Several rounds of heavy rains over the course of a week resulted in some river sites to not only reach their respective flood stage, but surpass the Major Flood stage level.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
Several rounds of heavy rains over the course of a week resulted in some river sites to not only reach their respective flood stage, but surpass the Major Flood stage level.
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 Aug 28, 2:35 AM CST, 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 335 AM CDT TUE AUG 28 2007 .SYNOPSIS... LOW AMPLITUDE WESTERLY MID LEVEL FLOW WAS OVER THE NORTHERN THIRD OF THE U.S. THIS MORNING. A BROAD H5 TROF WAS SITTING OVER THE NRN ROCKIES AT 00Z WITH SEVERAL WEAK IMPULSES EMBEDDED IN THE WSW FLOW AHD OF THE TROF. THERE WAS A GOOD FEED OF GULF MOISTURE THROUGH THE SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL PLAINS INTO THE UPPER MID WEST AT 00Z. A LARGE SWATH OF 14C TO 16C H8 DEWPOINTS COVERED THIS AREA WITH DEWPOINTS AS HIGH AS 18C POOLED JUST NORTH OF THE H8 WARM FRONT OVER SOUTH DAKOTA AND NW IA. THE SURFACE COLD FRONT AT 06Z EXTENDED FROM WREN NE THROUGH SW SD AND CONTROL MN INTO RN WI. A BAND OF POST FRONTAL SHARA/TSRA WAS LOCATED JUST NW OF THE SURFACE FRONT. && .SHORT TERM...TODAY AND TONIGHT... PRECIPITATION TRENDS ASSOCIATED WITH APPROACHING COLD FRONT WILL BE THE MAIN CONCERN TODAY. A QUICK LOOK AT THE 00Z MODEL INITIALIZATION DID NOT TURN UP AND SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES. THE GFS/NAM WERE TOO FAR NW WITH THE POST FRONTAL PCPN BETWEEN 00Z AND 06Z. IT LOOKED LIKE THE NGM HAD THE BETTER HANDLE ON THE LOCATION OF THE QPF. HOWEVER..BY 29/00Z ALL THREE MODELS WERE CLOSE ON THE PLACEMENT OF THE POST FRONTAL PCPN. THE FRONT IS PROGGED TO REACH THE NW CORNER OF THE CWA BY LATE AFTERNOON OR EARLY EVENING. ITS PROGRESS TO THE SE OVERNIGHT SHOULD SLOW/STALL AS A SURFACE WAVE MOVES ALONG THE BOUNDARY. THE MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW A WELL CAPPED ENVIRONMENT AHEAD OF THE SURFACE BOUNDARY...SO MUCH OF THE CWA WILL REMAIN DRY TILL LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR THIS EVENING. THE H8 THERMAL RIDGE CROSSES THE CWA THIS AFTERNOON WITH TEMPS OF 21C TO 24C. THERE SHOULD BE ENUF MIXING THIS AFTERNOON TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE WARM TEMPS AND SEND HIGHS INTO THE LOW TO MID 90S. THE EXCEPTION MAY BE THE NW WHERE THE PRESSURE GRADIENT NEAR THE BOUNDARY WILL BE WEAK...LIMITING MIXING. ALSO THIS AREA WILL SEE THICKER CLOUD COVER THAN THE REST OF THE AREA. SO KEPT TEMPS IN THE NW IN THE UPPER 80S. THE FCST TEMPS WILL BE AT OR CLOSE TO RECORD HIGHS FOR THE REST OF THE AREA. KEPT POPS IN THE SLIGHT CHANCE CATEGORY FOR THE NW CORNER LATE THIS AFTERNOON THINKING THE BETTER CHANCE FOR RAIN WILL BE DURING THE LATE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT AS THE FRONT STALLS NEAR THE MS RIVER AND THE SURFACE WAVE MOVES ALONG THE BOUNDARY. KEPT LIKELY POPS IN THE NORTHWEST THIRD...WITH CHANCE/SLIGHT CHANCE CENTRAL AND A DRY FCST IN THE SE THIRD