National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Excessive Rainfall Potential for the Southeast; Heat Expands for Center of the Nation; Critical Fire Weather for Pacific Northwest

Flash flooding threatens areas from the Tennessee Valley to the Carolinas as storms repeat along a stalled front. Monsoonal storms may trigger flooding in the Southwest. Dangerous heat expands across the Desert Southwest, Plains, mid-Mississippi Valley and Southern Tier. Critical fire weather for interior Pacific Northwest. Cooler, drier air brings brief relief to the Great Lakes and Northeast. Read More >

Overview

Fast Facts:

  • There were multiple rounds of thunderstorms across northern Illinois and northwest Indiana on Monday, September 3 (Labor Day), with multiple strong to severe thunderstorms during the afternoon.
  • The most impacting aspects of this event are shown to the right, including flooding, wind damage, and possibly a couple brief, weak tornadoes.
  • A storm tracked from northwest Ogle County to near Rockford in Winnebago County, with low-level rotation and multiple low funnels.  While a preliminary brief tornado was reported in Rock Cut State Park, there was no damage found in the park. 
  • A strong downburst, as evidenced by radar and the tree damage, occurred in Wayne, IL (DuPage County).
  • A brief weak tornado occurred on the west side of Chicago during the afternoon.
  • Flooding occurred in parts of the northern and northwestern Chicago metro area, including road closures such as I-190 near O'Hare Airport.
  • This was the wettest Labor Day on record in Chicago, with measured 24-hour rainfall of 1.79" at O'Hare topping the Chicago record of 1.49" in 1912.



Summary
Overview
nws logo Media use of NWS Web News Stories is encouraged!
Please acknowledge the NWS as the source of any news information accessed from this site.


Additional recaps can be found on the NWS Chicago Past Events Page
nws logo