An upper-level disturbance interacting with a stationary frontal boundary brought a round of showers and thunderstorms to portions of central Illinois during the late afternoon and evening of June 14th. Due to copious amounts of moisture in the environment, some of the storms produced excessive rainfall rates that led to localized flash flooding.
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 ILX wrote it up.
An upper-level disturbance interacting with a stationary frontal boundary brought a round of showers and thunderstorms to portions of central Illinois during the late afternoon and evening of June 14th. Due to copious amounts of moisture in the environment, some of the storms produced excessive rainfall rates that led to localized flash flooding. Rainfall amounts of 4 to 6 inches occurred in a 2 to 3-hour time span across parts of McLean, Peoria and Knox counties. Other, spotty flash flooding was reported in parts of central and east central 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 Lincoln, IL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 14, 2:01 PM CST, 59 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 301 PM CDT SUN JUN 14 2015 .SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 301 PM CDT SUN JUN 14 2015 PERIODS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN IL. NUMEROUS LOW LEVEL BOUNDARIES...SOME APPARENT IN THE LATEST SURFACE ANALYSIS AND OTHERS CONVECTIVELY INDUCED...WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE FOCUS FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE LATE EVENING. THE MAIN CONCERN WILL BE FOR THE POTENTIAL OF HEAVY RAIN WITH SOME OF THE STORMS DUE TO COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF MOISTURE AND WEAKER WINDS ALOFT THAN THE PAST FEW DAYS. INSTABILITY WILL BE MODERATE...BUT THE LACK OF WIND SHEAR SHOULD KEEP WIDESPREAD SEVERE STORMS FROM DEVELOPING. HOWEVER... ISOLATED STORMS MAY PRODUCE STRONG/SEVERE GUSTS DUE TO HEAVY PRECIPITATION LOADING THIS EVENING. ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP ALONG A WSW-ENE BOUNDARY WILL HAVE THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN AND ISOLATED FLOODING DUE TO TRAINING EFFECTS. MUCH OF THE CONVECTION SHOULD START TO WANE TOWARD MIDNIGHT...EXCEPT FOR LINGERING AREAS ALONG AND NORTH OF I-74. THE REST OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS CAN ONLY EXPECT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS OVERNIGHT DUE TO WEAKER FORCING AND MORE DIFFUSE BOUNDARIES. AS THE COLD FRONT IN THE NORTHERN PLAINS PROGRESSES TOWARD CENTRAL IOWA AROUND DAYBREAK...STORMS THAT DEVELOP AHEAD OF IT OVERNIGHT MAY MAKE INTO WEST CENTRAL IL. THUS...HAVE INCREASED POPS BACK INTO THE LIKELY CATEGORY MAINLY WEST OF THE IL RIVER VALLEY BY SUNRISE. && .LONG TERM...(MONDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 301 PM CDT SUN JUN 14 2015 AN ACTIVE CONVECTIVE WEATHER PATTERN, ALONG WITH WARM AND HUMID CONDTIONS, IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. WHILE THERE WILL BE PERIODS WHERE MORE WIDESPREAD AND/OR POTENTIALLY SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE, IT PRETTY TOUGH TO PICK OUT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COMPLETELY DRY WEATHER AT THIS POINT. THIS IS RESULTING IN AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF POPS THAT WILL HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO BE FINE TUNED BETTER AS THE DETAILS BECOME MORE CLEAR. THE WORK WEEK WILL START OUT WITH ONE OF THE BETTER CHANCES FOR SIGNIFICANT STORMS. AN UPPER-LEVEL LOW, CURRENTLY SPINNING OVER THE PLAINS, AS WELL AS A WEAK SURFACE FRONT, WILL TRACK THROUGH THE MIDWEST. PRE-FRONTAL CAPE VALUES OF 1500-2500 J/KG SHOULD BE COMMON MONDAY AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING, ALONG WITH BULK SHEAR VALUES APPROACHING 35 KTS. THIS SCENARIO IS SUPPORTIVE OF SCATTERED STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS