41
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$600K
Property damage
Flood in Lake County, Illinois: 41 recorded events between 2001 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #317 nationally and #15 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flood in Lake County, Illinois: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flood in Lake County is the 2020s, when 16 of the county's 41 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Lake County archive, flood makes up 6.4% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #317 for this hazard and #15 within Illinois, putting it in the 88.9 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for flood in Lake County with 10 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 17, 2026 | KNOLLWOOD | — | $0 |
| Apr 17, 2026 | GAGES LAKE | — | $0 |
| Apr 17, 2026 | FOX LAKE | — | $0 |
| Apr 15, 2026 | LOON LAKE | — | $0 |
| Apr 15, 2026 | WINTHROP HARBOR | — | $0 |
| Apr 15, 2026 | GURNEE | — | $0 |
| Apr 15, 2026 | PARK CITY | — | $0 |
| Apr 15, 2026 | ISLAND LAKE | — | $0 |
| Jul 16, 2024 | HIGHWOOD | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 16, 2024 | LINCOLNSHIRE | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Lake County
- Thunderstorm Wind 299
- Hail 185
- Flash Flood 47
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Heavy rain fell across Lake County and southeast Wisconsin between July 11th and July 13th which lead to record flooding along the Des Plaines River. The river gage at Russell measured a record crest of 12.15 feet on July 14th. Flood stage at Russell is 7 feet. The river gage at Gurnee measured a record crest of 12.09 feet on July 16th. Flood stage at Gurnee is 7 feet. The river gage at Lincolnshire measured a record crest of 16.53 feet on July 13th. Flood stage at Lincolnshire is 12.5 feet. River levels held nearly steady around major flood stage for several days and then began a steady fall about a week after the heavy rains.
Photos shared on social media showed flooded ditches and yards near Zion. A private weather station measured 1.90 inches of rain, with 1.34 inches in 30 minutes ending at 1615 CST and 1.67 inches in 60 minutes ending at 1645 CST.
Major flooding occurred along the Des Plaines River. The river crested at 15.73 feet at Lincolnshire on May 18th, which is the 4th highest crest on record. Flood stage at Lincolnshire is 12.5 feet and major stage is 15.5 feet.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flood events are on record in Lake County, Illinois?
41 flood events are recorded in Lake County between 2001 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flood recorded in Lake County?
The strongest flood on record in Lake County measured 0.
Where does the flood data for Lake County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Flood in Lake County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/lake-county/flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.