Heavy rain threat increasing across central Illinois

[March 20, 2007]  From the National Weather Service, Lincoln:

AT LEAST 2 ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO PUSH ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS THREATENING TO BRING HEAVY RAINFALL TO AREAS THAT HAVE ALREADY SEEN FLOODING OF RIVERS AND STREAMS FROM PREVIOUS RAINS. CURRENT INDICATIONS SUGGEST THE FIRST ROUND OF RAINFALL WILL OCCUR ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING AS A WARM FRONT LIFTS NORTH ACROSS THE MIDWEST. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF ONE TO LOCALLY ONE AND A HALF INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE ILLINOIS...MACKINAW AND SPOON RIVER BASINS.

A SECOND ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL ACCOMPANY A COLD FRONT WHICH IS FORECAST TO PUSH ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS ON THURSDAY. RAINFALL FROM THIS SYSTEM WILL AVERAGE FROM 1 TO LOCALLY 2 INCHES...AND WILL COVER A LARGER AREA...EXTENDING FROM THE ILLINOIS AND SANGAMON BASINS EAST AND SOUTH TO THE VERMILION...LITTLE WABASH AND EMBARRAS BASINS BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT.

HAVANA AND BEARDSTOWN ALONG THE ILLINOIS RIVER ARE ALREADY EXPERIENCING MINOR FLOODING WITH HENRY AND PEORIA STAGES JUST BELOW MINOR FLOOD. THESE LOCATIONS WILL EXPERIENCE MUCH SLOWER RESPONSES TO THE HEAVIER RAINS. HOWEVER...ALONG THE SPOON AND MACKINAW BASINS...IF THE HEAVY RAIN DOES MATERIALIZE IN THESE AREAS OVERNIGHT OR TOMORROW MORNING...WE COULD SEE RAPID RISES IN LESS THAN A 12 HOUR PERIOD. FURTHER SOUTH AND EAST...ALONG THE SANGAMON...VERMILION...LITTLE WABASH AND EMBARRAS BASINS...THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR TO THE NORTH AND WEST. HOWEVER...THE HEAVY RAINFALL THREAT WILL SHIFT INTO THESE LOCATIONS ON THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT AS A COLD FRONT MAKES ITS WAY SOUTH ACROSS THE MIDWEST.

PERSONS WITH INTEREST ALONG AREA RIVERS NEED TO KEEP ABREAST OF LATER FORECASTS TODAY AS THIS EVENT UNFOLDS. FLOODING MAY OCCUR BECAUSE THE GROUND IS SATURATED FROM PREVIOUS RAINS. LOW WATER CROSSINGS AND SMALL STREAMS COULD SWELL TO SMALL RAGING STREAMS OF WATER AS WE HAVE SEEN WITH PREVIOUS HEAVY RAINFALL EVENTS.

THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST INFORMATION THROUGHOUT THE DAY. ANOTHER SOURCE OF CURRENT WEATHER FOR CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS IS THROUGH OUR WEB PAGE AT www.crh.noaa.gov/ilx. IN ADDITION...FOR HYDRO INTERESTS YOU CAN VIEW THE LATEST FORECASTS AND STAGES AT OUR AHPS PAGE AT http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=ilx.

[Text copied from http://www.crh.noaa.gov/crnews/display_story.php?wfo=ilx&storyid=6796&source=0]
 

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