AS THE FRONT PUSHES SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA INTO MONDAY NIGHT, WHICH IS WELL DEPICTED IN THE SPC DAY 2 OUTLOOK. THE FRONT WILL STALL NOT TOO FAR SOUTH OF THE FORECAST AREA MONDAY NIGHT, AND IT SHOULD STAY NEAR WHERE IT STALLS UNTIL THE NEXT STRONGER UPPER WAVE PUSHES THROUGH THE MIDWEST ON WEDNESDAY. DUE TO THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE FRONT, AND THE FACT THAT THE AIRMASS WILL REMAIN VERY MOIST AND POTENTIALLY UNSTABLE, POPS WILL STAY FAIRLY HIGH INTO WEDNESDAY (LOWEST IN THE NORTH, FURTHER AWAY FROM SURFACE BOUNDARY). THE PASSAGE OF THE NEXT MAJOR WAVE ON WEDNESDAY COULD ALSO SUPPORT MORE ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER, WITH SHEAR PROFILES EVEN BETTER THAN ANTICIPATED MONDAY, AT LEAST ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA. THE PASSAGE OF THE WEDNESDAY SYSTEM SHOULD RESULT IN A RELATIVE LULL IN THE RAINFALL RISK. HOWEVER, BY THE END OF THE WEEK, CHANCES MAY RAMP UP YET AGAIN AS POTENTIAL REMNANTS FROM A TROPICAL SYSTEM COMING OUT OF THE GULF OF MEXICO TRACK NEAR THE AREA. THEN, BY LATE IN THE WEEKEND, A PIECE OF ENERGY MORE TIED TO THE MAIN BELT OF THE WESTERLIES TO OUR NORTH, WILL DRIVE A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE AREA WITH AN ASSOCIATED SHOWER/STORM RISK. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z MONDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1244 PM CDT SUN JUN 14 2015 PERIODS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH INTERMITTENT MVFR CEILINGS CAN BE EXPECTED DURING THIS TAF PERIOD IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN IL. ONE ROUND OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED T-STORMS IS MOVING THROUGH EAST CENTRAL IL JUST BEFORE 18Z. HOWEVER...IT IS LIKELY THIS CONVECTION WILL STAY JUST SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST OF THE TAF SITES IN EASTERN IL. OTHER MORE SCATTERED CONVECTION HAS DEVELOPED IN WEST CENTRAL IL AND EASTERN MO. THUS...WENT WITH VCSH AT ALL TAF SITES UNTIL 20-21Z WHEN INCREASING INSTABILITY WILL MOST LIKELY PRODUCE MORE IN THE WAY OF THUNDER. THERE CONTINUES TO BE LOW CONFIDENCE, THOUGH, THAT ANY ONE TAF SITE WILL BE IMPACTED BY A THUNDERSTORM, SO WENT WITH VCTS, AND WILL MONITOR FOR LATER UPDATES. AFTER THE MID/UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE PASSES FROM CENTRAL MO INTO NORTHEAST IL BY LATE THIS EVENING...THERE SHOULD BE A BREAK IN THE CONVECTION WITH MAINLY VFR CEILINGS. THE NEXT ROUND OF CONVECTION IS EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT TOWARD EARLY MORNING AS THE AREA REMAINS IN AN EXTREMELY MOIST AIRMASS AND UPPER LEVEL ENERGY APPROACHES WEST CENTRAL IL. THERE IS A BETTER CHANCE OF CONVECTION IN WEST CENTRAL IL...BUT WITH NUMEROUS LEFT OVER CONVECTIVE BOUNDARIES THE SHORT RANGE/HIGH RES MODELS ARE ALL POINTING TO AT LEAST SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS INTO EASTERN IL AS WELL. && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SHORT TERM...MILLER LONG TERM...BAK AVIATION...MILLER
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 324 PM CDT SUN JUN 14 2015 ILZ027>031-036>038-040>043-047>051-151100- CASS-DE WITT-FULTON-KNOX-LOGAN-MARSHALL-MASON-MCLEAN-MENARD- MORGAN-PEORIA-SANGAMON-SCHUYLER-SCOTT-STARK-TAZEWELL-WOODFORD- 324 PM CDT SUN JUN 14 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS...NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THIS EVENING. ISOLATED STORMS MAY CONTAIN DAMAGING WIND GUSTS ALONG WITH THE THREAT FOR ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL WHICH WILL PRODUCE LOCALIZED FLOODING AND WORSEN AREAS OF RIVER FLOODING ALREADY IN PROGRESS. MINOR TO MODERATE FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ALONG THE ILLINOIS...SANGAMON AND SPOON RIVERS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY PERIODIC THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL CONTINUE MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. THE THREAT FOR ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE AREA MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. IN ADDITION TO THE SEVERE RISK...THE POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MUCH OF NEXT WEEK ENHANCING THE RIVER AND FLASH FLOOD THREATS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TODAY. HOWEVER...REPORTS OF WIND GUSTS...HEAVY RAINFALL OR FLOODING WOULD BE APPRECIATED. ILZ044>046-052>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-151100- CHAMPAIGN-CHRISTIAN-CLARK-CLAY-COLES-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-DOUGLAS- EDGAR-EFFINGHAM-JASPER-LAWRENCE-MACON-MOULTRIE-PIATT-RICHLAND- SHELBY-VERMILION- 324 PM CDT SUN JUN 14 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS...EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...SOUTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THIS EVENING. A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. THE THREAT FOR ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE WHICH WILL PRODUCE LOCALIZED FLOODING AND WORSEN AREAS OF RIVER FLOODING ALREADY IN PROGRESS. MINOR RIVER FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ALONG THE SANGAMON AND PARTS OF THE WABASH AND LITTLE WABASH RIVERS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY PERIODIC THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL CONTINUE MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. THE THREAT FOR MORE ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER WILL INCREASE OVER THE AREA MONDAY AND TUESDAY AFTERNOONS. IN ADDITION TO THE SEVERE RISK...THE POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MUCH OF NEXT WEEK ENHANCING THE RIVER AND FLASH FLOOD THREATS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TODAY. HOWEVER...REPORTS OF WIND GUSTS...HEAVY RAINFALL OR FLOODING WOULD BE APPRECIATED. BAK
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
1019 AM CDT SUN JUN 14 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0600 AM HEAVY RAIN 4 WSW MAHOMET 40.17N 88.47W
06/14/2015 M1.53 INCH PIATT IL COCORAHS
24-HOUR RAINFALL
0630 AM HEAVY RAIN 2 NNW ATHENS 39.99N 89.74W
06/14/2015 M1.10 INCH MENARD IL COCORAHS
24-HOUR RAINFALL
0700 AM HEAVY RAIN 5 W LINCOLN 40.15N 89.46W
06/14/2015 M1.00 INCH LOGAN IL COCORAHS
24-HOUR RAINFALL
0700 AM HEAVY RAIN NEW HOLLAND 40.18N 89.58W
06/14/2015 M1.82 INCH LOGAN IL COCORAHS
24-HOUR RAINFALL
0700 AM HEAVY RAIN 2 NNE MAHOMET 40.22N 88.39W
06/14/2015 M1.44 INCH CHAMPAIGN IL COCORAHS
24-HOUR RAINFALL
0700 AM HEAVY RAIN 1 S MAHOMET 40.18N 88.40W
06/14/2015 M1.55 INCH CHAMPAIGN IL COCORAHS
24-HOUR RAINFALL
0700 AM HEAVY RAIN 3 W WASHBURN 40.92N 89.35W
06/14/2015 M1.01 INCH WOODFORD IL COCORAHS
24-HOUR RAINFALL
0700 AM HEAVY RAIN 1 N ATHENS 39.98N 89.72W
06/14/2015 M1.18 INCH MENARD IL COCORAHS
24-HOUR RAINFALL
0800 AM HEAVY RAIN 4 NNE WHITE HEATH 40.14N 88.47W
06/14/2015 M1.22 INCH PIATT IL COCORAHS
24-HOUR RAINFALL
0800 AM HEAVY RAIN 2 SE LATHAM 39.95N 89.14W
06/14/2015 M1.75 INCH MACON IL COCORAHS
24-HOUR RAINFALL
0800 AM HEAVY RAIN 3 SW EMDEN 40.27N 89.53W
06/14/2015 M1.64 INCH LOGAN IL COCORAHS
24-HOUR RAINFALL
&&
EJLPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
1128 AM CDT SUN JUN 14 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0800 AM HEAVY RAIN HENRY 41.11N 89.36W
06/14/2015 M3.10 INCH MARSHALL IL MESONET
24-HOUR RAINFALL...SWOP REPORT
&&
EJLPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
1143 AM CDT SUN JUN 14 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0600 AM HEAVY RAIN 4 WSW MAHOMET 40.17N 88.47W
06/14/2015 M1.53 INCH PIATT IL COCORAHS
24-HOUR RAINFALL
0600 AM HEAVY RAIN ALTONA 41.12N 90.16W
06/14/2015 M1.33 INCH KNOX IL CO-OP OBSERVER
24-HOUR RAINFALL
0630 AM HEAVY RAIN TOULON 41.09N 89.86W
06/14/2015 M1.54 INCH STARK IL CO-OP OBSERVER
24-HOUR RAINFALL
0630 AM HEAVY RAIN 2 NNW ATHENS 39.99N 89.74W
