Storms that developed in the afternoon hours continued into the evening across far Northeast Missouri and a part of West Central Illinois and produced heavy rain. Due to already saturated soils, flash flooding occurred across parts of Northern Clark county and parts of Hancock county.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS DVN wrote it up.
Storms that developed in the afternoon hours continued into the evening across far Northeast Missouri and a part of West Central Illinois and produced heavy rain. Due to already saturated soils, flash flooding occurred across parts of Northern Clark county and parts of Hancock county.
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 Quad Cities, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 8, 4:52 PM CST, 2 hours 28 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED TIME NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 425 PM CDT TUE JUL 8 2003 ACTIVE WEATHER WILL CONTINUE FOR ANOTHER DAY. MODELS STILL DISAGREEING ON WEDNESDAYS UNUSUALLY POTENT SYSTEM. MODELS HAVE SHIFTED SURFACE LOW TRACK NORTH FROM YESTERDAYS SOLUTIONS...BUT THEY DONT AGREE ON HOW FAR NORTH THE LOW WILL GO. THE GFS HAS BEEN THE MOST CONSISTENT WITH THIS SYSTEM AND WILL CONTINUE TO FAVOR ITS SOLUTION FOR THIS FORECAST ISSUANCE. HAVE ISSUED A FLOOD WATCH FOR THE ENTIRE CWA THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING. THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN MOST COUNTIES ARE AT THE GREATEST RISK FOR FLOODING DUE TO THE NEARLY SATURATED SOILS FROM RECENT HEAVY RAINS IN THESE AREAS. LATEST SURFACE ANALYSIS HAS BOUNDARY FROM NEAR KOMA THROUGH KMUT TO KPIA. MODELS HOLD FRONT IN PLACE OVERNIGHT. FRONT SHOULD PROVIDE A FOCUS FOR THUNDERTORM DEVELOPENT DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AS INCREASING LLJ INTERSECTS FRONTAL ZONE. NORTHERN COUNTIES WILL BE UNDER THE GUN AGAIN LATER TONIGHT WITH MODELS SUGGEST A MCS WILL DEVELOP OVER NORTHEAST NE OR SE SD AND MOVE EAST. WEDNESDAY SHOULD BE AN INTERESTING DAY WITH ABOVE MENTIONED SURFACE LOW TRACKING THROUGH NRN IA OR SRN MN LATE IN THE DAY. MODELS LIFT WARM FRONT ACROSS EASTERN CWA DURING THE DAY CREATING...POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN NORTHEAST OF THE FRONT. THEN GREATEST SEVERE THREAT EVOLVES LATE IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS LOW AND COLD FRONT MOVE THROUGH THE CWA. CURRENT FORECAST WAS ON TRACK WITH THIS THINKING AND MADE ONLY MINOR TWEAKS TO THE WORDING. AFTER WEDNESDAY EVENING MORE TRANQUIL WEATHER WILL SETTLE IN AS NORTHWEST FLOW SETS UP. LONG RANGE MODELS IN VERY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH NORTHWEST FLOW AND COOLER/DRIER AIRMAS PLACE OVER CWA INTO THE WEEKEND. HAVE BACKED OFF TEMPS A LITTLE ESPECIALLY FRIDAY/SATURDAY. GFS CONTINUES TO SHOW A STRONG WAA SETTING UP BY EARLY NEXT WEEK. THE 08/00Z GFS IS A LITTLE SLOWER THAN THE 07/00Z RUN. WILL MAINTAIN POPS FOR RETURN OF WARM AIR SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. GFS BRINGS FRONT THROUGH REGION LATE TUESDAY. AT THIS POINT MODEL SUGGESTS A CAP A HEAD OF FRONT...BUT WILL GO WITH LOW CHANCE POP FOR NOW. DVN... IA...FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING. IL...FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING. MO...FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING. DLF
IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007- 009-015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-091000- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED FORMAT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 144 PM CDT TUE JUL 8 2003 ...POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WEATHER SCENARIO DEVELOPING FOR WEDNESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN IOWA... NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...AND NORTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...EVENING AND OVERNIGHT THERE WILL BE A RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS INTO THIS EVENING MAINLY...ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE MAIN CONCERN ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM FAIRFIELD THROUGH WASHINGTON AND MUSCATINE TO NEAR PRINCETON ILLINOIS. THERE IS ALSO A THREAT OF A FEW TORNADOES ALONG THE IOWA MISSOURI BORDER...EAST INTO WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. NORTH OF THIS AREA...THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE LARGE HAIL. THERE WILL ALSO BE A POTENTIAL FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS THROUGH EARLY EVENING. THE HEAVY RAIN WILL CREATE A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AND RIVERS ALONG WITH STREET FLOODING IN URBAN AREAS. THIS ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE EAST OF THE AREA BY EARLY THIS EVENING. ANOTHER ROUND OF STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT. THESE STORMS SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON AREAS NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80 AND WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS. AREAS SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80 COULD SEE SOME SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...BUT THESE ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE. THE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT WILL BE DEVELOPING ALONG AND NORTH OF A STATIONARY FRONT OVER SOUTHERN IOWA AND NORTHERN ILLINOIS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH TUESDAY A DANGEROUS SITUATION IS SETTING UP FOR WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING OVER THE MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO EASTERN IOWA AND NORTHWEST ILLINOIS LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON OR EARLY IN THE EVENING. A FEW TORNADOES ALONG WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. AT THIS TIME THE TORNADIC THREAT APPEARS TO BE THE GREATEST ALONG AND NORTH OF HIGHWAY 34. A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM DEVELOPING THIS EVENING OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS WILL MOVE EAST ALONG THE FRONT...CURRENTLY IN PLACE OVER SOUTHERN IOWA AND NORTHERN ILLINOIS. THERE IS SOME UNCERTAINTY ON THE TRACK OF THE LOW...BUT CURRENT INDICATIONS ARE THAT IT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF IOWA OR SOUTHERN MINNESOTA DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON OR EARLY EVENING HOURS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING AHEAD OF AND JUST SOUTH OF THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL HAVE THE BEST POTENTIAL TO BECOME TORNADIC. THE FLOODING THREAT WILL ALSO PERSIST THROUGH THE DAY WEDNESDAY... SINCE ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF PRODUCING LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. THE ACTIVE WEATHER WILL END WEDNESDAY NIGHT...AS A COOLER AND DRIER AIRMASS SETTLES IN OVER THE REGION. THE NEXT THUNDERSTORM THREAT WILL BE EARLY NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL CONTINUED TO BE NEEDED THROUGH THIS EVENING AND POSSIBLY AGAIN LATE TONIGHT. SPOTTERS...EMERGENCY MANAGERS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS AND THE MEDIA SHOULD MONITOR WEDNESDAY SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL CLOSELY. AS MORE INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE...THE EXTENT OF THE THREAT...ITS TIMING AND LOCATION WILL BE MORE APPARENT. && MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING URL: HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/DVN DLF/12
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...DELAYED REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
411 PM CDT TUE JUL 08 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0910 PM MILTON IA WIND DAMAGE
07/05/03 VAN BUREN REPORTED BY PUBLIC.PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
436 PM CDT TUE JUL 08 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0130 PM BURLINGTON IA WIND DAMAGE
07/08/03 DES MOINES POWER OUT SEVERAL
LOCATIONS. A LOT OF
TREES UPROOTED.
REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
438 PM CDT TUE JUL 08 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0200 PM GULFPORT IL WIND DAMAGE
07/08/03 HENDERSON SEVERAL TREES DOWN ON
U.S. ROUTE 34 FROM
GULFPORT TO GLADSTONE.
REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
445 PM CDT TUE JUL 08 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0200 PM 2 SW KIRKWOOD IL WIND DAMAGE
07/08/03 WARREN SEVERAL TREES DOWN
ALONG U.S. ROUTE 34..
POWER OUTAGES ALSO.
REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.
