6 flood, 6 funnel cloud, 5 thunderstorm wind, 2 heavy rain, 2 flash flood, 2 lightning, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 18 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 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 Chicago, IL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 27, 11:50 AM CST, 1 hour 10 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL 1250 PM CDT THU JUL 27 2006 .EARLY MORNING UPDATE... HAVE UPDATED FORECAST TO INCLUDE A DENSE FOG ADVISORY THROUGH 13Z FOR WINNEBAGO...BOONE...OGLE...LEE...AND DEKALB COUNTIES IN NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS. VSBYS OF A QUARTER MILE OR LESS HAVE BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD ACROSS THIS AREA OVER THE PAST HOUR. VSBYS SHOULD BEGIN TO IMPROVE AFTER 7 AM. && .DISCUSSION FOR MORNING ZONES GRIDS... 505 AM CDT MAIN ISSUES FOR THIS FORECAST WILL CENTER ON PRECIP CHANCES TODAY INTO THIS EVENING...AND THEN AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS HEAT/HUMIDITY BUILDING IN FOR THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. IN THE NEAR TERM...FOG HAS DEVELOPED OVERNIGHT ESPECIALLY ACROSS NWRN PORTIONS WHERE CLEARING HAD TAKEN PLACE AND IN LOCATIONS WHICH RECEIVED THE BULK OF THE RAINFALL EARLIER THIS MORNING. SHORT WAVE TROUGH EXTENDING FROM WESTERN IOWA INTO SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN HAS AIDED IN ISOLD TSRA FROM NORTHEAST IOWA INTO SOUTHERN WISCONSIN THIS MORNING. THIS ZONE IS ALSO WHERE WEAK LOW LEVEL FRONT HAS STALLED OUT. HIGH CLOUDS ARE NOW DRIFTING BACK INTO NORTHERN ILLINOIS DOWNSTREAM OF THESE SHOWERS WHICH MAY KEEP VSBYS UP A LITTLE. WILL MAINTAIN MENTION OF DENSE FOG EARLY THIS MORNING...ESPECIALLY IN THE NORTHWEST BUT AT THIS TIME AM NOT PLANNING ANY ADVISORY. FURTHER TO THE SOUTH...SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ACROSS WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS IN VICINITY OF WEAK BOUNDARY EXTENDING FROM NORTHERN MISSOURI INTO WEST CENTRAL INDIANA. WEAK ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE IN ASSOCIATION WITH THIS BOUNDARY ALSO SEEMS TO BE CONTRIBUTING TO THESE SHOWERS...AND PROFILER DATA ALSO INDICATING THAT ANOTHER SHORT WAVE TROUGH IS MOVING ACROSS WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS THIS MORNING. SHORT WAVE TROUGH ACROSS IOWA WILL TRACK INTO EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS THIS AFTERNOON WITH ANOTHER VORT MAX ON ITS HEELS ACROSS WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA. FORECAST SOUNDINGS THIS AFTERNOON ARE DEPICTING MIXED LAYER CAPES ON THE ORDER OF 2000 J/KG BUT SHEAR PROFILES ARE MARGINAL. SPC HAS PLACED APPROX SOUTHERN HALF OF CWA IN SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE TODAY. GIVEN EXPECTED TRACK OF THESE SHORT WAVES TODAY...BETTER FORCING DOES APPEAR TO BE SETTING UP ACROSS THE SOUTH AND GRADIENT POPS REFLECT THIS FROM TODAY INTO THIS EVENING. WILL MAINTAIN CHANCE POPS INTO THIS EVENING WITH MID/UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AXIS MOVING ACROSS THE AREA. NOT COMPLETELY OUT OF THE QUESTION TO SEE FOG AGAIN TONIGHT GIVEN STAGNANT MOIST LOW LEVELS AND WEAK FLOW BUT EXTENT OF CLOUD COVER ASSOCIATED WITH PASSING TROUGH MAY LIMIT RADIATIONAL COOLING SO WILL NOT INSERT FOR NOW. TEMPS SHOULD BE A FEW DEGREES WARMER FOR FRIDAY AS UPPER RIDGE BEGINS TO BUILD INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS. DESPITE SOME SLIGHT MID LEVEL WARMING...STILL SOME DECENT INSTABILITY NOTED IN FORECAST SOUNDINGS ON FRIDAY WITH GOOD LOW LEVEL MOISTURE LINGERING BUT FOCUSING MECHANISM IS HARDER TO RESOLVE ON FRIDAY. CANNOT RULE OUT ISOLD ACTIVITY TOMORROW AFTERNOON BUT GIVEN FORCING QUESTIONS WILL KEEP