Flash Flood — La Salle, Illinois

2008-09-14 · near Garfield, La Salle, Illinois

$5.0M

Property damage

Event narrative

Flash flooding or significant flooding was reported across much of LaSalle County, including street closures due to flooding, basement flooding and creek, stream and river flooding. Numerous houses were under water in the northwest and southwest part of Sheridan which is near the Fox River. Several evacuations were conducted. Northeast of Utica, County Roads E 10th and and N 31st were closed with up to one foot of water covering the roads. A canoe launch area in Streator along the Vermillion River was submerged. Flooding was reported in Wedron, Utica, Earlville and Marseilles. The wastewater treatment plant in the City of LaSalle suffered significant damage. Numerous vehicles were submerged or abandoned in flood waters.

Wider weather episode

The remnants of hurricane Ike moved across northern Illinois during the morning hours of September 14th. This system produced a second round of very heavy rain after a period of heavy rain just 24 hours earlier across many of the same areas. Flash flooding was common as many creeks, streams and rivers swelled over their banks, some reaching all-time record high crests. Flooding was extensive and widespread with some of the worse flooding located near streams and rivers. Storm total rainfall amounts for September 13th and September 14th (combined) included, 10.53 inches in Wheaton, 10.51 inches in Elburn, 10.20 inches in Evanston, 10.01 inches in Park Forest, 9.78 inches in Bartlett, 9.10 inches in St. Charles, 9.09 inches in Geneva, 8.89 inches in Homewood, 8.76 inches in Flossmoor, 8.74 inches in Elk Grove Village, 8.55 inches in Streator, 8.47 inches in Skokie, 8.45 inches at Chicago Ohare Airport, 8.26 inches in Elgin, 8.11 inches in Batavia, 7.85 inches in Lincolnwood, 7.84 inches in Glen Ellyn, 7.11 inches in Peru, 6.89 inches in Mendota, 6.70 inches in St. Anne, 6.62 inches in Plainfield, 6.44 inches in Joliet, 6.24 inches in Yorkville, 6.19 inches in DeKalb, 6.03 inches in Rochelle and 6.00 inches near Seneca.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (41.1073, -88.9324)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 135537. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.