0200 PM KIRKWOOD IL WIND DAMAGE
07/08/03 WARRENPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
448 PM CDT TUE JUL 08 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0130 PM BURLINGTON IA WIND DAMAGE
07/08/03 DES MOINES SEVERAL TREES UPROOTED
ON THE BURLINGTON GOLF
COURSE AND ALSO IN THE
SUNNYSIDE AVENUE AREA..
REPORTED BY MEDIA.PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
449 PM CDT TUE JUL 08 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0910 PM MILTON IA WIND DAMAGE
07/05/03 VAN BUREN REPORTED BY PUBLIC.
0621 PM ELDRIDGE IA .75 INCH HAIL
07/07/03 SCOTT REPORTED BY OFF-DUTY
NWS EMPLOYEE.
0621 PM ELDRIDGE IA .5 INCH HAIL
07/07/03 SCOTT REPORTED BY OFF-DUTY
NWS EMPLOYEE.
0634 PM PARKVIEW IA .25 INCH HAIL
07/07/03 SCOTT REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
OPERATOR.
0640 PM 4 E ELDRIDGE IA 2 INCH HAIL
07/07/03 SCOTT REPORTED BY OFF-DUTY
NWS EMPLOYEE.
0701 PM DAVENPORT ARPT IA .25 INCH HAIL
07/07/03 SCOTT
0708 PM BETTENDORF IA .5 INCH HAIL
07/07/03 SCOTT REPORTED BY STORM
SPOTTER.
0708 PM DAVENPORT ARPT IA .5 INCH HAIL
07/07/03 SCOTT
0708 PM MUSCATINE IA .88 INCH HAIL
07/07/03 MUSCATINE REPORTED BY STORM
SPOTTER.
0713 PM BETTENDORF IA .5 INCH HAIL
07/07/03 SCOTT REPORTED BY STORM
SPOTTER.
0719 PM ELDRIDGE IA .25 INCH HAIL
07/07/03 SCOTT REPORTED BY STORM
SPOTTER.
0720 PM BETTENDORF IA .5 INCH HAIL
07/07/03 SCOTT
0720 PM BETTENDORF IA .75 INCH HAIL
07/07/03 SCOTT EVENT DURATION 6
MINUTES. REPORTED BY
STORM SPOTTER.
0737 PM ELDRIDGE IA HEAVY RAIN
07/07/03 SCOTT REPORTED BY OFF-DUTY
NWS EMPLOYEE.
0737 PM MORRISON IL .25 INCH HAIL
07/07/03 WHITESIDE REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.
0737 PM 1 S RAPIDS CITY IL .25 INCH HAIL
07/07/03 ROCK ISLAND REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.
0750 PM ATALISSA IA 60 MPH TSTM GUST
07/07/03 MUSCATINE REPORTED BY MEDIA.
0753 PM ELDRIDGE IA .5 INCH HAIL
07/07/03 SCOTT REPORTED BY OFF-DUTY
NWS EMPLOYEE.
0755 PM GENESEO IL 50 MPH TSTM GUST
07/07/03 HENRY REPORTED BY OFF-DUTY
NWS EMPLOYEE.
0800 PM GENESEO IL WIND DAMAGE
07/07/03 HENRY 10 INCH DIAMETER TREE
LIMB DOWN. NUMEROUS 2-3
INCH DIAMETER LIMBS
DOWN. REPORTED BY
OFF-DUTY NWS EMPLOYEE.
0815 PM 7 NW STERLING IL .75 INCH HAIL
07/07/03 WHITESIDE REPORTED BY STORM CHASER.
0815 PM 7 NW STERLING IL 1 INCH HAIL
07/07/03 WHITESIDE REPORTED BY STORM CHASER.
0818 PM LE CLAIR IA HEAVY RAIN
07/07/03 SCOTT 2.1 INCHES OF RAIN
MEASURED AT THE IOWA
WELCOME CENTER.
REPORTED BY STORM
SPOTTER.
0838 PM PLEASANT VLY IA HEAVY RAIN
07/07/03 SCOTT 1.75 INCHES OF RAIN.
REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
OPERATOR.
