · 23 events in 15 counties and zones

14 flash flood, 5 hail, 3 flood, 1 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 17 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
1
Property damage
$485,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
23

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 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 Lincoln, IL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 6, 8:50 PM CST, 2 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 6, 8:50 PM CST, 2 hours 15 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
950 PM CDT MON MAY 6 2002

NO BIG CHANGES WILL BE MADE TO AFTERNOON FORECAST PACKAGE. NEXT MCS
NOW DEVELOPING OVER EASTERN KANSAS/WESTERN MISSOURI IS EXPECTED TO
INCREASE AND EVENTUALLY SPREAD INTO ILLINOIS AFTER MIDNIGHT.
ALTHOUGH THE SEVERE THREAT SHOULD DIMINISH SOMEWHAT...HEAVY RAINFALL
WILL TRAINING ECHOES WILL BE POSSIBLE ESPECIALLY OVER THE SOUTHERN
HALF OF THE CWA. WILL LEAVE FLOOD WATCH IN PLACE.   ..04..

.ILX...FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT AND TUESDAY MORNING ZONES 49>57..61>63..
66>68..71>73.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

14 flash flood, 5 hail, 3 flood, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Sangamon

When
May 6, 11:05 PM CST
Where
Sangamon County, Springfield
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.800, -89.650

Hail, Sangamon

When
May 7, 12:05 AM CST to 12:07 AM CST
Where
Sangamon County, Springfield
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
39.800, -89.650

Hail, Menard

When
May 7, 12:36 AM CST
Where
Menard County, Fancy Prairie
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
40.000, -89.600

Hail, Cass

When
May 7, 12:55 AM CST
Where
Cass County, Virginia
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.950, -90.217

Hail, Macon

When
May 7, 1:25 AM CST
Where
Macon County, Mt Zion
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
39.767, -88.883

Flash Flood, Cass

When
May 7, 2:00 AM CST to 2:30 AM CST
Where
Cass County, Ashland
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.974, -90.247 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Numerous streets in Ashland, as well as rural roads nearby, were flooded due to heavy rains.

Flash Flood, Macon

When
May 7, 2:00 AM CST to 4:30 AM CST
Where
Macon County, Countywide
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.860, -88.962 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Numerous county roads were flooded due to heavy rains, including County Highway 41 south of Illinois Route 48, County Highway 25 north of Illinois Route 105, and County Highway 57 at Sefton Road. Also, Illinois Route 48 south of Boody was under water for a time.

Flash Flood, Scott

When
May 7, 2:00 AM CST to 4:30 AM CST
Where
Scott County, Countywide
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
39.644, -90.475 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several rural roads were briefly flooded due to heavy rains.

Flash Flood, Logan

When
May 7, 2:00 AM CST to 3:00 AM CST
Where
Logan County, 1 mi NE of Cornland
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
40.125, -89.367 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Illinois Route 54 just northeast of Cornland was briefly flooded due to heavy rains.

Flash Flood, Sangamon

When
May 7, 2:45 AM CST to 4:30 AM CST
Where
Sangamon County, 1 mi S of Pleasant Plains
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
39.758, -89.659 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several roads were briefly flooded due to heavy rains.

Flash Flood, Coles

When
May 7, 2:45 AM CST to 8:30 AM CST
Where
Coles County, Countywide
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
39.520, -88.222 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Between 2.5 and 4 inches of rain fell over a short amount of time in Coles County. Numerous roads were flooded throughout the county. Approximately 30 people had to be evacuated from their homes due to the flood waters. Also, several vehicles were driven into flooded areas causing them to be stranded. No injuries or deaths were reported. Numerous basements were flooded as well and several of the flooded roads were washed out in places.

Flash Flood, Christian

When
May 7, 3:00 AM CST to 4:30 AM CST
Where
Christian County, Countywide
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
39.546, -89.277 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several rural roads were briefly flooded due to heavy rains.

Thunderstorm Wind, Edgar

When
May 7, 3:30 AM CST
Where
Edgar County, Paris
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
39.617, -87.700

Two large trees were blown down in town. One fell onto an unoccupied van, destroying it.

Flash Flood, Shelby

When
May 7, 3:30 AM CST to 6:30 AM CST
Where
Shelby County, Countywide
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.391, -88.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Numerous roads were flooded due to heavy rains, including Illinois Route 32 south of Stewardson and roads east of Cowden due to the Kaskaskia River rising above its banks.

Flash Flood, Champaign

When
May 7, 3:30 AM CST to 4:00 AM CST
Where
Champaign County, Broadlands
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
40.140, -88.199 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several roads in the Broadlands area were flooded for a brief time due to heavy rains. No structural damage was reported.

Flash Flood, Effingham

When
May 7, 3:30 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
Where
Effingham County, Countywide
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.060, -88.590 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Up to four inches of rain fell over Effingham County in a short amount of time. Numerous roads were flooded, including Illinois Route 45 north of Effingham, Illinois Route 128 near Beecher City, and Route 40 west of Effingham. A school and the county courthouse sustained basement flood damage. One man had to be rescued after he attempted to cross a flooded creek in his ATV and was swept 150 yards downstream into some trees. He clung to the trees for two hours before he was rescued. He was treated and released from the hospital.

Flash Flood, Moultrie

When
May 7, 4:00 AM CST to 6:40 AM CST
Where
Moultrie County, Bethany
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.642, -88.619 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Numerous roads were flooded, especially in the northern half of the county. In the southeastern section of Bethany, six people had to be evacuated due to the rising waters. No injuries were reported. Illinois Route 32 south of Lovington was flooded, as well as, Illinois Route 133 between Lovington and Arthur.

Flash Flood, Cumberland

When
May 7, 4:45 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where
Cumberland County, Countywide
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.273, -88.240 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Numerous roads were flooded due to over 2.5 inches of rain in a short amount of time. Illinois Route 130 north of Greenup was flooded in places, as well as, numerous roads in the Sumter Township area.

Flash Flood, Clark

When
May 7, 5:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where
Clark County, Countywide
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.334, -87.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Over 2.5 inches of rain fell in a short amount of time. It caused numerous roads to become flooded countywide, including Illinois Route 1 between Marshall and West Union. In Marshall, so much rain fell that a canopy over a gas station collapsed due to the weight of the rain water. No injuries were reported.

Flash Flood, Edgar

When
May 7, 5:00 AM CST to 8:30 AM CST
Where
Edgar County, Countywide
Property damage
$485,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.679, -87.746 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Numerous rural roads were flooded countywide, as well as several basements in the Paris area. Also, a 76 foot bridge south of Paris collapsed due to the flooding. No injuries were reported.

Flood, Cumberland

When
May 7, 9:00 AM CST to 2:30 PM CST
Where
Cumberland forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.273, -88.240 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Even though the rains had ended, the flooding continued on numerous county roads into the afternoon hours.

Flood, Clark

When
May 7, 9:00 AM CST to 2:30 PM CST
Where
Clark forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.334, -87.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Even though the rains had ended, the flooding continued on numerous county roads into the afternoon hours.

Flood, Effingham

When
May 7, 10:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where
Effingham forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.060, -88.590 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Even though the rains had ended, the flooding continued on numerous county roads into the afternoon hours.

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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.
Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
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, May 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: 5302630, 5302631, 5302640, 5302632, 5302633, 5302635, 5302638, 5302639, 5302641, 5302636, 5302696, 5302637, 5302634, 5302694, 5302702, 5302703, 5302695, 5302697, 5302699, 5302701, 5302698, 5302700, 5302770.