Tag: flooding

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Wet June So Far in Illinois – More on the Way

Rainfall across Illinois and the central US has been substantial for June so far. This map represents the June rainfall through this morning. Large portions of the Missouri and Upper Mississippi River Basins have seen between 2 to 5 inches (yellows and oranges), while some spots in Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, and Kansas have received 5 or more inches (red).

map1
Click to enlarge.

Zooming in on Illinois, the map below shows how far above average the wet areas have become. The areas in blue are 2 to 4 inches above average while the areas in green are 0.5 to 2 inches above average. Only small areas northwest of Chicago and south of Carbondale are below-average on rainfall.

map2
Click to enlarge.

Forecast

The potential rainfall amounts over the next week are significant. The 7-day precipitation forecast from the National Weather Service shows that central Illinois could see between 4 and 6 inches of rain, while the northern third of the state could see 2 to 4 inches. The southern third of Illinois could see 1 to 3 inches. Since much of this rain will come from thunderstorms, local amounts could be much higher or lower.

The reason for this rain is that a somewhat stationary front is sitting over Illinois and will remain so over the next week. Rain will continue to develop along and south of that front as warm, moist air flows northward.

p168i
Click to enlarge.
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Flooding – Deadly Risk in Illinois with 28 Deaths in 19 Years

Right now the attention is on the widespread flooding in Texas and Oklahoma, with the number of deaths sitting at 21 and climbing. Illinois has been faced with deadly flooding in the past. An examination of the national storm database reveals that Illinois has had 28 flood-related deaths in the last 19 years*.

Here are the numbers by year in Illinois. Some years like 2000, 2008, 2009, and 2013 were especially bad with 4 to 5 deaths each. A few years had no deaths, including 2004-07, 2012, and 2014. While not part of this database, six deaths were reported in Illinois during the 1993 flood, according the ISWS report.

Flood-related deaths in Illinois from 1996 to 2014, based on data from the National Climatic Data Center.
Flood-related deaths in Illinois from 1996 to 2014, based on data from the National Climatic Data Center.

Continue reading “Flooding – Deadly Risk in Illinois with 28 Deaths in 19 Years”

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Illinois on List Twice for Billion-Dollar Weather Disasters of 2013

According to the National Climatic Data Center, Illinois was on the list twice for billion-dollar weather disasters in 2013. In both cases, some damages occurred elsewhere but Illinois took the brunt of the losses. These numbers are based on reports from government agencies, media reports, and insurance industry estimates.

2013-top-9-billion-dollar-events

The first was the flooding in the Chicago area in April 2013. I had posts on this event here, here, and here. This event produced an estimated $1 billion in damages and led to 4 deaths. They described it as:

A slow-moving storm system created rainfall totals of 5 to 10 inches across northern and central Illinois including the Chicago metro. This resulted in damage to many homes and businesses. There was also severe weather damage from wind and hail across Indiana and Missouri.

The second was the November 17, 2013, tornado outbreak that caused an estimated $1 billion in damages and led to 8 deaths. I wrote about it here, here, here, here, and here. They described it as:

Late-season outbreak of tornadoes and severe weather over the Ohio Valley (IL, IN, MO, OH, KY, MI) with 70 confirmed tornadoes. Most severe impacts occurred across Illinois and Indiana.

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Chicago Gets Soaked Again

Heavy rains fell across the Chicago metropolitan area again today (August 22, 2014). Here is the map of rainfall amounts from our volunteer CoCoRaHS network. You will get a slightly larger and more clear image if you click on the map below. Many sites in the orange have received the average August rainfall in just 1 day. The largest total so far is from an observer in Bloomingdale in DuPage County with 5.45 inches.

august22
Click to enlarge.

Here are the reports for the morning of August 22, 2014, ranked from high to low. Most observers report between 7 and 8 am.

