Heavy rains of 2 to 3 inches that fell from May 2 to May 4 resulted in major river flooding on the La Moines River near Colmar, IL during the afternoon and evening of May 5th.
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.
Heavy rains of 2 to 3 inches that fell from May 2 to May 4 resulted in major river flooding on the La Moines River near Colmar, IL during the afternoon and evening of May 5th.
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 May 5, 6:12 AM CST, 5 hours 18 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 712 AM CDT SUN MAY 5 2013 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 710 AM CDT SUN MAY 5 2013 AREAS OF DENSE FOG WAS OBSERVED ACROSS THE DVN CWA BUT WAS NOT WIDESPREAD ENOUGH TO ISSUE AN ADVISORY. HOWEVER...I AM COVERING THE SITUATION WITH A SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AS SOME LOCATIONS HAVE VISIBILITIES DOWN TO 1/4 MILE OR LESS. THE 12Z KDVN SOUNDING SHOWED THE LOW LEVEL MOIST LAYER ABOUT 1500 FEET THICK WITH DRY AIR ABOVE. THEREFORE THE FOG SHOULD DISSIPATE BY 10 AM OR SO. OTHERWISE...A FEW LIGHT SHOWERS WERE ROTATING WESTWARD OUT OF CENTRAL IL AND WERE PUSHING ACROSS WESTERN IL. HAVE UPDATED THE GRIDS TO MENTION SCATTERED SHOWERS IN OUR SOUTHERN CWA THIS MORNING AND THEN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS THIS AFTERNOON. PRECIPITABLE WATERS WILL STILL BE RATHER HIGH SO STRONGER SHOWERS COULD DROP SOME BRIEF MODERATE RAIN. && .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 235 AM CDT SUN MAY 5 2013 UPPER LOW CENTERED NEAR MEMPHIS TN AND STILL WRAPPING MOISTURE BACK INTO THE DVN CWA WITH A FEW SHOWERS NOTED IN OUR FAR SOUTHERN COUNTIES...AND THE SHOWERS WERE MOVING WEST. PLENTY OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WITH ALL THE RAIN WE HAVE HAD WITH SURFACE DEW POINTS IN THE LOWER 50S. TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE LOWER TO MID 50S WITH PATCHY FOG IN SPOTS. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 235 AM CDT SUN MAY 5 2013 FORECAST FOCUS ON CHANCE OF SHOWERS TODAY IN OUR SOUTHERN CWA. TODAY...WILL CONTINUE WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN OUR SOUTHERN COUNTIES WITH UPPER LOW IN THE SOUTHERN STATES MOVING SLOWLY EASTWARD. PRECIPITABLE WATERS ARE JUST UNDER AN INCH IN OUR SOUTHERN CWA SUPPORTING THE SHOWERS BUT THE AIRMASS IS DRIER IN OUR NORTH. SHOULD HAVE A BIT MORE SUNSHINE IN OUR NORTH COMPARED TO OUR SOUTHERN CWA. THIS WILL PUSH AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES INTO THE UPPER 60S TO LOWER 70S AT MOST LOCATIONS. OUR FAR SOUTHERN CWA MAY STAY IN THE MID 60S WITH MORE CLOUD COVER EXPECTED THERE. TONIGHT...WITH THE UPPER LOW MOVING FARTHER AWAY THIS SHOULD ALLOW SOMEWHAT DRIER AIR TO FILTER INTO THE CWA FROM THE NORTHEAST. WILL FINALLY BE ABLE TO HAVE A DRY FORECAST AFTER HAVING SEVERAL DAYS OF RAIN. SKIES SHOULD RANGE FROM PARTLY CLOUDY NORTHEAST TO MOSTLY CLOUDY FAR SOUTH. LOW TEMPERATURES WILL BE IN THE MID 40S TO AROUND 50. .LONG TERM...(MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY) ISSUED AT 235 AM CDT SUN MAY 5 2013 PLEASANT...AND MANY WOULD ARGUE WELL DESERVED...SEASONAL DRY WEATHER CAN BE EXPECTED BOTH MONDAY AND TUESDAY THIS WEEK. THIS LULL IN THE WEATHER IS LESS DUE TO HIGH PRESSURE MOVING IN VERSUS A TEMPORARY ABSENCE OF WEAK UPPER FORCING AS THE NEXT CUT OFF UPPER LOW GRADUALLY SHIFTS EAST THROUGH THE CENTRAL ROCKIES. OUR LIGHT EASTERLY FLOW AT THE SURFACE WILL GRADUALLY SHIFT TO SOUTH...WITH LITTLE ADVECTION OF ANY NEW AIRMASS. AS FAR AS SENSIBLE WEATHER...THIS SHOULD RESULT IN SOME MORNING FOG POTENTIAL EACH DAY...FOLLOWED BY PARTLY CLOUDY TO MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES AND HIGHS IN THE LOWER TO MID 70S. OVERNIGHT LOWS IN THE UPPER 40S TO LOWER 50S ARE ON TARGET...WHICH SHOULD ALSO REPRESENT THE AVERAGE DEWPOINTS DURING