41
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$5.0M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Coles County, Illinois: 41 recorded events between 1999 and 2022. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #797 nationally and #21 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Coles County, Illinois: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Coles County is the 2000s, when 20 of the county's 41 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 Coles County archive, flash flood makes up 9.8% of all recorded severe weather across 6 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #797 for this hazard and #21 within Illinois, putting it in the 73.6 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for flash flood in Coles County with 11 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.
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 30, 2022 | MATTOON | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 3, 2022 | MATTOON | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 7, 2022 | MATTOON | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 3, 2018 | MATTOON | 0 | $2.0M |
| May 4, 2017 | COOKS MILLS | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 30, 2017 | COOKS MILLS | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 26, 2016 | OAKLAND | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 26, 2016 | COOKS MILLS | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 19, 2015 | PARADISE | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 4, 2014 | RARDIN | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Coles County
- Thunderstorm Wind 211
- Hail 115
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A steady, but moderate to heavy rain, moved into the southern parts of Coles County shortly after 7 am CDT. Thunderstorms caused the rain to intensify between 9:00 and 10:00 am CDT, when nearly 2.00 inches of rain was measured. Total rainfall ranged from 4.00 to 6.00 inches in about a nine hour period. Flash flooding rapidly developed in Mattoon, Charleston and other surrounding areas, where numerous streets were flooded and had to be closed. Illinois Route 16 was closed in several spots as well as parts of I-57 between milepost 184 and 192. Five houses in Mattoon were flooded, resulting in the evacuation of 11 people, where the water was 3 to 5 feet deep, mainly due to the flooding of Kickapoo Creek. Numerous water rescues were also conducted by local officials for people trapped in vehicles. Lakeland College just south of Mattoon cancelled classes due to all of the road closures from the flooding.
Persistent thunderstorm activity over the county resulted in heavy rainfall over already saturated ground. Radar estimates and surface reports indicated 2 to 4 inches of rain falling between 1700 and 2300 CST. The worst flooding was noted in Charleston, Mattoon, Ashmore and Lerna. The Embarrass River, south of Charleston, went over its banks. As a result a business in Charleston was flooded as were several streets in the town. One vehicle was reported swept off by flood waters. No injuries were reported and no damage estimates were available.
Thunderstorms with heavy rainfall produced 2.00 to 3.00 of rain in northern and eastern Coles County during the pre-dawn hours of June 27th. Many rural roads were flooded and impassable as a result of the rainfall accumulations. Some streets were also flooded in Charleston, and standing water was reported along parts of I-57, U.S. Highway 45, and Illinois Routes 130, 133 and 16.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Coles County, Illinois?
41 flash flood events are recorded in Coles County between 1999 and 2022, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Coles County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Coles County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Coles 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 Coles County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/coles-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.