Flooding in Illinois, April 1 to 22, 2008

Name: Flooding in Illinois, April 1 to 22, 2008
Start: 2008-04-01T00:00
End: 2008-04-22T13:00
Location: Illinois

April 1 to 22, 2008 · NWS PAH · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 6

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 very stormy weather pattern of March slowly began to change by mid-month. The widespread record-setting rainfall events seen in March were responsible for much of the flooding on the Ohio River in April. Rainfall was still above normal for April, but excessive rainfall was confined to a few locations where storms trained.

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 Mar 31, 1:55 PM CST, 10 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 31, 1:55 PM CST, 10 hours 5 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
255 PM CDT MON MAR 31 2008

.DISCUSSION...
HEAVY RAINFALL POTENTIAL IS THE PRIMARY CONCERN THIS WEEK. THE FIRST
OF TWO HEAVY RAINFALL EVENTS WILL OCCUR TONIGHT. SOUTHERLY 850 MB
JET /AROUND 60 KNOTS/ OVER THE OZARKS WILL SHIFT EASTWARD ACROSS THE
LOWER OHIO VALLEY BY 06Z. WHILE THIS JET WILL PROVIDE TREMENDOUS LOW
LEVEL SHEAR...THE COMPLEX OF STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS OVER WESTERN
MISSOURI WILL OUTRUN THE STRONGEST INSTABILITY THIS EVENING. RISK OF
DAMAGING WINDS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL CONTINUE EAST ACROSS
MISSOURI AND ILLINOIS THIS EVENING...THEN SLOWLY DIMINISH AS THE
STORMS PROGRESS EASTWARD OVERNIGHT. OUTSIDE OF THE STORMS...GRADIENT
WINDS WILL INCREASE THIS EVENING UNDER THE LOW LEVEL JET. GUSTS OF
30 TO 40 MPH ARE LIKELY FOR A TIME.

THE COLD FRONT WILL CROSS SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AND SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
AROUND 06Z...THEN EXIT WESTERN KENTUCKY 12Z TO 15Z TUESDAY. SOME
REDUCTION IN RAINFALL RATES AND STORM INTENSITY WILL OCCUR BY THEN.
IN THE MEANTIME...FLASH FLOOD POTENTIAL WILL EXIST. GREATEST
POTENTIAL FOR FLASH FLOODING WILL BE OVER SE MISSOURI AND SOUTHERN
ILLINOIS...WHERE THE HEAVIEST RAIN OCCURRED OVER THE WEEKEND. USED
HPC QPF GUIDANCE FOR THE FORECAST TONIGHT. THIS GENERALLY SHOWS AN
INCH TO 1.5 INCHES ALONG AND NORTHWEST OF THE OHIO RIVER TONIGHT.
LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS WILL OCCUR GIVEN THE CONVECTIVE NATURE OF THE
RAINFALL.

A MAINLY DRY FORECAST CONTINUES FOR TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. ANY
LINGERING RAIN OVER WESTERN KY AND SOUTHWEST IN WILL END BY 18Z
TUESDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL PASS NORTH OF THE REGION...BRINGING COOL
NORTHEAST FLOW. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL BE NEAR FROST/FREEZE THRESHOLDS
TUESDAY NIGHT.

ANOTHER POTENTIALLY MORE SIGNIFICANT HEAVY RAINFALL AND SEVERE
WEATHER EVENT WILL OCCUR THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT. GFS HAS BEEN
CONSISTENT...AND GENERALLY AGREES WITH HPC GUIDANCE. A VERY MOIST
SUBTROPICAL 500 MB SHORTWAVE WILL TRACK EAST NORTHEAST ACROSS THE
SOUTHERN PLAINS...REACHING THE MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY FRIDAY.
SURFACE LOW PRESSURE WILL TRACK NORTHEAST FROM THE SOUTHERN
PLAINS...FOLLOWING A FRONTAL BOUNDARY THAT WILL BE DRAPED ACROSS THE
LOWER OHIO VALLEY. IN SOME RESPECTS...THIS SCENARIO IS NOT VERY
DIFFERENT THAN THE MARCH 18 EVENT. THE LOW WILL BE FOLLOWING ALONG A
NEARLY STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY. 12Z GFS QPF FOR THIS EVENT
RANGES FROM 4 TO 5 INCHES ACROSS THE NORTHERN TWO THIRDS OF THE
FORECAST AREA...WHILE 12Z ECMWF IS 3 TO 4 INCHES. IN ANY CASE...THE
HEAVY RAINFALL POTENTIAL BEARS VERY CLOSE WATCHING. VERY MOIST PW
VALUES FROM 1.5 TO 2 INCHES AND A STRONG LOW LEVEL JET FAVOR HEAVY
RAINFALL. SINCE THE EVENT IS STILL 4 TO 5 DAYS AWAY...MODELS ARE
LIKELY TO CHANGE IN THE DETAILS OF THE QPF. OFFICIAL FORECAST WILL
RAISE POPS INTO THE CATEGORICAL RANGE...RAISE QPF TO AROUND 2 INCHES
FOR THE EVENT...AND MENTION HEAVY RAINFALL.