THIS PERIOD. WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...THIS SOMEWHAT CUT OFF...AND LARGELY WEAK UPPER LOW WILL SLOWLY TRAVERSE THE MIDWEST...AND WHILE THE EXACT MODEL QPF PLACEMENT HAS BEEN ALL OVER THE PLACE IN THE PAST FEW DAYS...THE SYNOPTIC REGIME OF WEAK FORCING...UNCAPPED YET MOISTURE RICH/MINOR TO MODERATE CAPE...WITH A SURFACE BOUNDARY NEAR OR OVER OUR CWA HAS BEEN CONSISTENT. THIS GIVES REASONABLE CONFIDENCE THAT AREAS OF SHOWERS AND SOME THUNDERSTORMS ARE A GROWING THREAT FOR THE ENTIRE PERIOD FROM WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE MILD...WITH 70S FOR HIGHS AND 50S FOR LOWS...THUS A FULL LEAVE OUT OF DORMANT VEGETATION IS EXPECTED BY WEEKS END. LOOKING BEYOND...THERE ARE CONFLICTING INDICATIONS OF A COLD FRONT TOWARD SUNDAY...THAT MAY OFFER A FROST THREAT...BUT COULD ALSO PRODUCE CLOUDS AND RAIN VIA THE ECMWF SOLUTIONS 00Z RUN. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z MONDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 710 AM CDT SUN MAY 5 2013 MVFR/OCNL IFR FG/STRATUS AT ALL TAF SITES. CONDS ARE HIGHLY CHANGEABLE AND WILL CONTINUE INTO THE MORNING HOURS. VFR CONDS EXPECTED AT ALL TAF SITES THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NORTHEAST WINDS AROUND 10 KNOTS OR LESS TODAY AND TONIGHT. MVFR BR EXPECTED AGAIN AFTER 06Z/06. && .DVN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IA...NONE. IL...NONE. MO...NONE. && UPDATE...HAASE SYNOPSIS...HAASE SHORT TERM...HAASE LONG TERM...ERVIN AVIATION...HAASE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 346 AM CDT SUN MAY 5 2013 IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007- 009-015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-060900- 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- 346 AM CDT SUN MAY 5 2013 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...TODAY AND TONIGHT AREAS OF DENSE FOG WILL OCCUR EARLY THIS MORNING ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA. THE FOG SHOULD BEGIN TO IMPROVE AFTER SUNRISE AND BE COMPLETELY GONE BY MID MORNING. PATCHY OR AREAS OF FOG AGAIN WILL DEVELOP LATE TONIGHT. AREA RIVERS ARE EXPERIENCING FLOODING. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST FLOOD STATEMENTS AND FLOOD WARNINGS FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THERE WILL BE A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FROM WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AS ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM SLOWLY MOVES THROUGH THE MIDWEST. THE THREAT FOR SEVERE STORMS APPEARS LOW AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT. HAASE/ERVIN
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 634 AM CDT SUN MAY 5 2013 IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007- 009-015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-051345- 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- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...INDEPENDENCE...MANCHESTER...DUBUQUE... VINTON...CEDAR RAPIDS...ANAMOSA...MAQUOKETA...MARENGO... IOWA CITY...TIPTON...CLINTON...MUSCATINE...BETTENDORF... DAVENPORT...SIGOURNEY...WASHINGTON...WAPELLO...FAIRFIELD... MOUNT PLEASANT...BURLINGTON...KEOSAUQUA....FORT MADISON... GALENA...FREEPORT...MOUNT CARROLL...STERLING...ROCK FALLS... MOLINE...ROCK ISLAND...KEWANEE...PRINCETON...HENNEPIN...ALEDO... OQUAWKA...MONMOUTH...CARTHAGE...MACOMB...MEMPHIS...KAHOKA 634 AM CDT SUN MAY 5 2013 ...AREAS OF DENSE FOG EARLY THIS MORNING... PLENTIFUL LOW LEVEL MOISTURE COMBINED WITH LIGHT WINDS HAS ALLOWED AREAS OF DENSE FOG TO FORM ACROSS PORTIONS OF EASTERN IOWA... NORTHEAST MISSOURI AND NORTHWEST AND WESTERN ILLINOIS. AT SOME LOCATIONS VISIBILITIES WERE 1/4 MILE OR LESS EARLY THIS MORNING. THE FOG SHOULD BEGIN TO IMPROVE AFTER SUNRISE AND BE COMPLETELY DISSIPATED BY MID MORNING. MOTORISTS SHOULD