FRIDAY DRY. ATTENTION THEN TURNS TO CONTINUED EASTWARD PROGRESSION OF UPPER RIDGE AND WARMING TEMPS INTO THE WEEKEND. MODELS CONTINUE TO PAINT A CONSISTENT PICTURE REGARDING LOW LEVEL THERMAL PROGS DURING THIS PERIOD. NUDGED DEW PTS UP A SHADE INTO THE WEEKEND...WITH SOME LOWER 70 DEW PTS POSSIBLE. WITH FORECAST HIGHS IN MID 90S SAT-MON AND SFC DEW PTS IN LOWER 70S OR POSSIBLY EVEN MID 70S GIVEN TIME OF YEAR AND ACTIVE EVAPOTRANSPIRATION...PEAK AFTERNOON HEAT INDICES SHOULD TOP OUT IN THE 100-105 DEGREE RANGE THROUGH THIS PERIOD. IT APPEARS LOW LEVEL SOUTHWESTERLIES SHOULD BE STRONG ENOUGH TO SUPPRESS LAKE BREEZE SATURDAY...BUT SOME UNCERTAINTY STILL EXISTS HERE. FORECASTED CONDITIONS DO MEET CRITERIA FOR AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH FOR CHICAGO/COOK COUNTY...BUT GIVEN STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY IN SFC DEW PTS AND POSSIBLE ONSET TIME OF MEETING EXCESSIVE HEAT CRITERIA...WILL HOLD OFF ON ANY HEADLINES FOR NOW. NDM && .AVIATION DISCUSSION CONCERNING 18Z TAFS... SOUTHERN TAFS REMAIN UNDER ST/SC RESULTING FROM OVERNIGHT FG. NORTHERN ONLY RECENTLY BEGINNING TO BREAK OPEN. CONERN WITH THIS IS CHANCE FOR TSTM DEVELOPMENT THIS AFTERNOON. WITH WEAK UPPER SUPPORT DELAY IN DIURNAL HEATING MAY WELL BE LIMITING FACTOR IN DEVELOPMENT IN NORTHERN IL THIS AFTERNOON. ALTHOUGH THIS DOES NOT RULE OUT ADVECTION PARTICULALY FROM STORMS NOW DEVELOPING OVER CENTRAL IL, POINT CHANCE FOR PRECIP AT THIS TIME TOO DIFFICULT TO STATE WITH ANY CERTAINTY. HAVE CHOSEN TO CONTINUE DRY FORECAST WITH UNDERSTANDING THAT IF THERE IS DEVELOPMENT BEST CHANCES WOULD BE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING. ONCE SC BREAKUP IS COMPLETE ONLY EXPECT DEBRIS FROM SURROUNDING STORMS IN TERMS OF CLOUD COVER UNTIL OVERNIGHT. WITH HIGH DEWPOINT AIRMASS REMAINING OVER AREA WOULD EXPECT BR/FG DEVELOPMENT AGAIN TONIGHT WITH ATTENDANT LOWERING OF CIGS. BEGIN THE PROCESS OF LOWERING VSBYS ABY MIDNIGHT WITH CIGS BEGINNING TO DEVELOP BY 09Z. LOWEST CIGS/VSBYS EXPECT AROUND SR. REMAINDER OF TAF PERIOD DEVELOPS MUCH LIKE TODAY WITH DISSIPATION OF SC/BR THROUGH LATE MORNING. WINDS TO REMAIND LIGTH -- AROUND 5KTS. THOUGH HAVE INDICATED VRB WEAK GRADIENT SUGGESTS SOUTHWEST AS PREFERRED DIRECTION. GIVEN THAT, SEE WIDE VARIATION IN OBSERVED DIRECTIONS. MAIN POINT IS THAT SPEEDS REAMIN LIGHT. && .LOT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... .IL...NONE. .IN...NONE. .LM...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL 1030 AM CDT THU JUL 27 2006 ILZ003>006-008-010>014-019>022-023-032-033-039-INZ001-002-010-011- 019-280930- WINNEBAGO-BOONE-MCHENRY-LAKE IL-OGLE-LEE-DE KALB-KANE-DU PAGE-COOK- LA SALLE-KENDALL-GRUNDY-WILL-KANKAKEE-LIVINGSTON-IROQUOIS-FORD- LAKE IN-PORTER-NEWTON-JASPER-BENTON- 1030 AM CDT THU JUL 27 2006 THIS PORTION OF THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST ILLINOIS...AND NORTHWEST INDIANA. .DAY ONE... TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA TODAY AND THIS EVENING. THE MAIN THREATS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS WILL AFFECT THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK AREA FROM SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. HIGH TEMPERATURES THROUGH THIS PERIOD WILL BE IN THE MID 90S. THE COMBINATION OF THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL PRODUCE PEAK AFTERNOON HEAT INDICES OF 100 OR SLIGHTLY HIGHER FROM SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY...AND POSSIBLY INTO TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. && COMPLETE FORECAST INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE NWS CHICAGO WEBPAGE: WEATHER.GOV/CHICAGO (LOWER CASE) LMZ740>745-766-280930- WINTHROP HARBOR IL