Flash Flood in Lee County, Illinois
Flash Flood August 18, 2025 · Lee County, Illinois
Where the report was made, with tornadoes recorded within 15 miles over the years.
What the National Weather Service wrote
A couple of rounds of torrential rainfall brought flash flooding to parts of southeast Lee County. A video shared to social media showed a house in the Paw Paw area surrounded by floodwater with significant flooding in the yard and in nearby fields. Paw Paw Rd was flooded approximately one mile north of Paw Paw. In Compton, water was seen flowing over roads and parking lots. A private weather station in Paw Paw recorded 7.02 of storm total rain, 5.03 of which fell between 3:15 and 5:15 CST. Another private weather station near Dunn Airport northwest of Paw Paw recorded 4.67 of storm total rainfall. The flooding is estimated to have resulted in $5,000 worth of damages, mostly to crops.
The wider storm
During the afternoon and evening of the 18th, a few rounds of thunderstorms brought torrential rainfall to much of northern Illinois resulting in flash flooding. One particularly strong storm also produced damaging winds in DeKalb County. Initial reports estimate $8.8 million in flood damages around northern and northeast Illinois, and around $2.5 million in the city of Chicago alone.
Began near Paw Paw (41.6756, -88.9488).
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 1288626. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.
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