Flood in Pulaski County, Illinois

One fatality occurred when a motorist drove around barricades into a flooded area along Sandusky Road. The area is fairly prone to flooding of the Cache River. The vehicle was found completely submerged in Cache River floodwaters. A volunteer fire and rescue squad located the vehicle and the body of the motorist. The body of the female motorist was found in a flooded field about 100 feet from the vehicle. It appeared she may have tried to turn around, and the vehicle ended up in a flooded ditch. The incident was reported by a tow-truck driver who towed a second vehicle out of the floodwater. The driver of the second vehicle got out safely, but the vehicle was almost completely submerged except for a small part of the top.

A very heavy rainfall event on the 3rd caused the Cache River to overflow its banks. A potent storm system lifted out of the Southwest during the first few days of the year. An area of low pressure opened up as it entered the southern Plains. Widespread moderate to heavy rain fell between the 2nd and 4th. One to three inch totals were common during this time period, with isolated reports between four and five inches.