89
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$392K
Property damage
Flood in Wabash County, Illinois: 89 recorded events between 1996 and 2024. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #75 nationally and #5 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flood in Wabash County, Illinois: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flood in Wabash County is the 2010s, when 48 of the county's 89 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 Wabash County archive, flood makes up 31.9% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #75 for this hazard and #5 within Illinois, putting it in the 97.4 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Mar is the peak month for flood in Wabash County with 17 recorded events, while Sep 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 13, 2015 | MT CARMEL | 0 | 1 | 0 | $5K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 11, 2024 | ROCHESTER | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 1, 2023 | ROCHESTER | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 26, 2023 | MT CARMEL | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 25, 2023 | MT CARMEL | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 27, 2022 | MT CARMEL | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 1, 2022 | MT CARMEL | 0 | $0 |
| Feb 19, 2022 | MT CARMEL | 0 | $0 |
| Jan 4, 2022 | MT CARMEL | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 2, 2021 | ROCHESTER | 0 | $0 |
| May 22, 2020 | PATTON | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Wabash County
- Thunderstorm Wind 76
- Hail 56
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Minor flooding occurred on the Wabash River. At the Mount Carmel river gage, the river crested at 24.78 feet on the 19th. Flood stage is 19 feet. Backwater flooding of tributary creeks occurred, including Coffee Creek near Keensburg. One person drowned when his ultra-terrain vehicle became submerged in creek floodwaters near Keensburg. The 22-year-old man was found several days later, after floodwaters had receded a couple of feet. Cattle and farm equipment were relocated. Most local roads along or near the river were impassible. Extensive lowland flooding occurred. Installation of flood gate A at Mount Carmel was necessary. Access to local camp sites was blocked. The Wabash River was more than 2 miles wide at I-64.
Record flooding occurred on the Wabash River. At the Mount Carmel river gage, the river crested at 34.02 feet on May 3. The old record that was set in the January, 2005 flood was broken by less than an inch. A restaurant was surrounded by water. Some residences were inaccessible due to flooded roadways. Several roads were flooded, even inside the city of Mount Carmel. Backwater from the Wabash River contributed to flooding of Greathouse Creek, which spilled onto a couple of streets and properties in Mount Carmel. Sandbagging was done to reinforce a section of levee.
Major flooding of the Wabash River occurred. At Mount Carmel, the river crested at 33.24 feet on the 14th. Flood stage there is 19 feet. This crest was almost one foot below the record flood crest that occurred in January of 2005. Sandbagging operations were conducted at the public utility company's substation. Debris floating in the river snapped a utility pole, causing a power outage over two hours long that affected the whole city of Mount Carmel. All unprotected flood plain areas were flooded, including the northern outskirts of Mount Carmel and eastern Wabash County. Three streets were impacted by backwater flooding of Greathouse Creek. Numerous local roads were impassable. A few evacuations were necessary. Agricultural losses were near 100 percent in areas that were not protected by levees.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flood events are on record in Wabash County, Illinois?
89 flood events are recorded in Wabash County between 1996 and 2024, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flood recorded in Wabash County?
The strongest flood on record in Wabash County measured 0.
Where does the flood data for Wabash 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 Wabash County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/wabash-county/flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.