A DRYING OUT PERIOD IS EXPECTED NEXT WEEKEND. MODELS HAVE BEEN
CONSISTENT REGARDING A SECONDARY SHORTWAVE ROTATING EAST OR
SOUTHEAST BEHIND THE LEAD SHORTWAVE. HOWEVER...SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE
WILL MITIGATE MOST OF THE PRECIP POTENTIAL WITH THIS SYSTEM. MODELS
VARY GREATLY WITH RESPECT TO THE TRACK OF THIS WEAK SHORTWAVE. BASED
ON ALL OF THIS...FORECAST WILL BE KEPT DRY BEYOND FRIDAY NIGHT.

&&

.AVIATION...
WARM SECTOR SHOWERS WERE BUBBLING IN THE HEAT OF THE AFTERNOON AND
WILL CONTINUE TO BE A THREAT...ESP TO CGI...THRU 00Z. OTHERWISE
WIDESPREAD MVFR CIGS WL VARY TO OCNL VFR BUT DIURNAL HEATING WL KEEP
MVFR CIGS THE RULE. LOWER CIGS/VSBYS ARE FORECAST THIS EVENING BY
03Z WEST AND TRANSLATING THRU 09Z EAST AS FROPA/HEAVY CONVECTION
OCCURS. STRONG/GUSTY SLYS WL PREVAIL TIL FROPA...W/GUSTY W-NWLYS
TOWARD THE END OF THE PERIOD. ANTICIPATE LINGERING MVFR CIGS THRU
THE LAST 6 HR PLANNING PERIOD WITH LOW PROB OF A LINGERING -SHRA
MAINLY CGI/PAH.

&&

.PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
KY...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM MONDAY EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING
     FOR BALLARD-CALDWELL-CALLOWAY-CARLISLE-CHRISTIAN-CRITTENDEN-
     DAVIESS-FULTON-GRAVES-HENDERSON-HICKMAN-HOPKINS-LIVINGSTON-
     LYON-MARSHALL-MCCRACKEN-MCLEAN-MUHLENBERG-TODD-TRIGG-UNION
     KY-WEBSTER.

MO...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM MONDAY EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING
     FOR BOLLINGER-BUTLER-CAPE GIRARDEAU-CARTER-MISSISSIPPI-NEW
     MADRID-PERRY MO-RIPLEY-SCOTT-STODDARD-WAYNE MO.

IL...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM MONDAY EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING
     FOR ALEXANDER-EDWARDS-FRANKLIN-GALLATIN-HAMILTON-HARDIN-
     JACKSON-JEFFERSON-JOHNSON-MASSAC-PERRY IL-POPE-PULASKI-
     SALINE-UNION IL-WABASH-WAYNE IL-WHITE-WILLIAMSON.

IN...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM MONDAY EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING
     FOR GIBSON-PIKE-POSEY-SPENCER-VANDERBURGH-WARRICK.

