Flash Flood in Illinois
Every flash flood event the National Weather Service has filed in Illinois, year by year, with the most significant episodes. 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.
The most significant on the map
The most significant flash flood episodes in Illinois.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 3,281
- Deaths
- 27
- Injuries
- 17
- Damage
- $2.5 billion
Every year
The most significant
Ranked by deaths, injuries, damage and size together.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Illinois, April 20, 2004The tornado entered LaSalle County from Putnam County, approximately 3 miles northeast of the town of Standard, producing F0 intensity damage in a wooded area southwest of Peru.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Illinois, August 23 to 27, 2007Powerful and damaging thunderstorms moved across northern Illinois producing widespread wind damage.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Illinois, December 26 to 31, 2015A prolonged period of rainfall occurred from the early morning hours of December 26th to the evening of December 28th. The heaviest rainfall occurred in a 50 to 75 mile wide swath from southwest Missouri through the Greater St. Louis Metropolitan Area and into central Illinois.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Illinois, July 27 to 28, 2011Hot and humid conditions prevailed across the region July 27, as a warm front lifted northward into northeast Iowa. Showers and thunderstorms developed along the Highway 20 corridor in Dubuque, Jo Daviess and Stephenson Counties during the early evening hours of July 27.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Illinois, December 26 to 31, 2015A multi-faceted storm system brought several periods of heavy rain to central and southeast Illinois from December 26th through 28th.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Illinois, June 5 to 6, 2010Severe thunderstorms including a few long tracked supercells moved across central and northern Illinois, producing damaging winds, hail and tornadoes.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Illinois, May 8, 2009A mature, very intense derecho moved rapidly east along a stationary front across the Mid Mississippi Valley into the Lower Ohio Valley.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Illinois, August 19 to 20, 2009A vigorous upper-level disturbance in conjunction with a warm front lifting northward through central Illinois triggered strong to severe thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening of August 19th.
- Flash Flood in Illinois, August 7, 2000A cluster of thunderstorms persisted over mainly the far northern parts of the county into the overnight hours. Radar estimates indicated from 4 to over 5 inches of rain falling over a period of less than 6 hours.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Illinois, July 13, 2004The tornado touched down around 234 pm CDT approximately 1.75 miles north-northeast of Metamora in western Woodford County. The tornado traveled southeast for about 2.5 miles, before beginning a temporary eastward jog between county roads 1300E and 1400E.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Illinois, September 13 to 14, 2008A warm front moved across northern Illinois during the morning hours of September 13th as the remnants of tropical storm Lowell moved across the region. These two features combined to produce heavy rain and flash flooding across many areas of northern Illinois.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Illinois, June 22 to 23, 2015During the evening of June 22, twelve tornadoes occurred across northern Illinois, including ten in the WFO Chicago forecast area.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Illinois, May 24 to 25, 2004Several trees, power lines and numerous tree limbs were blown down between Brooklyn and Frederick.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Illinois, June 11, 2026Severe thunderstorms moved across northern Illinois during the afternoon and evening of June 11th producing wind damage, localized flooding and several tornadoes.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Illinois, June 11, 2026A strong storm system interacted with a highly unstable and sheared environment to produce a significant severe weather outbreak across central Illinois during the late afternoon and evening of June 11th.
- Flash Flood and Hail in Illinois, June 18 to 19, 2010A line of severe thunderstorms moved from Iowa into northwest Illinois during the mid afternoon hours and then raced east across northern Illinois producing damaging winds as high as 90 mph. These thunderstorms produced widespread wind and tree damage across northern Illinois.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Illinois, July 23 to 24, 2010Strong to severe thunderstorms moved across northern Illinois during the afternoon and evening hours of July 23rd producing strong winds.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Illinois, April 17 to 18, 2013Strong storms kicked off record setting heavy rains which resulted in record crests across area streams and rivers. Many locations across northern Illinois received 4 to 7 inches of rainfall, with several reports of over 7 inches of rain out of Du Page County.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Illinois, July 14 to 15, 2024Thunderstorms developed during the evening of July 14th and continued into the early morning of July 15th, as they moved across all of northern and central Illinois. Nine tornadoes occurred, along with widespread wind damage.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Illinois, May 26, 2024The second major severe weather outbreak for the month occurred on the 26th for the Quad State region. On the synoptic scale, a shortwave trough centered in the middle of the country with a 60 kt mid-level jet moved across northern Arkansas.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Illinois, June 17, 2026Several rounds of significant convection impacted central Illinois on June 17th, 2026.
- Flash Flood in Illinois, July 17 to 18, 1996
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Illinois, January 8 to 11, 2008Heavy rain fell during the morning hours of January 8th which caused siginficant flooding over many areas of east central Illinois.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Illinois, July 15 to 16, 2024On the evening of July 15, 2024, a derecho brought very strong winds, several tornadoes, and heavy rainfall to a good portion of the Midwest.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Illinois, July 15 to 16, 2024A derecho moved across northern Illinois during the evening of July 15th producing widespread wind damage and 30 tornadoes in northeast Illinois. One of these tornadoes crossed into northwest Indiana.
More
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.