DRIVE WITH EXTRA CAUTION AND ALLOW ADDITIONAL TRAVEL TIME. USE LOW BEAMS...REDUCE SPEED...AND ALLOW FOR PLENTY OF ROOM BETWEEN YOU AND OTHER VEHICLES. HAASE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 733 AM CDT SUN MAY 5 2013 IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007- 009-015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-051445- 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- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...INDEPENDENCE...MANCHESTER...DUBUQUE... VINTON...CEDAR RAPIDS...ANAMOSA...MAQUOKETA...MARENGO... IOWA CITY...TIPTON...CLINTON...MUSCATINE...BETTENDORF... DAVENPORT...SIGOURNEY...WASHINGTON...WAPELLO...FAIRFIELD... MOUNT PLEASANT...BURLINGTON...KEOSAUQUA....FORT MADISON... GALENA...FREEPORT...MOUNT CARROLL...STERLING...ROCK FALLS... MOLINE...ROCK ISLAND...KEWANEE...PRINCETON...HENNEPIN...ALEDO... OQUAWKA...MONMOUTH...CARTHAGE...MACOMB...MEMPHIS...KAHOKA 733 AM CDT SUN MAY 5 2013 ...AREAS OF DENSE FOG THIS MORNING... PLENTIFUL LOW LEVEL MOISTURE COMBINED WITH LIGHT WINDS HAS ALLOWED AREAS OF DENSE FOG TO FORM ACROSS PORTIONS OF EASTERN IOWA... NORTHEAST MISSOURI AND NORTHWEST AND WESTERN ILLINOIS. AT SOME LOCATIONS VISIBILITIES WERE 1/4 MILE OR LESS THIS MORNING. THE FOG SHOULD GRADUALLY IMPROVE AND BE COMPLETELY DISSIPATED BY 10 AM OR SO. MOTORISTS SHOULD DRIVE WITH EXTRA CAUTION AND ALLOW ADDITIONAL TRAVEL TIME. USE LOW BEAMS...REDUCE SPEED...AND ALLOW FOR PLENTY OF ROOM BETWEEN YOU AND OTHER VEHICLES. HAASE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 929 AM CDT SUN MAY 5 2013 IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007- 009-015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-051600- 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- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...INDEPENDENCE...MANCHESTER...DUBUQUE... VINTON...CEDAR RAPIDS...ANAMOSA...MAQUOKETA...MARENGO... IOWA CITY...TIPTON...CLINTON...MUSCATINE...BETTENDORF... DAVENPORT...SIGOURNEY...WASHINGTON...WAPELLO...FAIRFIELD... MOUNT PLEASANT...BURLINGTON...KEOSAUQUA....FORT MADISON... GALENA...FREEPORT...MOUNT CARROLL...STERLING...ROCK FALLS... MOLINE...ROCK ISLAND...KEWANEE...PRINCETON...HENNEPIN...ALEDO... OQUAWKA...MONMOUTH...CARTHAGE...MACOMB...MEMPHIS...KAHOKA 929 AM CDT SUN MAY 5 2013 ...FOG DISSIPATING THIS MORNING... WARMING TEMPERATURES AND INCREASING WINDS HAVE CAUSED THE AREAS OF DENSE FOG THAT FORMED OVERNIGHT TO GRADUALLY DISSIPATE. A FEW LOCATIONS ARE STILL EXPERIENCING VISIBILITY REDUCTIONS OF A MILE OR LESS...BUT THESE TOO WILL IMPROVE OVER THE NEXT HOUR. ALL FOG IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETELY DISSIPATED BY 11 AM. UNTIL THE FOG DOES DISSIPATE...MOTORISTS SHOULD DRIVE WITH EXTRA CAUTION AND ALLOW ADDITIONAL TRAVEL TIME. USE LOW BEAMS...REDUCE SPEED...AND ALLOW FOR PLENTY OF ROOM BETWEEN YOU AND OTHER VEHICLES. LE
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
1050 AM CDT SUN MAY 05 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1050 AM HEAVY RAIN SSE ATKINS 41.99N 91.86W
05/05/2013 M2.71 INCH BENTON IA TRAINED SPOTTER
EVENT TOTAL RAINFALL.
&&
LEThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rains during the first week of May resulted in the La Moine River at Colmar going above the major flood stage level of 24 feet on May 5th around 1 pm CDT. It crested around 24.1 feet around 7 pm CDT. It fell back below the major flood stage level around 9 pm CDT.
Heavy rains during the first week of May resulted in the La Moine River at Colmar going above the major flood stage level of 24 feet on May 5th around 1 pm CDT. It crested around 24.1 feet around 7 pm CDT. It fell back below the major flood stage level around 9 pm CDT.
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, May 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: 451694, 451695.