Flooding a Threat After Heavy Rains Dump on Area

Lightning Takes Out Radar at Lincoln

[January 08, 2008]  Heavy storms came up out of the southwest and dumped inches of rain over Logan County and the surrounding area most of Monday night and Tuesday morning. The rains are coming to a close, but flooding potentials will continue as water runs off partially frozen ground and into recently thawed, swollen streams.

At Armington a rate of 3.04 inches per hour was reported.

Terry Storer, assistant director for Logan County Emergency Management Agency, said Tuesday morning that creeks were reported flooded and there is a lot of water standing in roadways, but that there were no road closings at this time. Drivers should be careful to avoid standing water, and it would not be advisable to drive through moving water, he said.

The National Weather Service in Lincoln has issued a flood warning for the following areas until 3 p.m.:

Cass County in west-central Illinois
DeWitt County in central Illinois
Logan County in central Illinois
Mason County in central Illinois
McLean County in central Illinois
Menard County in central Illinois...
Morgan County in west-central Illinois
Sangamon County in central Illinois
Scott County in west-central Illinois
Tazewell County in central Illinois
Woodford County in central Illinois

At 8:57 a.m. National Weather Service Doppler radar indicated that flooding was continuing due to the earlier heavy rain. Many area ditches and streams are near bank-full, and several rural roads have water flowing across them.

Flooding is imminent or occurring. If you are in the warned area, move to higher ground immediately. Residents living along creeks and streams should take immediate precautions to protect life and property. Do not attempt to cross swiftly flowing waters or waters of unknown depth by foot or automobile.

Report any flooding to your local emergency manager or the nearest law enforcement agency for relay to the National Weather Service.

Locally, call 911 or the Logan County Emergency Management Agency, 217-732-9491.

NWS at Lincoln radar damaged during storm

Lightning struck and radar was dead. The image of system that produced the killer lightning and heavy rains that pounded central Illinois from mid-evening into Tuesday can still be seen at peak force at http://www.weatherunderground.com/radar/
radblast.aspID=ILX&region=b4&lat=
40.16999817&lon=-89.33000183&label=
Lincoln%2c%20IL.

According to the NWS, a replacement part has been ordered and the radar is expected to go back up later on Tuesday.

[By ]