Illinois Flooding and Severe Weather

Losses, 2024 dollars

$1.5 billion

Losses at the time

$1.1 billion

Deaths

4

The losses and deaths are NCEI’s, counting everything the disaster did. The episodes below are only what the Weather Service filed in its Storm Events record, which counts damage differently and often not at all, so the two never add up and are shown apart.

• Flash Flooding and Flooding in Missouri, April 15 to 18, 2013$1,000 · 1.75 in hail · 40 eventsA stalled out frontal boundary along with several upper level disturbances produced several rounds of severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall over the Missouri Ozarks.
• Flooding in Illinois, April 16 to 30, 2013$171,000 · 8 eventsHeavy spring rain caused several rivers in Illinois to hit major flood levels. The Illinois River, Kaskaskia River, La Moine River, and the Mississippi all hit major flood levels at various locations.
• Heavy Rain in Puerto Rico, April 16, 20132 eventsThe influence of an upper level trough combined with daytime heating and orographic effects to produce scattered to numerous showers with thunderstorms north of the Cordillera Central of Puerto Rico.
• Flash Flooding and Hail in Pennsylvania, April 16, 2013$15,000 · 1 in hail · 16 eventsA cold front slowly moving across the Ohio Valley was the focus for the development of scattered thunderstorms, some of which were severe, through the evening hours of the 16th of April.
• Flash Flood and Damaging Wind in West Virginia, April 16, 2013$6,000 · 50 kt wind · 2 eventsA cold front slowly moving across the Ohio Valley was the focus for the development of scattered thunderstorms, some of which were severe, through the evening hours of the 16th of April.
• Flash Flood and Hail in Kansas, April 17, 20131 in hail · 8 eventsA few storms fired up across northeast Kansas, bringing penny to quarter sized hail. The largest stone was reported near Fort Riley Airfield in Geary County. Also, a creek overflowed near Onaga in Pottawatomie County.
• Flash Flood and Hail in Missouri, April 17 to 18, 20131.25 in hail · 19 eventsA warm front lifted north across central and northern Missouri, during the afternoon and evening hours of April 17, 2013. Numerous hail reports of up to an inch in diameter were reported.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in Iowa, April 17 to 19, 2013$590,000 · 1 in hail · 51 eventsA strong storm system developed over the southern Rockies during the early morning hours of the 17th. A strong frontal boundary extended from the low, northeast across Iowa. A 50 kt low level jet developed during the predawn hours.
• Flash Flooding and Hail in Iowa, April 17 to 18, 2013$1.5 million · 1 in hail · 18 eventsAn upper level disturbance tracked over Iowa and northern Missouri April 17th and 18th, bringing several rounds of showers and thunderstorms to the region. Heavy rains of 3 to 7 inches were recorded over the 48 hour period. This resulted in widespread flash flooding.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in Kentucky, April 17, 2013$2.0 million · 50 kt wind · 18 eventsClusters of thunderstorms formed over central Kentucky and then pushed eastward into east Kentucky during the morning hours of April 17th.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in Illinois, April 17 to 18, 2013$1.0 million · 1 in hail · 23 eventsAn upper level disturbance tracked over northern Missouri and Iowa April 17th and 18th bringing several rounds of showers and thunderstorms to the region. Heavy rains of 3 to 7 inches were recorded over the 48 hour period. This resulted in widespread flash flooding.
• Flash Flooding and Hail in Illinois, April 17 to 18, 20132 injured · $218 million · 1.25 in hail · 24 eventsA nearly stationary frontal boundary interacting with an unseasonably warm and moist airmass brought widespread showers and thunderstorms to parts of central Illinois from the later afternoon of April 17th through the morning of April 18th.
• Flash Flooding and Hail in Kentucky, April 17, 20131.75 in hail · 9 eventsIsolated storms developed within a highly unstable environment across central Kentucky during the afternoon on April 17th. One storm remained nearly stationary for an hour over southern LaRue County, bringing localized flash flooding.
• Flash Flood and Hail in Tennessee, April 17, 2013$28,000 · 1.75 in hail · 5 eventsConvection over SW VA dropped a westward and southward moving outflow boundary that allowed produced convection which moved eastward. Some areas experienced training.
• Flash Flood and Hail in Indiana, April 17, 20131 in hail · 3 eventsConvection earlier in the morning created an outflow boundary that provided a focus for isolated thunderstorm development over southern Indiana during the afternoon on April 17th. One storm that developed over Crawford County, brought large hail and flash flooding.
• Flash Flooding and Hail in Alabama, April 17, 20131 in hail · 4 eventsHigh pressure aloft and at the surface resulted in warm temperatures and high surface instability on Wednesday, April 17th.
• Flooding in Michigan, April 17 to 23, 2013$88 million · 23 eventsRecord flooding occurred during the month of April and record crests occurred on the lower portions of the Grand River at Ionia, Lowell, Ada, Comstock Park, and Grand Rapids, Michigan.
• Flash Flooding in Georgia, April 17, 2013$350,000 · 2 eventsWeak upper level ridging persisted across the area on the 17th. A shortwave had moved through the area the previous day, and the remnants of a mesoscale convective system (MCS) that moved through West Virginia as a result had worked its way south-southwest into eastern Tennessee…
• Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Illinois, April 17 to 18, 201378 kt wind · 9 eventsWidespread showers and thunderstorms developed ahead of a weather system. Significant rainfall, as well as tornadoes, damaging winds and large hail occurred with the stronger storms.
• Flooding in Iowa, April 17 to 29, 201318 eventsHeavy rains of 3 to 7 inches that fell across Eastern Iowa, Northwest Illinois, and Northeast Missouri on April 17th and 18th resulted in major river flooding on several area tributary rivers as well as parts of the Mississippi River during the last two weeks of April.
• Flooding in Illinois, April 18 to 30, 2013$31 million · 11 eventsExcessive rainfall during the middle of April led to widespread flooding across a large part of northern and central Illinois. Locations from the Chicago metro area, southwest along the Illinois River Valley, received 5 to 10 inches over a two day period from the 17-18th.
• Flooding in Wisconsin, April 18 to 24, 2013$27,000 · 5 eventsRepeated rounds of showers and some thunderstorms during the second half of April brought rain totals for the entire month to between 5 and 8 inches, or between 150 percent and 200 percent of normal across southern Wisconsin.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in Arkansas, April 18, 20137 eventsThunderstorms developed along and south of a stationary frontal boundary that extended across southeastern Kansas through southwestern Oklahoma during the late afternoon and evening hours of the 17th.
• Flooding in Illinois, April 18 to 29, 201310 eventsHeavy rains of 3 to 7 inches that fell across Eastern Iowa, Northwest Illinois, and Northeast Missouri on April 17th and 18th resulted in major river flooding on several area tributary rivers as well as parts of the Mississippi River during the last two weeks of April.
• Flooding in Missouri, April 18 to 26, 20132 eventsHeavy rains of 3 to 7 inches that fell across Eastern Iowa, Northwest Illinois, and Northeast Missouri on April 17th and 18th resulted in major river flooding on several area tributary rivers as well as parts of the Mississippi River during the last two weeks of April.
• Flooding in Missouri, April 18 to 21, 2013$54,000 · 2 eventsHeavy rain pushed the North and Middle Fabius Rivers to major flood levels. Damage was limited to some closed roads and flooded farmland.
• Flash Flood and Flooding in Illinois, April 18 to 22, 2013$1.5 million · 9 eventsThe copious amounts of rain which occurred in west-central and central Illinois from April 17th into the morning of April 18th resulted in a continuation of widespread flooding until the morning of April 22nd.
• Flooding in Indiana, April 18 to 19, 2013$92,000 · 21 eventsThunderstorms brought heavy rain to much of central Indiana on April 18th and early on April 19th. Some areas of central Indiana received around 5 inches of rain in 24 hours. This was on top of heavy rain from previous days.
• Flooding in Indiana, April 18 to 19, 20133 eventsNumerous thunderstorms developed and persisted across portions of northern Indiana. The main axis of the heaviest precipitation was located either side of a Marion to Columbia City line where rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches were common.
• Flooding in Missouri, April 18 to 22, 2013$16,000 · 2 eventsThe South Fabius River and the North River rose to major flood levels in Marion County. The North River crested on April 18th and the South Fabius River crested on April 19th. Damage was limited to a few closed roads and farmland flooding.
• Flood in Missouri, April 18 to 30, 2013$25,000 · 1 eventThe Mississippi River rose to major flood levels along the border of Lewis County. The river crested on April 21st, but remained in flood into May. Damage was limited to a few closed roads and agricultural lowlands.
• Flooding in Michigan, April 19 to 25, 2013$2.7 million · 2 eventsA batch of showers and thunderstorms came through on the 23rd and 24th bringing up to 2 inches of rain across the area. Flint and Saginaw set a record for wettest April on record. Major flooding was reported along the Tittabawassee and Saginaw Rivers.
• Flooding in Indiana, April 19 to 30, 2013$50,000 · 4 eventsRecord rainfall occurred in west central and north central sections of Indiana, causing moderate flooding along the Wabash and White Rivers.
• Flooding in Missouri, April 19 to 30, 2013$70,000 · 4 eventsA couple of rounds of heavy rain in the Mississippi River Valley combined with melting snows from up north caused rises along the Mississippi River, leading to major flooding.
• Flooding in Illinois, April 19 to 30, 2013$26,000 · 9 eventsA couple of rounds of heavy rain in the Mississippi River Valley combined with melting snows from up north caused rises along the Mississippi River leading to major flooding. Backwater from the Mississippi River caused the Big Muddy River to rise above flood stage.
• Flooding in Indiana, April 19 to 20, 20132 deaths · $33,000 · 3 eventsLocal news media reported numerous water rescues of motorists, evacuations of homes, and school closings or delays on the 19th in west central and north central Indiana.
• Flooding in Oregon, April 19 to 20, 20133 eventsFlooding occurred at the Umatilla at Gibbon and Pendleton. The water washed out a section of the road near the Umatilla Forks Campground. There was pasture and low area flooding, water over the paths in Riverfront part in Hermiston.

Every billion-dollar disasterEvery storm of 2013Tornadoes in 2013

NOAA NCEI, U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (2025), https://doi.org/10.25921/stkw-7w73, and the Storm Events Database for the episodes.