43
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$20.1M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Macon County, Illinois: 43 recorded events between 1996 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #752 nationally and #17 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Macon County, Illinois: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Macon County is the 2000s, when 17 of the county's 43 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 Macon County archive, flash flood makes up 7.7% of all recorded severe weather across 6 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #752 for this hazard and #17 within Illinois, putting it in the 75.1 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for flash flood in Macon County with 12 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 | BEARSDALE | — | $0 |
| Aug 12, 2025 | BEARSDALE | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 12, 2025 | BEARSDALE | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 19, 2025 | DECATUR | 0 | $0 |
| May 20, 2024 | LONG CREEK | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 4, 2022 | FORSYTH | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 4, 2022 | BEARSDALE | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 4, 2022 | MT ZION | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 2, 2022 | BEARSDALE | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 22, 2020 | BEARSDALE | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Macon County
- Thunderstorm Wind 285
- Hail 150
- Tornado 78
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A severe thunderstorm produced 2.00 to 3.00 of rain within one hour in parts of central Macon County, including the cities of Decatur and Mt. Zion. The flash flooding resulted in the closure of numerous streets and viaducts in Decatur, as well as basement flooding to numerous homes and businesses. The flash flooding also impacted several rural roads from Harristown through Decatur to Mt. Zion. The flooding subsided by late evening.
A thunderstorm produced a heavy downpour with more than 1.50 of rain in 30 minutes across central Macon County, including the city of Decatur. Numerous streets were flooded and the roof of a food pantry collapsed, which damaged the contents of the building.
Reports of water over many county roads were received. Flooding was reported in Boody on Illinois Route 48, between Harvey City and Dalton City on County Highway 49 and on Illinois Route 121. More than a dozen basements were also flooded in Decatur.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Macon County, Illinois?
43 flash flood events are recorded in Macon County between 1996 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Macon County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Macon County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Macon 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 Macon County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/macon-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.