Well above normal March to mid-April rainfall upstream along the Ohio River from East-Central Missouri and Central Illinois to Iowa/Wisconsin resulted in river levels briefly rising into minor flood at Chester mid-month. Impacts were limited to bottomland agricultural areas.
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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.
Well above normal March to mid-April rainfall upstream along the Ohio River from East-Central Missouri and Central Illinois to Iowa/Wisconsin resulted in river levels briefly rising into minor flood at Chester mid-month. Impacts were limited to bottomland agricultural areas.
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 Apr 20, 1:50 PM CST, 10 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Paducah KY 250 PM CDT Mon Apr 20 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Temperatures will climb 5 to 10 degrees above normal for Tuesday through at least Saturday. - A period of unsettled weather begins late Thursday night and continues into next week. At this time, the best chances of showers and thunderstorms (~80%) will be Friday into Friday night. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 250 PM CDT Mon Apr 20 2026 South winds will kick in Tuesday morning and high pressure aloft will gradually build over the Quad State through Wednesday. The result will be a nice warm up to above normal temperatures. The 12Z GEFS and ECENS indicate a near certainty of temperatures climbing above 70 from Tuesday through Friday, with slightly lower probabilities over the weekend. The GEFS has very little chance of 80 degrees readings through the week, but the ECENS has a 50-80% chance of reaching the lower 80s over the southern half of the region Wednesday through Friday. The NBM appears to favor the ECENS, so we have lower 80s in the forecast throughout the area Thursday and over west Kentucky Friday. The skinny upper ridge will push east of the Quad State Friday, resulting in west southwest flow aloft. An impulse pushing through the central and northern Plains Thursday night into the Upper Midwest Friday will push a cold front and area of convection through the Quad State, mainly Friday into Friday night. The 12Z GEFS has a 50-70% chance of at least 1000 J/kg of CAPE over southeast Missouri Friday afternoon and evening with much lower probabilities farther east. The flow aloft will be rather weak, so a significant severe storm threat is not anticipated at this time. Although a stray strong to severe storm cannot be ruled out over southeast Missouri. The 12Z guidance in general wants to push the cold front to the south of the Quad State for the weekend, which could result in dry conditions, but there remains some potential for convection to roll southeast through southeast Missouri Saturday afternoon or evening. A stronger storm system may bring a better chance of severe storms next Monday into Monday night. && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY/... Issued at 1152 AM CDT Mon Apr 20 2026 The TAFs are VFR. Light and variable winds will become southwest and increase in the morning. Gusts to around 20kts will be possible, with the strongest winds at KMVN. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...None. MO...None. IN...None. KY...None. && DISCUSSION...DRS AVIATION...DRS
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Paducah KY 258 PM CDT Mon Apr 20 2026 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-211000- Jefferson-Wayne IL-Edwards-Wabash-Perry IL-Franklin-Hamilton- White-Jackson-Williamson-Saline-Gallatin-Union-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- 258 PM CDT Mon Apr 20 2026 /358 PM EDT Mon Apr 20 2026/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, and southeast Missouri. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday Widespread showers and scattered thunderstorms will sweep across the Quad State Friday into Friday night, then more isolated thunderstorms will remain possible mainly in the heat of the day Saturday and Sunday. Heavy rainfall and lightning will be the primary concerns. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated.
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Paducah KY
1015 AM CDT Mon Apr 20 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0537 PM Hail 1 E Dexter 36.79N 89.94W
04/16/2026 M1.00 Inch Stoddard MO Public
Late report. Quarter sized hail on east side
of Dexter.
&&
SPPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Paducah KY
1016 AM CDT Mon Apr 20 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0610 PM Hail Bloomfield 36.89N 89.93W
04/16/2026 E1.00 Inch Stoddard MO Public
Late report. Quarter sized hail in
Bloomfield.
&&
SPPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Paducah KY
1023 AM CDT Mon Apr 20 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0657 PM Hail Matthews 36.76N 89.59W
04/16/2026 E1.00 Inch New Madrid MO Public
Late report. Estimated quarter sized hail
from Matthews.
&&
SPPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Paducah KY
1027 AM CDT Mon Apr 20 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0240 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg 6 SSW Glenallen 37.24N 90.06W
04/16/2026 Bollinger MO Emergency Mngr
Corrects previous tstm wnd dmg report from 6
SSW Glenallen. Tree down on Highway FF
between county roads 512 and 513.
&&
SPThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Minor flooding, cresting less than a foot above flood stage, occurred along the Mississippi River near Chester, with limited impacts to low-lying agricultural areas.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Missouri in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Missouri, April 2026
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: 1331154.