163
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
10
Direct injuries
$1.6M
Property damage
Flood in White County, Illinois: 163 recorded events between 1999 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #18 nationally and #2 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flood in White County, Illinois: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flood in White County is the 2010s, when 100 of the county's 163 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 White County archive, flood makes up 39.5% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #18 for this hazard and #2 within Illinois, putting it in the 99.4 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Mar is the peak month for flood in White County with 32 recorded events, while Nov 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 20, 2019 | MAUNIE | 0 | 0 | 10 | $30K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 2025 | CARMI MUNI ARPT | 0 | $0 |
| May 1, 2025 | CARMI MUNI ARPT | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 11, 2024 | MAUNIE | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 1, 2023 | CARMI | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 1, 2023 | MAUNIE | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 26, 2023 | CALVIN | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 25, 2023 | CARMI MUNI ARPT | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 5, 2023 | MAUNIE | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 5, 2023 | CARMI | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 2, 2022 | CARMI MUNI ARPT | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from White County
- Thunderstorm Wind 116
- Hail 64
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Major flooding continued on the Wabash River from April. At the New Harmony (Indiana) river gage, the river crested at 23.67 feet on May 4. This level was the fourth highest crest on record, exceeding the 2005 flood by about six inches. This was the highest level since 1943. Sandbagging began to prevent Wabash River floodwaters from entering the Grayville water plant. Several homes in Grayville were threatened by rising water, and water entered a number of basements. The approach to the bridge to Maunie was washed out. The 172 residents of Maunie were asked to evacuate, but 42 of them did not. An airboat was brought in by Illinois police to shuttle supplies into the isolated community and evacuate medical patients. The airboats were used to assist residents in the communities of Dogtown and Concord that were isolated by floodwaters. In New Haven, a combination of Little Wabash River floodwater and Wabash River backwater flooded more than a dozen homes.
Many rural and county roads were flooded. U.S. Highway 45 was closed north of Enfield. A vehicle became stranded in floodwaters west of Grayville. The driver was rescued by emergency personnel. Illinois Route 1 in Crossville was closed for a few hours. In Omaha, a fertilizer and agrichemical warehouse was flooded with four feet of water.
Major flooding continued on the Little Wabash River from April. At the Carmi river gage, the river crested at 38.34 feet on May 3. This reading was the second highest on record, missing the record level set in 1961 by only about an inch. Due to flooding of the Little Wabash River, the bridge on Route 1 and several low-lying streets in Carmi were closed. At least ten businesses in East Carmi were flooded. The businesses were closed for up to three weeks. Flooding damaged or cut off access to about 20 homes and a church. Backwater from the Little Wabash River caused major flooding on the Skillet Fork River in the Mill Shoals and Springerton areas. Some sandbagging was done in Mill Shoals, and a section of U.S. 45 was closed. County and city schools were closed.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flood events are on record in White County, Illinois?
163 flood events are recorded in White County between 1999 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flood recorded in White County?
The strongest flood on record in White County measured 0.
Where does the flood data for White 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 White County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/white-county/flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.