TO MICHIGAN CITY IN- LAKE MICHIGAN- 1030 AM CDT THU JUL 27 2006 THIS PORTION OF THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE ILLINOIS AND INDIANA WATERS OF LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE... TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. THE MAIN THREATS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE PROBABILITY OF WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. && COMPLETE FORECAST INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE NWS CHICAGO WEBPAGE: WEATHER.GOV/CHICAGO (LOWER CASE)
The Chicago radar (KLOT), 94 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:01 UTC.
6 flood, 6 funnel cloud, 5 thunderstorm wind, 2 heavy rain, 2 flash flood, 2 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Two miles of high tension power lines and 31 utility poles were blown down along Interstate 57 near mile marker 284. Interstate 57 was closed for several hours. Corn fields were also flattened.
Route 47 on the north side of Morris had 4 to 5 inches of water covering the road.
A funnel cloud was reported near Route 52 and Ridge Road.
A funnel cloud was reported near Route 52 and County Line Road.
A funnel cloud was reported near Houlbolt and Jefferson Roads.
Eight inches of water covering Route 171, south of Division.
A funnel cloud was reported near Route 6 and Larkin Avenue.
A tree fell onto a garage at a church.
A one foot diameter tree was blown down near Farrell Street and Route 7. Tree limbs also blown down.
A funnel cloud was reported near Archer and New Avenue.
A funnel cloud was reported near 179th and Lagrange Road.
1.88 inches of rain fell in 45 minutes on the north side of Joliet near Larkin and Theodore.
One foot of standing water reported at Route 21 and Maple Avenue.
Eight to nine inches of water at Route 83 and Cicero Avenue.
Major flooding affected the city of Joliet during the afternoon and evening hours of July 27th. Torrential Rains fell across parts of the city with 5.50 inches falling in just 90 minutes between 4 pm and 530 pm near Black Road and Infantry Drive. Storm total rainfall of 6.13 inches was reported on the west side of Joliet. Approximately 30 homes and businesses suffered basement flooding. Center Street Ramps to Interstate 80 were closed with four feet of standing water. Cars were stranded in 4 to 5 feet of water under the viaduct on Route 30 east of Briggs Street. Pavement buckled under the force of the flood waters at Western and Cass Avenues. Raynor and Ingallis were closed with 12 to 16 inches of water. The intersection of Larkin and Jefferson closed with 2 to 3 feet of water. Springfield and Glenwood Streets had 10 to 12 inches of water. Numerous other locations reported less significant flooding.
A house fire was started by a lightning strike on Field Drive.
1.70 inches of rain fell in 50 minutes.
The Streets and Sanitation Department reported 92 damaged trees across southern parts of the City of Chicago as well as 56 traffic signals that were out.
Lightning struck a house on Forrest Dale Road.
Cars had to be pushed out of deep standing flood waters.
Six inches of standing water on Gouger Road south of Route 30.
Road closed at 14 Skokie Valley Road because of high water.
One healthy 12 inch diameter tree snapped off at the base, one quarter mile west of Dwight and Southmor Roads. Two 8 inch diameter tree limbs also blown down.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, July 2006
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: 5519299, 5519300, 5519301, 5519302, 5519303, 5519304, 5519305, 5519306, 5519307, 5519308, 5519369, 5519370, 5519371, 5519372, 5519373, 5519374, 5519375, 5519381, 5519376, 5519378, 5519377, 5519379, 5519380.