Station ID Station Name Total Precip (inches)
 IL-DP-72 Bloomingdale 0.9 NNE 5.45
 IL-CK-12 Bridgeview 1.3 NNW 4.86
 IL-GY-2 Dwight 4.1 NNW 4.82
 IL-LE-18 Sublette 0.1 NNE 4.78
 IL-CK-88 Countryside 0.8 ENE 4.69
 IL-CK-211 Oak Lawn 1.6 WNW 4.68
 IL-LS-36 Marseilles 2.8 NW 4.67
 IL-CK-152 Chicago Ridge 0.2 WSW 4.51
 IL-DP-77 Roselle 1.1 W 4.46
 IL-CK-149 Oak Lawn 0.5 SSW 4.41
 IL-CK-154 Worth 0.1 E 4.29
 IL-GY-19 South Wilmington 0.3 WNW 4.15
 IL-DP-109 Elmhurst 0.8 ESE 4.10
 IL-LS-25 Marseilles 5.6 WNW 4.10
 IL-DP-14 Westmont 1.2 SSE 4.05
 IL-KK-23 Bonfield 4.0 WSW 3.92
 IL-CK-148 Oak Lawn 1.9 SE 3.73
 IL-KN-11 St Charles 1.1 SW 3.70
 IL-LV-14 Odell 4.4 SE 3.70
 IL-CK-75 Elk Grove Village 2.2 WSW 3.69
 IL-CK-98 La Grange Park 0.7 SSW 3.64
 IL-CK-187 North Riverside 0.4 W 3.61
 IL-CK-145 Oak Park 1.5 S 3.59
 IL-DP-117 Elmhurst 2.0 SE 3.57
 IL-DP-38 Elmhurst 0.4 SW 3.55
 IL-CK-63 Elk Grove Village 0.6 ESE 3.52
 IL-KN-50 Elburn 2.7 NNE 3.48
 IL-CK-131 Schaumburg 2.0 E 3.45
 IL-DP-100 Bartlett 1.1 SE 3.35
 IL-LS-47 Earlville 7.6 SSE 3.35
 IL-KN-30 Elburn 0.4 NW 3.32
 IL-LS-50 Seneca 1.2 NNE 3.30
 IL-CK-82 Burnham-Hegewisch 1.6 NNW 3.19
 IL-LS-45 Streator 1.3 WSW 3.19
 IL-KN-63 Geneva 1.7 WSW 3.15
 IL-DP-85 Villa Park 1.0 NW 3.13
 IL-CK-61 Oak Park 1.0 SW 3.11
 IL-WF-19 Washburn 5.2 W 3.10
 IL-DP-29 Glen Ellyn 1.6 SSE 3.02
 IL-LS-51 Seneca 1.1 NNE 3.00
 IL-LV-17 Emington 2.2 SSE 3.00
 IL-LV-12 Streator 1.4 S 2.99
 IL-KN-62 Batavia 1.3 WNW 2.97
 IL-KN-58 Lily Lake 2.1 E 2.95
 IL-CK-202 River Forest 0.9 SSE 2.93
 IL-GY-9 Mazon 0.5 ENE 2.88
 IL-CK-240 Chicago 2.7 WNW 2.87
 IL-DP-79 Burr Ridge 1.9 SW 2.87
 IL-LS-17 Ottawa 1.6 N 2.82
 IL-CK-129 Schaumburg 2.7 WSW 2.81
 IL-KN-8 Geneva 3.3 WSW 2.81
 IL-LS-1 Ottawa 1.3 NW 2.78
 IL-DP-18 Downers Grove 2.1 SE 2.66
 IL-DP-40 Lombard 1.0 NNW 2.62
 IL-DP-98 Downers Grove 0.9 S 2.60
 IL-CK-192 Park Ridge 0.7 WNW 2.57
 IL-GY-12 Braceville 0.5 SSE 2.54
 IL-DP-63 Bartlett 1.0 SSE 2.51
 IL-KN-5 Batavia 0.7 WSW 2.44
 IL-CK-153 Alsip 0.2 E 2.42
 IL-CK-238 Elmwood Park 0.7 NNW 2.42
 IL-LS-49 North Utica 6.3 N 2.35
 IL-KN-78 Geneva 1.3 SSW 2.34
 IL-KN-104 Geneva 3.9 WSW 2.33
 IL-LE-14 Amboy 0.5 ESE 2.33
 IL-KN-79 Geneva 1.6 WSW 2.23
 IL-DP-49 Naperville 2.5 ESE 2.22
