A 500 mb shortwave trough digging southeast toward the Lower Ohio Valley helped initiate clusters of thunderstorms. The clusters of storms consolidated into a large complex that brought heavy rainfall to parts of southern Illinois.
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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 PAH wrote it up.
A 500 mb shortwave trough digging southeast toward the Lower Ohio Valley helped initiate clusters of thunderstorms. The clusters of storms consolidated into a large complex that brought heavy rainfall to parts of southern Illinois.
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 Jul 7, 5:22 PM CST, 1 hour 44 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 622 PM CDT THU JUL 7 2011 .UPDATE... UPDATED THE AVIATION SECTION. && .DISCUSSION... SCATTERED DIURNALLY DRIVEN CONVECTION OVER WKY WILL CONTINUE ITS SLOW EASTWARD DRIFT THRU EARLY EVENING. MEANWHILE...MORE ROBUST MCV RELATED CONVECTION OVER MO LIKEWISE MAKES EASTWARD APPROACH. NAM MODELS WARM SECTOR RELATED CONVECTION OVER SCNTL MO-NE AR TO DIMINISH WITH SUNSET...WHILE DRIVING NCNTL MO MCV RELATED CONVECTION EAST TO MS VALLEY BEFORE DIVING SE ACROSS PAH FA IN PARENT UPPER LEVEL NWLY FLOW. THUS HAVE HIKED POPS UP CONSIDERABLY TONIGHT...THOUGH MAY SCALE BACK PENDING COLLABORATION WITH NEIGHBORING OFFICES THRU PRESS TIME. SWODY1 CONTINUES OUTLOOK OF SLGT RISK FOR WRN 1/2 FA AT THIS WRITING. TOMORROW SHOULD SEE POPS WINDING DOWN WEST TO EAST AS THIS UPPER LEVEL TROF SCOOTS EAST. MODELS SHOW HEIGHTS REBOUNDING IN THE WAKE OF THIS DEPARTING SYSTEM...WITH STRONG RIDGING CREATING A HOTTER AND DRIER FORECAST FROM THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. THE GENERAL ANTICYCLONIC FLOW PATTERN ALOFT SHOULD KEEP SUBSIDENCE MORE OR LESS PREVALENT THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERIC COLUMN THROUGH THE WORKWEEK...DESPITE MODEL FLIRTATIONS WITH A DIRTYING OF THE HIGH BY MID WEEK OR SO. NEVERTHELESS POPS LOOK TO REMAIN 10-20 PERCENT OR LESS...ISOLATED IN NATURE...AND WILL LET COLLAB EFFORTS DICTATE WHEN/WHERE THAT'S INCLUDED. BOTH ECMWF/GFS RESTRENGTHEN THE UPPER LEVEL HIGH FOR NEXT WEEKEND FOR WHAT LOOKS TO BE ANOTHER HOT AND DRY ONE. && .AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH MID EVENING WITH ISOLD CONVECTION POSSIBLE ESPECIALLY KPAH. AFT 03-04Z...INCLUDE SHRA AT THE SITES WITH VCTS FOR NOW...AND WILL ADJUST ACCORDINGLY (GIVEN UNCERTAINTY). LONG TERM OVERVIEW...END PRECIP CHANCES EARLY FRIDAY WITH POTENTIAL MVFR CIGS THROUGH THE MORNING. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KY...NONE. MO...NONE. IL...NONE. IN...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 336 PM CDT THU JUL 7 2011 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-081000- 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- 336 PM CDT THU JUL 7 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY...AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TONIGHT. THIS INCLUDES A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA. THE PRIMARY THREAT IS HEAVY RAIN...BUT IF A SEVERE STORM OCCURS...THE PRIMARY THREAT IS DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A LINGERING FRIDAY MORNING CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS INCLUDES THE LEFTOVER SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE STORMS UPON THEIR DEPARTURE FROM THE AREA BY ABOUT MIDDAY. THE CHANCE OF STORMS THEN LEAVES THE FORECAST UNTIL RE-ENTERING AS A VERY ISOLATED AND MINIMAL CHANCE CONFINED MAINLY TO THE HEAT OF THE DAY ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS SHOULD MAINTAIN ALERT STATUS IN CASE THEIR ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 746 PM CDT THU JUL 7 2011 ILZ075>078-080>094-MOZ076-086-087-080215- JEFFERSON-WAYNE IL-EDWARDS-WABASH-PERRY IL-FRANKLIN-HAMILTON- WHITE-JACKSON-WILLIAMSON-SALINE-GALLATIN-UNION IL-JOHNSON-POPE- HARDIN-ALEXANDER-PULASKI-MASSAC-PERRY MO-BOLLINGER-CAPE GIRARDEAU- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MOUNT VERNON...FAIRFIELD...ALBION... MOUNT CARMEL...PINCKNEYVILLE...WEST FRANKFORT...MCLEANSBORO... CARMI...CARBONDALE...HERRIN...HARRISBURG...SHAWNEETOWN... JONESBORO...VIENNA...GOLCONDA...ELIZABETHTOWN...CAIRO... MOUND CITY...METROPOLIS...PERRYVILLE...MARBLE HILL... CAPE GIRARDEAU 746 PM CDT THU JUL 7 2011 ...HEAVY RAIN PRODUCING STORMS TO AFFECT SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI... AT 740 PM...REGIONAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS SHOWED A CLUSTER OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING SOUTHEAST FROM EAST CENTRAL MISSOURI AND SOUTHWEST ILLINOIS...INTO SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. HEAVY RAINFALL RATES HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE STORMS. SOME STORMS HAVE PRODUCED MORE THAN 2 INCHES OF RAIN IN AN HOUR WITH SOME STORM TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS ON THE ORDER OF 3 INCHES. AS THE STORMS SPREAD ACROSS SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI THIS EVENING...HEAVY RAINFALL RATES WILL BE LIKELY IN SOME AREAS. AN ISOLATED STRONG OR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OR TWO CANNOT BE RULED OUT...BUT THE PRIMARY HAZARD DOES APPEAR TO BE HEAVY RAIN. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA FOR MORE STATEMENTS...AND POSSIBLY ADVISORIES OR WARNINGS. NOLES
The Evansville,IN radar (KVWX), 58 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:06 UTC.
3 flash flood, 2 heavy rain, 1 lightning, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A radio station in Fairfield measured 1.96 inches in one hour. U.S. Highway 45 was flooded near Geff. Water was over some other roads. Thousands of acres of fertile bottomland were taken out of production. The acreage was mostly planted with corn, along with some soybeans.
A co-operative observer measured a 24-hour rainfall total of 3.68 inches.
A trained spotter measured 1.75 inches of rain in 30 minutes.
Illinois Routes 15 and 130 were flooded in the Albion area. Many rural county roads suffered from washouts, especially gravel roads and culverts. A trained spotter in Albion reported a 24-hour rainfall total of 2.78 inches.
A lightning strike took out phone lines, radio consoles, and alarm systems at the county courthouse. The lightning appeared to have surged through the phone lines into the building.
Thunderstorms with torrential rainfall dumped nearly four inches of rain in Carmi. During a 10-minute span, rainfall was 0.73 inches at Carmi. A number of rural roads were washed out. Several hours after the rain ended, one of the washouts caused a major vehicle wreck on County Road 900 north of Norris City. The vehicle was towed from the scene, and a passenger was treated for significant injuries (indirect injury not directly caused by flooding). Portions of roadways were washed out along the Hamilton County line. Entire sections of roadway were washed out, leaving holes more than a foot deep in some places.
There was minor flooding of the Skillet Fork River. Some low-lying fields near the river were underwater. Some corn and soybean acreage was lost.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, July 2011
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: 321921, 318686, 321923, 321922, 323236, 321932, 321955.