Heavy rainfall shortly before Christmas caused sharp rises on regional rivers. The heavy rainfall was caused by a slow-moving cold front that passed across the Lower Ohio and Mid Mississippi Valleys between the 20th and 22nd.
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.
Heavy rainfall shortly before Christmas caused sharp rises on regional rivers. The heavy rainfall was caused by a slow-moving cold front that passed across the Lower Ohio and Mid Mississippi Valleys between the 20th and 22nd. Several low pressure systems moved north-northeast along the front, touching off numerous showers and thunderstorms. Generally only minor river flooding was reported.
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 Dec 24, 3:01 AM CST, 2 hours 59 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 301 AM CST Tue Dec 24 2013 .SHORT TERM...(Today through Thursday night) ISSUED AT 301 AM CST TUE DEC 24 2013 Sct flurries continue mainly east of the Mississippi. Should move out by daybreak. Basically a dry forecast despite a fairly active mid level flow pattern...mainly affecting cloud cover. Could be some flurries or very light snow showers Wednesday morning with a H5 trof forecast to move across the area. After a very cold day today, temperatures should moderate some Wed/Thur. .LONG TERM...(Friday through Monday) ISSUED AT 301 AM CST TUE DEC 24 2013 The main upper level pattern to start out the long term forecast is comprised of a ridge in the west and a longwave trough in the eastern half of the country. Models continue to swing a shortwave trough through the area on Friday...but it continues to look like a dry passage. A few model runs back, it appeared there was going to be a good drop in temperatures in association with this feature, but with the past several runs and including the 00Z run of the GFS/ECMWF, this does not seem to be the case anymore. In fact, highs on Friday, will likely be in the 40s. This warming trend will continue into Saturday as temps surge as the upper flow becomes more southwesterly. ahead of an approaching boundary coming in from the northwest Highs near 50 are looking more and more likely. The aforementioned front will pass through the area on Sunday with clouds and possible precipitation being post frontal. Models are not advertising any QPF with this system and have not really been doing so for the past several runs. There does seem to be decent lower level moisture with this frontal passage...but not sure if it will be enough for measurable precipitation. To avoid flip flopping though, will maintain the slight chance mention for now. With the mid/upper level being so dry, do not expect much right now though in the way of precipitation, which could be a rain or snow in our north, depending on the timing of the cold air. Colder air will make its way into the area behind this front and send temperatures back down to well below normal for Sunday night into Monday. Once we return to northwest flow pattern aloft...it looks to stay that way for several days. Minor perturbations in the flow could yield more clouds or even a minor precipitation event, but there is not enough consistency between models to advertise anything at this point in the forecast. && .AVIATION... ISSUED AT 301 AM CST TUE DEC 24 2013 Areas of MVFR cigs movg SE producing sct flurries, will translate east and out of the area early this morning. Should be mainly clear after that. NNW winds up to 10 kts will become light and variable later today and tonight. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...NONE. MO...NONE. IN...NONE. KY...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 303 AM CST TUE DEC 24 2013 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-251100- 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- 303 AM CST TUE DEC 24 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT RIVER FLOODING WILL CONTINUE AT SOME POINTS ACROSS THE REGION. REFER TO THE WARNINGS AND STATEMENTS FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY RIVER FLOODING WILL CONTINUE AT SOME POINTS ACROSS THE REGION. REFER TO THE WARNINGS AND STATEMENTS FOR DETAILS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
9 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Minor flooding occurred along the Ohio River. Low-lying fields and woodlands were underwater, along with river access roads and a boat ramp.
Water began to flow over County Road 1280 on the north side of Mt. Carmel. A city street that parallels the river was closed. A local restaurant along the river also was closed. Several local river roads flooded. All oil field production ceased with the exception of pumping units on substructures. Access to these was by boat only. Many river cabins became inaccessible.
Minor flooding occurred along the Wabash River. Low-lying woods and fields were underwater.
Moderate flooding occurred along the Big Muddy River. Floodwaters began to creep into residential neighborhoods along the river on the south end of Murphysboro. Low-lying fields and woodlands were underwater, along with a riverside park. At the Murphysboro river gage, the river crested at 28.39 feet on the 26th. Flood stage is 22 feet.
Minor flooding occurred along the Big Muddy River. Low-lying fields and woodlands were flooded.
Minor flooding occurred along the Little Wabash River. Some county roads were inundated. Low-lying fields and woodlands were underwater.
Flooding of the Little Wabash River affected low-lying fields and woodlands. A 42-year-old woman died after driving her car into the backwaters of the Little Wabash River northeast of Fairfield. Using an airplane, state police located her body beneath ice not far from the abandoned car. She was taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead of hypothermia.
Minor flooding occurred along the Ohio River. Low-lying fields and woodlands were flooded, including riverside parks. River access roads were flooded.
Minor flooding occurred along the Ohio River. Low-lying fields and woodlands were flooded.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flood, Wayne | 2013-12-27 | 42 | Female | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, December 2013
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: 486182, 487214, 487211, 486189, 486188, 486190, 487166, 486184, 486185.