 IL-CK-180 Park Ridge 0.5 SSW 2.21
 IL-DP-32 Lisle 1.3 SE 2.16
 IL-CK-178 Rolling Meadows 0.9 ESE 2.15
 IL-DP-122 Clarendon Hills 0.5 NW 2.14
 IL-LS-39 Ottawa 0.5 NNW 2.14
 IL-KN-67 St. Charles 6.0 NW 2.13
 IL-KN-33 North Aurora 1.5 NE 2.12
 IL-KN-64 St. Charles 0.1 E 2.12
 IL-DK-21 De Kalb 0.6 SE 2.09
 IL-DP-118 Darien 0.4 SSE 2.09
 IL-DP-83 Lombard 1.2 NNW 2.05
 IL-CK-74 Oak Park 1.3 NNE 2.04
 IL-MCH-49 Cary 0.3 NE 2.04
 IL-DP-96 Lombard 1.0 WSW 2.02
 IL-LS-27 Oglesby 0.6 ESE 1.94
 IL-WF-12 Germantown Hills 1.3 NW 1.93
 IL-CK-121 Palatine 1.3 E 1.92
 IL-LS-34 La Salle 0.1 W 1.90
 IL-LV-7 Chatsworth 0.4 ESE 1.85
 IL-DK-10 Malta 0.4 SSE 1.84
 IL-CK-81 Arlington Heights 1.8 NNW 1.83
 IL-DP-42 Carol Stream 0.3 SSE 1.83
 IL-DP-69 Glen Ellyn 1.0 NE 1.81
 IL-DP-16 Aurora 3.6 SE 1.80
 IL-CK-107 Evanston 1.4 N 1.79
 IL-LS-2 Oglesby 0.4 N 1.79
 IL-CK-14 Chicago 5.5 ESE 1.78
 IL-CK-243 Elmwood Park 0.7 ESE 1.77
 IL-LS-12 Peru 0.6 SW 1.76
 IL-CK-32 Chicago 6.4 NNE 1.75
 IL-CK-175 Winnetka 1.2 S 1.75
 IL-WL-118 Elwood 4.6 NE 1.72
 IL-CK-235 Park Ridge 1.1 ENE 1.70
 IL-DP-101 Aurora 3.8 SE 1.66
 IL-PR-9 Dunlap 2.6 S 1.57
 IL-CK-106 Hoffman Estates 4.6 W 1.56
 IL-LS-46 Mendota 2.4 SE 1.56
 IL-KN-9 Elgin 1.0 S 1.54
 IL-KN-95 Elgin 2.5 W 1.53
 IL-IR-10 Buckley 0.2 SSE 1.52
 IL-CK-168 Ravenswood Manor 0.1 ESE 1.49
 IL-WL-119 Homer Glen 1.6 NW 1.47
 IL-DP-27 Naperville 2.1 ESE 1.45
 IL-WL-46 Peotone 0.4 ENE 1.45
 IL-KN-2 Elgin 2.3 WNW 1.39
 IL-WL-67 Channahon 2.5 SSE 1.38
 IL-KD-23 Montgomery 1.7 SSE 1.37
 IL-LV-10 Pontiac 0.7 ESE 1.37
 IL-WL-61 Channahon 0.8 NNE 1.37
 IL-WL-71 Plainfield 1.1 SW 1.37
 IL-CK-50 Palos Park 1.3 SW 1.35
 IL-KN-51 Sugar Grove 1.4 ENE 1.32
 IL-WL-25 Crete 2.6 E 1.32
 IL-WL-41 Peotone 0.5 ENE 1.32
 IL-LV-6 Pontiac 1.0 SE 1.31
 IL-MCH-43 Algonquin 0.7 N 1.31
 IL-KD-34 Plainfield 4.8 SW 1.30
 IL-WL-84 Beecher 3.4 ENE 1.30
 IL-WL-99 Manhattan 1.9 SE 1.29
 IL-DP-102 Bolingbrook 2.7 NE 1.28
 IL-WL-20 Manhattan 4.7 ENE 1.28
 IL-WL-79 Peotone 0.5 SE 1.27
 IL-CK-215 Glenview 0.9 SW 1.26
 IL-WL-93 New Lenox 4.2 SE 1.26
 IL-GY-20 Morris 2.5 SSE 1.25
 IL-WL-121 Monee 4.9 W 1.25
 IL-WN-19 Rockton 1.0 ESE 1.24
 IL-WL-36 Homer Glen 3.9 WNW 1.22
 IL-CK-206 Park Forest 1.0 SW 1.21