06/14/2015 M1.10 INCH MENARD IL COCORAHS
24-HOUR RAINFALL
0700 AM HEAVY RAIN 1 N ATHENS 39.98N 89.72W
06/14/2015 M1.18 INCH MENARD IL COCORAHS
24-HOUR RAINFALL
0700 AM HEAVY RAIN 3 W WASHBURN 40.92N 89.35W
06/14/2015 M1.01 INCH WOODFORD IL COCORAHS
24-HOUR RAINFALL
0700 AM HEAVY RAIN 1 S MAHOMET 40.18N 88.40W
06/14/2015 M1.55 INCH CHAMPAIGN IL COCORAHS
24-HOUR RAINFALL
0700 AM HEAVY RAIN 2 NNE MAHOMET 40.22N 88.39W
06/14/2015 M1.44 INCH CHAMPAIGN IL COCORAHS
24-HOUR RAINFALL
0700 AM HEAVY RAIN 5 W LINCOLN 40.15N 89.46W
06/14/2015 M1.00 INCH LOGAN IL COCORAHS
24-HOUR RAINFALL
0700 AM HEAVY RAIN DE LAND 40.12N 88.64W
06/14/2015 M1.26 INCH PIATT IL CO-OP OBSERVER
24-HOUR RAINFALL
0700 AM HEAVY RAIN NEW HOLLAND 40.18N 89.58W
06/14/2015 M1.82 INCH LOGAN IL COCORAHS
24-HOUR RAINFALL
0800 AM HEAVY RAIN 3 SW EMDEN 40.27N 89.53W
06/14/2015 M1.64 INCH LOGAN IL COCORAHS
24-HOUR RAINFALL
0800 AM HEAVY RAIN HENRY 41.11N 89.36W
06/14/2015 M3.26 INCH MARSHALL IL MESONET
24-HOUR RAINFALL...SWOP REPORT
0800 AM HEAVY RAIN HOPEWELL 40.98N 89.46W
06/14/2015 M1.71 INCH MARSHALL IL MESONET
24-HOUR RAINFALL...SWOP REPORT
0800 AM HEAVY RAIN LACON 41.02N 89.41W
06/14/2015 M2.48 INCH MARSHALL IL CO-OP OBSERVER
24-HOUR RAINFALL
0800 AM HEAVY RAIN 4 NNE WHITE HEATH 40.14N 88.47W
06/14/2015 M1.22 INCH PIATT IL COCORAHS
24-HOUR RAINFALL
0800 AM HEAVY RAIN HENRY 41.11N 89.36W
06/14/2015 M3.10 INCH MARSHALL IL MESONET
24-HOUR RAINFALL...SWOP REPORT
0800 AM HEAVY RAIN 2 SE LATHAM 39.95N 89.14W
06/14/2015 M1.75 INCH MACON IL COCORAHS
24-HOUR RAINFALL
&&
EJLThe Lincoln radar (KILX), 77 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:57 UTC.
7 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorms produced up to 2.00 of rain in less than one hour in northwest Champaign County during the mid-afternoon of June 14th. Several rural roads from Fisher to Mahomet were impassable until early evening.
Thunderstorms with heavy rain produced more than 2.00 of rain in one hour in a small part of central Menard County. Several roads were impassable, including Illinois Route 29 south of Greenview, Illinois Route 123 east of Petersburg and rural roads between Petersburg and Sweetwater.
Thunderstorms produced very heavy rain of 4.00 to 5.00 in one hour in southwest McLean County. Extensive street and basement flooding was reported in Heyworth, for the second time in one week, where 5.00 of rain was reported. Rural roads were also flooded from Shirley to McLean to Heyworth.
Thunderstorms produced more than 4.00 of rain in 90 minutes across a small part of northeast McLean County. Many rural roads from Lexington to Cooksville to Colfax were impassable through the late evening hours of June 14th.
Thunderstorms with rainfall rates of 1.00 to 1.50 per hour persisted for nearly three hours in much of Stark County. Observers reported 3.00 to 4.00 of rain on ground already saturated during the previous week. Many rural roads from West Jersey to Toulon to Wyoming were impassable.
Thunderstorms with rainfall rates of 1.00 to 1.50 per hour persisted for nearly three hours in parts of eastern Knox County. Observers reported 3.00 to 6.00 of rain on ground already saturated by flooding the previous week. The flooding made Illinois Route 180 north of Williamsfield impassable. Many rural roads from Oak Run to Williamsfield were also flooded.
Thunderstorms with rainfall rates of 1.00 to 1.50 per hour persisted for nearly three hours in extreme northwest Peoria County. Observers reported 3.00 to 6.00 of rain on ground already saturated by flooding the previous week. The flooding made Illinois Route 78 near the Stark County line impassable. Many rural roads in the vicinity of the village of Elmore were also flooded.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, June 2015
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: 591381, 591394, 591387, 591391, 591401, 591395, 591396.