&&

PUBLIC...MY
AVIATION...DH

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 31, 11:50 PM CST, 10 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1250 AM CDT TUE APR 1 2008

ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087-
100-107>112-114-011000-
JEFFERSON-WAYNE IL-EDWARDS-WABASH-PERRY IL-FRANKLIN-HAMILTON-
WHITE-JACKSON-WILLIAMSON-SALINE-GALLATIN-UNION IL-JOHNSON-POPE-
HARDIN-ALEXANDER-PULASKI-MASSAC-GIBSON-PIKE-POSEY-VANDERBURGH-
WARRICK-SPENCER-FULTON-HICKMAN-CARLISLE-BALLARD-MCCRACKEN-GRAVES-
LIVINGSTON-MARSHALL-CALLOWAY-CRITTENDEN-LYON-TRIGG-CALDWELL-
UNION KY-WEBSTER-HOPKINS-CHRISTIAN-HENDERSON-DAVIESS-MCLEAN-
MUHLENBERG-TODD-PERRY MO-BOLLINGER-CAPE GIRARDEAU-WAYNE MO-CARTER-
RIPLEY-BUTLER-STODDARD-SCOTT-MISSISSIPPI-NEW MADRID-
1250 AM CDT TUE APR 1 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN
ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST
MISSOURI.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

NO SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE NIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST AGAIN THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. SOME
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT.
IN ADDITION...HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE A MAJOR CONCERN. SIGNIFICANT
FLOODING PROBLEMS MAY ARISE LATER THIS WEEK.

FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ON MANY AREA RIVERS THROUGH THE WEEK. THE
ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINS MAY LEAD TO PROLONGED FLOODING OR A SECONDARY
RISE IN RIVER LEVELS. REFER TO THE LATEST FLOOD STATEMENTS AND
WARNINGS FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUESTED THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Alexander

When: April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 22, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Alexander County, 2.67 mi ESE of Cairo to 1.29 mi ESE of Cairo
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 36.985, -89.135

Moderate flooding of the Ohio River occurred at Cairo. The river remained above flood stage from early March through late April. The crest in April was 52.78 feet on the 15th. Flood stage at Cairo is 40 feet. The first floodgate was closed at Cairo. Many low-lying areas outside the city of Cairo were flooded, primarily farm fields. Fort Defiance State Park was mostly underwater.

Flood, Pulaski

When: April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 22, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Pulaski County, Olmsted to 0.88 mi SSE of Olmsted
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 37.180, -89.080

Major flooding of the Ohio River occurred. The river remained above flood stage from early March through late April. On the Grand Chain gage, the crest in April was 53.20 feet on the 12th. Flood stage at Grand Chain is 42 feet. Water reached the power house at Lock and Dam 53. Many low-lying areas were flooded, primarily farm fields. Crop damage was still negligible, since the flooding started before planting season.

Flood, Massac

When: April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 21, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Massac County, 0.42 mi WSW of Metropolis to 0.98 mi SW of Metropolis
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 37.148, -88.737

Minor flooding of the Ohio River occurred at Brookport and Metropolis. The river remained above flood stage from early March through late April. The crest in April was 47.40 feet on the 11th. Flood stage at Brookport is 37 feet. Fort Massac State Park was partially underwater. Due to long-term deterioration of the Brookport floodwall and levee system, a network of pumps was manned 24 hours per day to keep the town dry.

Flood, Pope

When: April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 17, 7:00 PM CST
Where: Pope County, Golconda to 2.3 mi SE of Golconda
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 37.370, -88.480

Minor flooding of the Ohio River occurred at Golconda. The river remained above flood stage from mid March through mid April. The crest in April was 46.82 feet on the 11th. Flood stage at Golconda is 40 feet. Many low-lying areas were flooded, primarily farm fields and woodlands.

Flood, Hardin

When: April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 17, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Hardin County, Rosiclare to 1.37 mi SE of Rosiclare
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 37.420, -88.350

Minor flooding of the Ohio River occurred. The river remained above flood stage from mid March through mid April. On the Golconda gage in Pope County, the crest in April was 46.82 feet on the 11th. Flood stage at Golconda is 40 feet. Floodwaters approached Rosiclare. Many low-lying areas were flooded, primarily farm fields and woodlands. The ferry from Cave-In-Rock to Crittenden County, KY was shut down due to the flooding.

Flood, Gallatin

When: April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 18, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Gallatin County, Shawneetown to 2.21 mi SE of Shawneetown
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 37.700, -88.130

Moderate flooding of the Ohio River occurred at Shawneetown. The river remained above flood stage from early March through mid April. The crest in April was 44.90 feet on the 11th. Flood stage at Shawneetown is 33 feet. Many low-lying areas were flooded, primarily farm fields and woodlands. Several county roads were closed.

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

Every storm in Illinois in 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history Warnings in Illinois, April 2008

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: 88981, 88987, 88991, 88994, 88995, 88999.