Flash Flood — Winnebago, Illinois

2024-07-13 to 2024-07-14 · near Woodcrest, Winnebago, Illinois

Event narrative

Thunderstorms producing torrential rainfall moved across southern Winnebago County and Rockford during the late evening of July 13th into the early morning of July 14th producing significant flash flooding and numerous water rescues, though no injuries were reported.

Water rescues were reported near Eastmoreland Avenue and Broadway; Near Auburn Street and Huffman Boulevard; Broadway at Woodruff Avenue; Near Charles Street and 22nd Street; Green Dale Drive and Ashbrook Drive; Spring Creek Road and North 2nd Street; Riverside Boulevard and Latham Street; Near Chelsea Avenue and Arden Court; Near State Street and Trainer Road; At Don Carter Lanes on Street State; Auburn Street and Central Avenue; In the 3400 block of Garfield Drive; Sandy Hollow Road and Alpine Road and several water rescues were reported on the 600 block of St. Louis Avenue. Multiple vehicles were stuck in flood waters along Charles Street including an ambulance. A car was submerged in a parking lot near Charles Street.

Numerous streets were flooded and impassible. Kishwaukee Street was flooded and impassable at 23rd Avenue. A photo showed flowing water over Charles Street at Perryville Road; Video showed several inches of water on State Street just west of Rockford Avenue and a drainage ditch was overflowing near Harrison Avenue and Alpine Road.

Houses were flooded near Javelin Drive and Woodridge Drive. Pavement damage was reported to a nearby parking lot. Water was reported entering a few structures near downtown Rockford including along Benton and State Streets. Numerous homes were surrounded by flood waters along Northwest Drainage Ditch in northwest Rockford where water rescues were done by boat. Flood waters were up to the doorway of houses in the 1000 block of 14th Street where residents were being evacuated. Multiple houses were surrounded by water due to flooding of Keith Creek between 11th Street and 18th Street and a house was flooded near Whitman Street and Rockton Avenue. Several hundred basements were flooded.

Some of the highest storm total rainfall amounts included 6.30 inches three miles west northwest of Rockford; 6.24 inches two miles east northeast of Rockford; 5.69 inches three miles south southeast of Loves Park; 5.66 inches two miles northwest of Cherry Valley; 4.87 inches two miles west northwest of Loves Park and Rockford Airport measured 2.40 inches. Rainfall rates during the heaviest thunderstorms were between 2 to 4 inches per hour. A trained spotter reported 4 inches of rain in one hour in Loves Park between 2130 CST and 2230 CST.

Wider weather episode

Scattered thunderstorms moved across parts of northern Illinois during the afternoon of July 13th producing isolated wind damage.

Scattered thunderstorms developed during the evening of July 13th and continued into the early morning of July 14th producing significant flash flooding in Rockford as well as isolated wind damage.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (42.1500, -89.1730)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1184971. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.