65
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$22.7M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Will County, Illinois: 65 recorded events between 1996 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #389 nationally and #2 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Will County, Illinois: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Will County is the 2000s, when 27 of the county's 65 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 Will County archive, flash flood makes up 5.2% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #389 for this hazard and #2 within Illinois, putting it in the 87.2 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for flash flood in Will County with 15 recorded events, while Mar 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 18, 1996 | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 2 | 0 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 19, 2025 | NAPERVILLE | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 19, 2025 | MARLEY | 0 | $1.0M |
| Aug 19, 2025 | NEW LENOX | 0 | $250K |
| Aug 17, 2025 | ROMEOVILLE | 0 | $1.0M |
| Aug 12, 2025 | MARLEY | 0 | $0 |
| Jan 26, 2024 | LORENZO | 0 | $250K |
| Jul 2, 2023 | BOLINGBROOK | 0 | $0 |
| Feb 22, 2022 | WILMINGTON | 0 | $0 |
| Feb 17, 2022 | WILMINGTON | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 26, 2021 | MANHATTAN | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Will County
- Thunderstorm Wind 564
- Hail 358
- Tornado 98
- Flood 88
- Lightning 41
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Major flooding affected the city of Joliet during the afternoon and evening hours of July 27th. Torrential Rains fell across parts of the city with 5.50 inches falling in just 90 minutes between 4 pm and 530 pm near Black Road and Infantry Drive. Storm total rainfall of 6.13 inches was reported on the west side of Joliet. Approximately 30 homes and businesses suffered basement flooding. Center Street Ramps to Interstate 80 were closed with four feet of standing water. Cars were stranded in 4 to 5 feet of water under the viaduct on Route 30 east of Briggs Street. Pavement buckled under the force of the flood waters at Western and Cass Avenues. Raynor and Ingallis were closed with 12 to 16 inches of water. The intersection of Larkin and Jefferson closed with 2 to 3 feet of water. Springfield and Glenwood Streets had 10 to 12 inches of water. Numerous other locations reported less significant flooding.
Significant flooding was reported around parts of northern Will County, namely in the vicinities of Joliet, Romeoville, and Plainfield. In Joliet, Caton Farm Rd was closed at Joe Adler Dr, and IL Rt. 53 was closed at a viaduct south of Caton Farm Rd due to flooding. A car was reported stranded in floodwater near Center St north of I-80 in Joliet. In Crest Hill, street flooding was reported at IL Rt. 53 and Theodore St. Standing water was reported at IL-126 and County Line Rd in Plainfield. An estimated 250 structures were flooded in this area amounting to around $1 million in flood damages.
Numerous reports of street flooding came out of the east side of Mokena, south of I-80. Near the Hickory Creek train station, at least 6 inches of water were flooding a viaduct. Up to 3 feet of water were reported on a roadway near Hercht Park. A nearby private weather station recorded 3.62 inches of rain from approximately 6 to 9 PM CST. Reports show flooding began in the area following an initial push of heavy rain during the 6PM CST hour, with additional flooding following subsequent storms through the evening. An estimated 200 structures were flooded around the Mokena, Frankfort, and Crete areas totaling around $1 million in flood damages.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Will County, Illinois?
65 flash flood events are recorded in Will County between 1996 and 2025, causing 2 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Will County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Will County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Will 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 Will County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/will-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.