OVERNIGHT. QPF AMOUNTS SHOULD NOT BE EXCESSIVE TONIGHT DESPITE THE HIGH LOW LEVEL MOISTURE. THE BETTER 925/850 CONVERGENCE WILL STAY NW OF THE CWA...PLUS FCST SOUNDING SHOW DRY MID LEVELS WELL INTO THE NIGHT OVER THE NW WHICH WOULD HELP LIMIT RAINFALL AMOUNTS. SPC HAS PULLED THE SEVERE THREAT BACK TO THE NW...BUT THE SLIGHT RISK AREA STILL BRUSHES THE 3 NWRN COUNTIES WITH THE RISK MAINLY DURING THE EVENING HOURS. ...DLF... .LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY... COLD FRONT AND POST FRONTAL PRECIPITATION WED GIVES WAY TO HIGH PRESSURE...COOLER TEMPERATURES...AND LOWER HUMIDITY FOR LATE WEEK. SHORT TERM MODELS IN DECENT AGREEMENT WITH SURFACE FRONT ALONG OR JUST SE OF MS RIVER AT 12Z. 850 MB FRONT AND BAROCLINIC RIBBON LAGS BACK IN N CENTRAL AND NW IA SLIDES SE IN WAKE OF STRONG H5 SHORTWAVE TROUGH PUSHING THROUGH WED MORNING. PLACED HIGHEST CHANCE POPS OVER EAST CENTRAL IA IN THE MORNING FOR DISSIPATING CONVECTION WITH THE PASSING SHORTWAVE...THEN CHANCE TO SLIGHT CHANCE POPS MAINTAINED ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST IN THE AFTERNOON WHERE WEAK CONVERGENCE ASSOCIATED WITH INVERTED TROUGH TO SE MAY BE ENOUGH TO SQUEEZE OUT SHOWERS. KEPT HIGHS AT LOW END OF GUIDANCE...IN MID 70S NORTH TO MID 80S SOUTH. THIS MAY BE TOO WARM IN THE SOUTH IF THE FRONT AND POST FRONTAL CLOUD COVER TRENDS A BIT FASTER. WED NIGHT...MAY SEE LINGERING LIGHT SHOWERS IN FAR SOUTH IN EVENING...OTHERWISE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING SOUTH INTO MN AND ENSUING ADVECTION OF COOLER DRIER AIRMASS WILL BRING CLEARING TO NORTH OVERNIGHT AND HAVE LOWS DIPPING INTO 50S THERE. LOW LEVEL RH PROGS SUGGEST CLOUDS MAY LINGER IN SOUTH TO HOLD LOWS IN LOWER 60S. THU THROUGH SAT SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE SLIDES OVER REGION INTO GREAT LAKES AS H5 RIDGE BUILDS OVER ROCKIES. THIS WILL PROVIDE PERIOD OF DRY WEATHER WITH HIGHS NEAR TO BELOW CLIMO. 00Z MODELS CONTINUE TO FLATTEN THE RIDGE WITH MORE ZONAL FLOW OVERHEAD SUN INTO MON SUPPORTING SLIGHT WARMING TREND AS LEE TROUGHING INDUCES RETURN FLOW. NO CHANGES MADE BEYOND SATURDAY. ..SHEETS.. && .AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH MOST OF THE CST PD. A COLD FRONT WILL STALL NEAR A DBQ-FOFL LINE BY 06Z AND REMAIN THERE THROUGH 29/12Z. VFR CONDITIONS WILL BE MAINTAINED ALONG AND SE OF THE FRONT AT KMLI AND KBRL OVERNIGHT. SHARA/TSRA OCCURRING BEHIND THE COLD FRONT MAY LOWER CONDITIONS TO MVFR AND POSSIBLY IFR AT TIMES AT KCID AFTER 00Z AND DBQ AFT 06Z. && .HYDROLOGY... MAJOR FLOODING CONTINUES ON LOWER PORTION OF THE ROCK RIVER...WITH LATEST HYDROGRAPHS INDICATING SLOW CRESTING OCCURING AT BOTH JOSLIN AND MOLINE. MOST OTHER TRIBUTARIES IN IA AND IL HAVE CRESTED ALONG AND NORTH OF HIGHWAY 30...WHILE LOCATIONS TO THE SOUTH WILL LIKELY CREST WITHIN THE NEXT 2 DAYS. ON THE MS RIVER...CREST CONTINUES TO MOVE SOUTH...WITH STAGES ABOVE ACTION OR INTO MINOR FLOODING FROM ROCK ISLAND SOUTHWARD. FORECAST IS FOR MOST SITES TO DROP BELOW ACTION STAGE DURING FIRST WEEK OF SEPTEMBER. WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY WED WILL PROVIDE MORE RUNNOFF INTO THE UPPER PORTIONS OF THE IOWA TRIBUTARIES. CURRENT INDICATIONS SUGGEST POTENTIAL FOR WIDESPREAD HALF TO 1 INCH AMOUNTS OVER CENTRAL AND NORTHERN IA...