57
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$9.1M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Clay County, Illinois: 57 recorded events between 1999 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #503 nationally and #7 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Clay County, Illinois: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Clay County is the 2010s, when 27 of the county's 57 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 Clay County archive, flash flood makes up 15.7% of all recorded severe weather across 6 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #503 for this hazard and #7 within Illinois, putting it in the 83.5 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for flash flood in Clay County with 15 recorded events, while Mar 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 19, 2025 | MC CABE | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 19, 2025 | MC CABE | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 19, 2025 | XENIA | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 7, 2023 | MC CABE | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 7, 2023 | CLAY CITY | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 3, 2023 | MC CABE | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 3, 2023 | XENIA | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 3, 2023 | XENIA | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 2, 2022 | XENIA | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 30, 2021 | CAMP TRAVIS | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Clay County
- Thunderstorm Wind 192
- Hail 81
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Numerous thunderstorms produced 3 to 6 inches of rain on already saturated ground in nearly all of Clay County. Major flash flooding was reported in the town of Xenia and the city of Flora, where several people were evacuated from their flooded homes. Several water rescues were made for stranded motorists in and near Flora. In the northwest part of the county from Iola to Hord all roads were closed, including U.S. Highway 45.
Nearly 2.50 inches of rain in one hour created flash flooding in southern Clay County. Popeberry Lane near Fairfield Road, 1.5 miles south of Xenia, was washed out due to the flooding. Several rural roads near Flora and Clay City had water flowing across them.
Thunderstorms produced 3.00 to 5.00 of rainfall in a large part of Clay County, mainly between 0000 and 0300 local standard time. Flash flooding rapidly developed, which made many rural roads impassable from Iola to Louisville. U.S. Highway 45 near Louisville was also flooded, and was closed after floodwaters swept a car off the highway. The driver was rescued and no injuries were reported.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Clay County, Illinois?
57 flash flood events are recorded in Clay County between 1999 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Clay County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Clay County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Clay 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 Clay County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/clay-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.