National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Strong Storms and Heavy Rainfall Threats; Dangerous Heat for Southern Plains into the Southwest

Thunderstorms, some severe, will impact areas of the Plains into the Midwest today. Rainfall can be locally heavy as well from these storms with isolated instances of flash flooding. Monsoonal flow will enhance rainfall across the Four Corners into the central Rockies today. Meanwhile, summer heat continues for the southern Plains, Southwest into southern California. Read More >

Overview

Fast Facts:

  • Flash flooding and scattered strong thunderstorm winds occurred on the night of Thursday, May 14 into Friday, May 15.
  • Rainfall amounts from this round of storms, along with rainfall earlier in the day on Thursday, brought some totals in excess of four inches in parts of the Chicago metro (including the official measurement at O'Hare International Airport), and also in/near Kankakee County.
  • The heavy rain resulted in some impassible roads due to water.
  • There was a swath of notable wind damage to primarily trees in north central Illinois (Lee & DeKalb Counties) into the far western suburbs of Chicago (Kane County), and while broad strong winds are the main culprit, it's possible some of this was caused by a brief tornado or two.
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Summary
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Additional recaps can be found on the NWS Chicago Past Events Page
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