Illinois, 2025

Flash Flood in Illinois, July 20, 2025

July 20, 2025 · NWS DVN · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A decaying mesoscale convective system moved into northwest Illinois, mainly along and south of Interstate 80, during the morning hours of July 20th. These showers and storms produced heavy rain with trained spotters reporting 2 to 4 inches of rain.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS DVN wrote it up.

A decaying mesoscale convective system moved into northwest Illinois, mainly along and south of Interstate 80, during the morning hours of July 20th. These showers and storms produced heavy rain with trained spotters reporting 2 to 4 inches of rain. This lead to flash flooding in part of Bureau County.

The radar

The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 98 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:50 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Bureau

When
July 20, 8:50 AM CST to 9:58 AM CST
Where
Bureau County, 1.04 mi E of Princeton to 0.91 mi E of Princeton
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
41.370, -89.450

The Emergency Manager reported that the road was completely covered with water that was a couple of feet deep. Water was also in the yards across this area. .

What these are

Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Illinois in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, July 2025

Sources

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: 1282388.