0845 PM 2 E GALVA IL .25 INCH HAIL
07/07/03 HENRY REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT.
0850 PM KEWANEE IL .75 INCH HAIL
07/07/03 HENRY REPORTED BY STORM
SPOTTER.
0858 PM 12 N GALVA IL .88 INCH HAIL
07/07/03 HENRY REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT.
0914 PM 4 N GALVA IL .88 INCH HAIL
07/07/03 HENRY REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
OPERATOR.
0935 AM PEARL CITY IL HEAVY RAIN
07/08/03 STEPHENSON ESTIMATED 1.5 INCH
RAIN. EDGES OF GRAVEL
ROADS ERODING FROM
PEARL CITY TO ELROY.
DITCHES NEARLY FULL
EAST OF ELROY.
REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT.
1105 AM MUSCATINE IA .5 INCH HAIL
07/08/03 MUSCATINE DIME SIZED HAIL, CLOUD
TO GROUND LIGHTNING,
AND HEAVY RAIN
OCCURING. REPORTED BY
STORM SPOTTER.
1155 AM ROCK IS IL HEAVY RAIN
07/08/03 ROCK ISLAND 1.25 INCHES OF RAIN IN
25 MINUTES. REPORTED
BY STORM SPOTTER.
1220 PM 4 N OSCO IL HEAVY RAIN
07/08/03 HENRY 1.3 INCHES IN THE PAST
30 MINUTES WITH
SUSTAINED HEAVY CLOUD
TO GROUND LIGHTNING.
REPORTED BY STORM
SPOTTER.
1230 PM WHAT CHEER IA HEAVY RAIN
07/08/03 KEOKUK 0.60 INCHES OF RAIN IN
10 MINUTES WITH
MODERATE RAIN
CONTINUING. REPORTED BY
STORM SPOTTER.
1250 PM FREEPORT IL SMALL STREAM FLOODING
07/08/03 STEPHENSON SMALL STREAMS AND
DITCHES ARE FULL OR
OVERFLOWING. REPORTED
BY STORM SPOTTER.
1254 PM 6 S WASHINGTON IA HEAVY RAIN
07/08/03 WASHINGTON 0.65 INCHES OF RAIN IN
THE PAST 10 MINUTES.
REPORTED BY STORM
SPOTTER.
0130 PM BURLINGTON IA WIND DAMAGE
07/08/03 DES MOINES POWER OUT SEVERAL
LOCATIONS. A LOT OF
TREES UPROOTED.
REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.
0130 PM BURLINGTON IA WIND DAMAGE
07/08/03 DES MOINES SEVERAL TREES UPROOTED
ON THE BURLINGTON GOLF
COURSE AND ALSO IN THE
SUNNYSIDE AVENUE AREA..
REPORTED BY MEDIA.
0138 PM MUSCATINE IA .88 INCH HAIL
07/08/03 MUSCATINE REPORTED BY STORM
SPOTTER.
0156 PM 5 NE HAZLETON IA SMALL STREAM FLOODING
07/08/03 BUCHANAN DITCHES AND SMALL
STREAMS FILLING AND
OVERFLOWING. REPORTED
BY STORM SPOTTER.
0200 PM 2 SW KIRKWOOD IL WIND DAMAGE
07/08/03 WARREN SEVERAL TREES DOWN
ALONG U.S. ROUTE 34..
POWER OUTAGES ALSO.
REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.
0200 PM KIRKWOOD IL WIND DAMAGE
07/08/03 WARREN
0200 PM GULFPORT IL WIND DAMAGE
07/08/03 HENDERSON SEVERAL TREES DOWN ON
U.S. ROUTE 34 FROM
GULFPORT TO GLADSTONE.
REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.
0208 PM MEDIAPOLIS IA FLOOD
07/08/03 DES MOINES 2.5 INCHES OF RAIN IN
30 MINUTES. WATER
EVERYWHERE. REPORTED
BY STORM SPOTTER.The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 143 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:17 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Water over IL 96 between Hamilton & Nauvoo
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, July 2003
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: 5369267.