 IL-KN-107 South Elgin 0.9 WSW 1.20
 IL-SP-7 Davis 0.5 N 1.17
 IL-LK-39 Riverwoods 0.4 ENE 1.14
 IL-WL-104 Plainfield 2.7 SE 1.14
 IL-LK-25 Lincolnshire 1.3 WSW 1.13
 IL-KD-46 Oswego 1.0 SW 1.10
 IL-SP-18 Freeport 0.9 ESE 1.10
 IL-WL-16 Homer Glen 0.8 ENE 1.07
 IL-WL-51 Plainfield 2.4 SSE 1.06
 IL-FD-9 Gibson 3.0 WNW 1.05
 IL-WL-80 Lockport 1.3 SE 1.05
 IL-WL-100 Joliet 2.9 WNW 1.05
 IL-KD-5 Montgomery 0.8 SSE 1.04
 IL-WL-120 Joliet 1.2 W 1.04
 IL-KX-11 Galesburg 8.8 S 1.03
 IL-WL-82 Orland Park 4.6 WNW 1.03
 IL-HY-6 New Windsor 2.0 N 1.02
 IL-LK-16 Buffalo Grove 1.5 N 1.02
 IL-WL-64 Joliet 2.3 WNW 1.02
 IL-GY-10 Minooka 0.3 NE 1.01
 IL-CK-146 Glenwood 1.5 ESE 1.00
 IL-KN-82 Batavia 0.8 S 1.00
 IL-LS-7 Sheridan 3.4 SSE 1.00
 IL-LK-69 Highwood 0.9 S 0.99
 IL-CK-53 Glencoe 0.1 NW 0.98
 IL-CK-94 Lincolnwood 1.8 E 0.98
 IL-MCH-66 Harvard 2.8 SSE 0.97
 IL-FL-9 London Mills 1.4 SE 0.95
 IL-WL-111 New Lenox 1.0 NE 0.95
 IL-WF-14 El Paso 5.2 NNW 0.95
 IL-KX-9 Knoxville 0.7 NW 0.93
 IL-MCH-13 Bull Valley 2.5 WNW 0.92
 IL-KK-25 Bonfield 4.2 NNE 0.91
 IL-WL-50 Lockport 3.3 ESE 0.91
 IL-KD-24 Oswego 5.0 SSE 0.90
 IL-KN-91 Hampshire 0.7 W 0.89
 IL-DP-57 Aurora 3.5 NE 0.88
 IL-GY-4 Coal City 0.4 N 0.87
 IL-GY-16 Morris 6.4 ESE 0.87
 IL-WL-73 Wilmington 2.6 SE 0.86
 IL-MCH-61 Woodstock 1.5 WSW 0.84
 IL-WL-97 New Lenox 3.3 E 0.84
 IL-LK-11 Lincolnshire 0.9 N 0.83
 IL-GY-21 Coal City 2.8 N 0.82
 IL-WL-103 Joliet 1.8 NNE 0.80
 IL-CK-42 Mount Prospect 3.0 NE 0.79
 IL-LK-53 Lakemoor 1.5 SE 0.78
 IL-WL-108 Plainfield 4.1 NW 0.78
 IL-LK-15 Bannockburn 0.5 ESE 0.77
 IL-TZ-14 Morton 1.0 SSE 0.77
 IL-KK-28 Chebanse 0.4 NNE 0.76
 IL-WL-123 Bolingbrook 1.4 W 0.76
 IL-CK-232 Lincolnwood 3.2 E 0.75
 IL-GY-1 Carbon Hill 3.1 N 0.75
 IL-LV-4 Chenoa 3.9 NNW 0.75
 IL-TZ-1 Morton 1.0 S 0.74
 IL-WN-30 Pecatonica 2.3 S 0.74
 IL-KN-86 Elgin 7.5 WSW 0.72
 IL-LK-9 Lake Villa 1.1 SSW 0.72
 IL-LE-8 Ashton 0.4 SSW 0.71
 IL-LK-74 Mundelein 1.6 WNW 0.70
 IL-WL-72 New Lenox 2.9 ENE 0.69
 IL-LK-22 Lake Forest 2.1 NNE 0.68
 IL-MCD-5 Macomb 0.6 WNW 0.68
 IL-LK-70 Fox Lake 2.4 SE 0.67
 IL-WL-105 Plainfield 2.9 NNW 0.65
 IL-DP-75 Naperville 1.1 NW 0.64
 IL-MCH-59 Harvard 0.3 E 0.64
 IL-SP-6 Freeport 2.0 NW 0.64
 IL-WN-2 Roscoe 1.6 ESE 0.64
