Flash Flood — Christian, Illinois

2014-08-26 to 2014-08-27 · near Osbernville, Christian, Illinois

Event narrative

A severe thunderstorm produced 2.50 to 4.00 of rain within 90 minutes in northwest and central Christian County, including parts of the city of Taylorville. Most rural roads from Taylorville to Edinburg and Kincaid were impassable. Some city streets and basements in homes in northwestern portions of Taylorville were also flooded. Illinois Routes 29 and 104 from Taylorville to Kincaid were closed for a period of time during the late evening. The flooding subsided by Midnight local time.

Wider weather episode

An approaching cold front triggered strong to severe thunderstorms across portions of central Illinois during the late afternoon and evening of August 26th. Hail up to the size of quarters was reported in a few locations, while gusty winds of around 60 mph downed trees in Macon and Edgar counties. In addition, high rainfall rates with the strongest storms led to localized flash flooding, particularly across portions of Macon, Christian, and DeWitt counties. Rainfall amounts in these areas generally ranged from 1.50 to 2.50, with the highest observed total of 3.94 being measured by an observer near Kincaid in Christian County.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (39.7845, -89.1416)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 541666. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.