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Quick Update on Illinois Precipitation Totals

By: Christopher C. Burt, 7:39 PM GMT on April 18, 2013

Quick Update on Illinois Precipitation Totals

As Jeff Masters reported this morning (April 18) a significant rain event has brought river and flash flooding to many locations in northern Illinois, especially in and around Chicago. Here is a short recap of some of the precipitation totals.

As of 7 a.m. CST the top report so far has been 7.93” in Augusta, Hancock County in the west-central part of the state. Augusta is about 20 miles southeast of Keokuk, Iowa, which reported 4.62” (both figures for 24 hours ending 7 a.m.). CocoRas has reported another 7”+ total of 7.18” at Princeton, Bureau County which is located in northern Illinois about halfway between Chicago and the Iowa state line. The highest total so far reported from eastern Iowa is 6.31” at Macomb. Chicago O’Hare official site has reported a total storm rainfall of 5.86” as of 2 p.m. CST.

Below is a table of other 4”+ reports posted on the Chicago NWS web site:





A map and table of precipitation totals reported across northern Illinois for the 24-hour period ending at 7 a.m. CST. Map produced by the ever vigilant staff at NWS-Chicago.

At this hour, around 2 p.m. CST, the rain has diminished and the flash floodwaters are receding in most areas but the rivers continue to rise. Some additional light precipitation (up to .25”) is forecast to move through northern Illinois later this afternoon.



Lombard, Illinois, a Chicago suburb in Cook County reported 5.78” of rainfall as of 8 a.m. this morning causing a lake in the area to expand out of its banks. My friend Dave Jern (the photographer of the above image) states that the bank of this lake is normally more than a block away from his home (where the image was taken). Photo by Dave Jern.

I’ll have a more complete blog on this epic storm event tomorrow.

Christopher C. Burt
Weather Historian

Precipitation Records Flood

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