45
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$15.4M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Jo Daviess County, Illinois: 45 recorded events between 1997 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 2.75. That places the county #703 nationally and #13 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Jo Daviess County, Illinois: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Jo Daviess County is the 2010s, when 20 of the county's 45 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 Jo Daviess County archive, flash flood makes up 10.1% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #703 for this hazard and #13 within Illinois, putting it in the 76.9 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for flash flood in Jo Daviess County with 16 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.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 28, 2011 | EAST DUBUQUE | 0 | 3 | 0 | $7.0M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 17, 2026 | GALENA | — | $0 |
| Apr 17, 2026 | GALENA | — | $0 |
| Apr 17, 2026 | MENOMINEE | — | $0 |
| Apr 14, 2026 | ELMOVILLE | — | $0 |
| Jul 15, 2024 | ELMOVILLE | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 3, 2024 | EAST DUBUQUE | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 6, 2022 | STOCKTON | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 9, 2020 | EAST DUBUQUE | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 12, 2019 | WOODBINE | 0 | $0 |
| Oct 10, 2018 | STOCKTON | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Jo Daviess County
- Thunderstorm Wind 225
- Hail 113
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Torrential rains of 7 to 15 inches caused some flash flooding across Jo Davies County during the evening of July 27 and morning of July 28. Numerous streets were reported flooded in East Dubuque causing sink holes to form as well as buckling of the road rending them impassible. A 70 year old woman died in the flood waters after being thrown from a vehicle overcome by flood waters while traveling along Long Hollow Road near Elizabeth, IL. A 75 year old man died in his car which was swept away in flood waters near Galena, IL. A Galena, IL man died of electrocution going down into his flooded basement.
Widespread flash flooding occurred throughout the county from 3 to over 9 inches of rain. Almost 1000 structures were flooded. Two water treatment sewage plants sustained damage with thousands of acres of crops lost. Preliminary damage estimates are between 7 and 8 million dollars.
Heavy rains of 3 to 9 inches fell across Jo Daviess County during the late evening of July 22 and through the morning of July 23 resulting in flash flooding of much of the county. At 315 am CDT, water was over Highway 20 near Galena and Highway 35 near East Dubuque. Apple River overflowed its banks due to the flash flooding. In Elizabeth, water was flowing out of manhole covers. In addition, Lone Street and Apple River Road were closed due to the flood waters. At 940 am CDT, water rescues were in progress in Elizabeth. Several roads were closed due to flooding.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Jo Daviess County, Illinois?
45 flash flood events are recorded in Jo Daviess County between 1997 and 2026, causing 3 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Jo Daviess County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Jo Daviess County measured 2.75.
Where does the flash flood data for Jo Daviess 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 Jo Daviess County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/jo-daviess-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.