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. THIS IS NOT EXPECTED TO CAUSE FURTHER FLOODING DOWNSTREAM INTO THE LOWER REACHES IN EASTERN AND SE IA...BUT MAY SLOW THE RATE OF THE RECEDING STAGES AND PROLONG THE HIGH WATER LEVELS. ..SHEETS.. && .DVN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IA...NONE. IL...NONE. MO...NONE. && DLF/SHEETS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 330 PM CDT MON AUG 27 2007 IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007- 009-015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-281000- BUCHANAN-DELAWARE-DUBUQUE-BENTON-LINN-JONES-JACKSON-IOWA-JOHNSON- CEDAR-CLINTON-MUSCATINE-SCOTT-KEOKUK-WASHINGTON-LOUISA-JEFFERSON- HENRY IA-DES MOINES-VAN BUREN-LEE-JO DAVIESS-STEPHENSON-CARROLL- WHITESIDE-ROCK ISLAND-HENRY IL-BUREAU-PUTNAM-MERCER-HENDERSON- WARREN-HANCOCK-MCDONOUGH-SCOTLAND-CLARK- 330 PM CDT MON AUG 27 2007 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS...NORTHWEST ILLINOIS...WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...EAST CENTRAL IOWA...NORTHEAST IOWA...SOUTHEAST IOWA AND NORTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THERE IS LOW CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS LATE TONIGHT MAINLY NORTH OF HIGHWAY 30. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED WITH THESE STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY EVENING ROUGHLY ALONG AND NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM CEDAR RAPIDS...TO DUBUQUE. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BE OCCURRING ALONG A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT AS IT ENTERS EAST CENTRAL IOWA AND NORTHWEST ILLINOIS TUESDAY EVENING. THE TIMING OF THE FRONT WILL ALLOW THE THUNDERSTORMS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF VERY UNSTABLE AIR OVER EASTERN IOWA AND NORTHERN ILLINOIS...CAUSING SOME OF THE STORMS TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS. THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER SHOULD DIMINISH BY LATE EVENING. MODERATE TO MAJOR FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ON THE ROCK RIVER FROM COMO TO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER THROUGH TUESDAY. MINOR TO MODERATE FLOODING WILL OCCUR EARLY THIS WEEK ON PARTS OF THE WAPSIPINICON...CEDAR...IOWA AND PECATONICA RIVERS. THE RAINFALL EXPECTED OVER THE AREA TUESDAY NIGHT AND EARLY WEDNESDAY IS NOT EXPECTED TO CAUSE ANY ADDITIONAL FLOODING. THE RAIN WILL PROLONG THE HIGH WATER LEVELS...ESPECIALLY ON THE EASTERN IOWA TRIBUTARIES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TONIGHT.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
The Rock River level at Joslin was in flood during this period. It crested at 17.11 feet on the evening of the 28th.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, August 2007
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: 58622.