An upper level high that was over the region during early June retrograded west during the middle of the month. This allowed for disturbances in the northwest flow aloft to bring multiple rounds of precipitation.
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 PAH wrote it up.
An upper level high that was over the region during early June retrograded west during the middle of the month. This allowed for disturbances in the northwest flow aloft to bring multiple rounds of precipitation. Showers and thunderstorms during this time were slow-moving and capable of torrential downpours. Rainfall ranged from two to almost five inches in many locations. Another series of mesoscale convective systems late in the month produced one to three inches with locally higher amounts. Rivers rose back above flood stage in response to the rainfall.
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 Jun 23, 12:40 AM CST, 2 hours 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 140 AM CDT THU JUN 23 2011 .DISCUSSION... COLD FRONT WORKING THRU ERN FA HAS SOME ASSOCIATED CONVECTION MAKING ITS WAY THRU FEW REMAINING COUNTIES ATTM. AFTERWARDS DRIER AIR WILL BE WORKING ITS WAY DOWN THE COLUMN IN THE WAKE OF THE DEPARTING FRONT AND SHOULD BRING 24-48 HOURS OF RESPITE FROM STORM CHANCES AS BOUNDARY LAYS OUT TO THE SOUTH OF THE AREA. THIS BOUNDARY RETURNS AS A WARM FRONT FRIDAY NIGHT AND WITH IT AN ASSOCIATED (ELEVATED) CHANCE OF CONVECTION AGAIN. CONTINUED WARM SECTOR/MAINLY ELEVATED CHANCES LINGER INTO THE WEEKEND...BUT RISING HEIGHTS FROM SCNTL U.S. RIDGING WILL WORK INTO FA FROM THE SOUTHWEST...EFFECTIVELY WARMING/CAPPING THE ATMOSPHERE AND SHUNTING PCPN CHANCES MORE TO THE NORTH AND EAST (AWAY FROM THE RIDGE)...THOUGH THIS STILL MAY AFFECT PORTIONS OF OUR FA. WILL LET COLLABORATION RULE THE FINAL DECISION ON WHERE TO PAINT THE DRY VS PCPN CHANCE AREA. IT LOOKS LIKE SUN NIGHT INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK COULD SEE THE DRY WEATHER PERIOD THOUGH THIS IS GETTING INTO THE EXTENDED PORTION OF THE PACKAGE AND MAY NEED TO WAIT ANOTHER RUN BEFORE A FINAL MOD THAT DIRECTION. SLIGHTLY COOLER/DRIER AIR TEMPS/TDS WILL EXIST INTO THE WEEKEND THEN RECOVER BACK TO MORE WARMTH/HUMIDITY AS THE WARM FRONT RETURNS. && .AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. DRY SWRLY SFC WINDS WILL TURN MORE WESTERLY AND GUST AGAIN TO AROUND 20 KNOTS DURING THE DAYTIME. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KY...NONE. MO...NONE. IL...NONE. IN...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 326 AM CDT THU JUN 23 2011 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-241000- 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- 326 AM CDT THU JUN 23 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY...AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A SMALL CHANCE OF STORMS EXISTS ALMOST DAILY FROM FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH NEXT WEEK. WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Minor flooding of the Big Muddy River inundated low-lying fields, woods, and parts of a park.
Minor flooding of the Ohio River inundated some low-lying fields, parks, and river access roads.
Minor flooding of the Little Wabash River inundated low-lying woods and fields.
Minor flooding of the Big Muddy River inundated low-lying fields and woodlands.
Minor flooding of the Wabash River inundated some low-lying woods and fields. A few local river roads were closed by high water. Some backwater from the Wabash River raised levels on tributary creeks such as the Bon Pas River. All oil field production ceased with the exception of pumping units on substructures. Access to these was by boat only. Agricultural losses were significant. Farmers moved livestock to higher ground.
Minor flooding along the Wabash River flooded some low-lying fields.
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, June 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: 316061, 316027, 316064, 316060, 316036, 316041.