Flash Flood in Winnebago County, Illinois

Thunderstorms developed over southeast Winnebago County and eastern parts of the City of Rockford during the afternoon and evening of September 4th. The thunderstorms continued to redevelop over the same areas, as they pushed north and weakened. Some areas across parts of eastern Rockford received heavy rain for two to three hours. As a result, massive and severe flooding occured. Most of the flooding occurred in and around the Keith Creek Watershed. Some of the damage included a large section of a concrete drainage ditch that was washed out on Harrison Avenue near 20th Street. Hundreds of basements were flooded. Fifteen of these basements suffered structural damage and were deemed uninhabitable. Numerous streets and parking lots were flooded, some as much as 4 to 6 feet with cars floating or submerged in the flood waters. Flood waters as deep as nine feet were reported on Alpine Park in downtown Rockford. Dozens of people were rescued from the flood waters and hundreds were evacuated from their homes as flood waters rose. Flood waters rose so fast in some areas that motorists were trapped in their cars until help arrived. At least 70 businesses sustained some level of flood damage. The highest rainfall total reported was 7.50 inches near Cherry Valley, 4.30 inches was reported on the east side of Rockford, while only 0.72 inches was recorded at Rockford Airport on the southwest side of the City. No fatalities or injuries were reported.