 IL-LK-54 Mundelein 0.5 NNE 0.62
 IL-MR-4 Aledo 0.4 NE 0.62
 IL-LK-86 Mundelein 1.8 NW 0.60
 IL-LK-13 Lake Bluff 1.3 W 0.59
 IL-MCL-2 Arrowsmith 1.7 NNE 0.59
 IL-MR-6 Aledo 0.4 NE 0.59
 IL-BU-8 Tiskilwa 2.1 N 0.58
 IL-DK-17 De Kalb 1.8 NNE 0.58
 IL-BN-14 Capron 0.1 N 0.57
 IL-KK-26 Kankakee 3.2 SE 0.55
 IL-CK-197 Orland Hills 0.6 SE 0.53
 IL-LK-42 Gurnee 1.6 W 0.53
 IL-LK-83 Antioch 3.4 WSW 0.53
 IL-WD-5 Morrison 3.2 E 0.53
 IL-LK-29 Lake Bluff 1.4 W 0.51
 IL-SP-8 Winslow 4.3 ESE 0.51
 IL-WD-14 Sterling 4.9 WSW 0.51
 IL-WL-63 New Lenox 1.8 SE 0.51
 IL-MCL-9 Danvers 1.7 WNW 0.50
 IL-SP-14 Freeport 1.7 ESE 0.50
 IL-DK-5 Cortland 0.3 SSW 0.49
 IL-MCH-33 Woodstock 3.8 SW 0.48
 IL-MCH-52 Woodstock 0.8 SSW 0.47
 IL-LK-3 Beach Park 1.4 W 0.45
 IL-LK-19 Waukegan 2.2 N 0.45
 IL-TZ-10 Tremont 3.6 E 0.45
 IL-LK-72 Wadsworth 1.4 SSE 0.44
 IL-MCL-23 Normal 1.9 ESE 0.44
 IL-IR-14 Watseka 6.9 WNW 0.43
 IL-OG-4 Byron 3.2 N 0.43
 IL-WN-14 Rockford 3.3 NE 0.43
 IL-BU-5 Princeton 1.1 SE 0.42
 IL-BU-9 La Moille 0.2 NNE 0.42
 IL-CK-64 Homewood 0.1 ESE 0.42
 IL-LK-8 Gurnee 2.5 NE 0.42
 IL-LK-84 Waukegan 1.7 E 0.40
 IL-LE-10 Dixon 3.0 NNW 0.39
 IL-WF-18 El Paso 6.2 SW 0.39
 IL-CK-170 Flossmoor 0.5 SW 0.38
 IL-HY-1 Orion 4.1 NW 0.38
 IL-MCL-18 Bloomington 3.2 NE 0.36
 IL-LE-5 Sterling 4.3 NE 0.35
 IL-MCL-17 Bloomington 2.7 NE 0.35
 IL-CR-11 Milledgeville 0.4 ESE 0.34
 IL-DP-78 Naperville 2.4 SE 0.34
 IL-MCL-32 Danvers 0.34
 IL-WN-8 Rockford 0.7 NW 0.34
 IL-KD-12 Yorkville 1.1 W 0.33
 IL-WL-113 New Lenox 2.1 SE 0.33
 IL-KK-34 Bradley 1.1 SW 0.32
 IL-WD-8 Coleta 1.4 SSW 0.32
 IL-IR-2 Ashkum 5.6 E 0.31
 IL-RI-10 Moline 1.1 N 0.31
 IL-CP-81 Dewey 1.6 NNW 0.30
 IL-LK-23 Winthrop Harbor 0.2 SSE 0.30
 IL-SP-17 Pearl City 0.4 SW 0.30
 IL-KK-22 Bourbonnais 1.5 NNE 0.29
 IL-KD-25 Yorkville 1.8 SSE 0.27
 IL-LK-27 Winthrop Harbor 0.7 SSW 0.27
 IL-LE-17 Dixon 1.5 SW 0.27
 IL-RI-3 Moline 0.9 N 0.27
 IL-RI-13 Moline 0.7 NNE 0.26
 IL-CR-12 Mount Carroll 6.8 NNW 0.25
 IL-HY-4 Atkinson 2.6 NNE 0.25
 IL-HY-8 Geneseo 2.0 NW 0.25
 IL-LG-32 Lincoln 2.7 NNE 0.22
 IL-OG-12 Davis Junction 1.1 SW 0.22
 IL-KD-7 Plano 0.4 NNE 0.20
 IL-WN-26 Rockford 1.5 ENE 0.20
 IL-KK-35 Bourbonnais 2.9 E 0.19
 IL-MCD-7 Colchester 3.5 NE 0.19