65
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$47.6M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Champaign County, Illinois: 65 recorded events between 1996 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #389 nationally and #2 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Champaign County, Illinois: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Champaign County is the 2000s, when 24 of the county's 65 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 Champaign County archive, flash flood makes up 7.7% of all recorded severe weather across 6 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #389 for this hazard and #2 within Illinois, putting it in the 87.2 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for flash flood in Champaign County with 23 recorded events, while Oct 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 11, 2026 | NEWBURG | — | $0 |
| Jul 27, 2025 | CHAMPAIGN | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 26, 2025 | RANTOUL | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 16, 2025 | STALEY | 0 | $0 |
| Nov 5, 2024 | CHAMPAIGN | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 30, 2024 | CHAMPAIGN | 0 | $0 |
| May 24, 2024 | TOLONO | 0 | $0 |
| May 24, 2024 | TOLONO | 0 | $0 |
| May 24, 2024 | TOLONO | 0 | $0 |
| May 24, 2024 | (CMI)WILLARD FLD CHA | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Champaign County
- Thunderstorm Wind 443
- Hail 233
- Tornado 81
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Periods of thunderstorms with heavy rainfall produced rain rates of 1 to 2.5 inches for at least two hours from 0630-0830 LST in northwest and central Champaign County – including the cities of Champaign and Mahomet/Lake of the Woods. The highest rain totals ranged between 6.00 to 7.00 inches from Mahomet to the village of Foosland. Nearly all rural roads in northwest Champaign County were flooded with at least a foot of water. Illinois Route 47 from Gibson City to Mahomet, U.S. Highway 150 from Mansfield to Mahomet, and U.S. Highway 136 near Fisher were closed due to flooding. Parts of Interstate 74 from milepost 168 to 173 were impassable. Numerous streets and viaducts in Mahomet and Champaign were also impassable. Many homes in Mahomet and Champaign also had significant basement flooding. Estimated flood damages in Champaign County were around $47 Million.
Spotters reported rainfall rates of one to two inches per hour from Champaign/Urbana east to the county line. Numerous main thoroughfares in Champaign were impassable due to more than six inches of flowing water or flooded viaducts. A few businesses from Champaign to St. Joseph sustained damage due to the flooding.
Slow moving, persistent thunderstorms produced 2.00 to 3.00 of rain in a small part of north central Champaign County. The heaviest rainfall and flash flooding was reported from Rantoul through Thomasboro to just northeast of Urbana. Parts of U.S. Highway 45 from Rantoul to Thomasboro were impassable. The Thomasboro Fire Department reported a bridge washed out over the Saline Branch west of the town.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Champaign County, Illinois?
65 flash flood events are recorded in Champaign County between 1996 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Champaign County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Champaign County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Champaign 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
“Flash Flood in Champaign County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/champaign-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.