Summary of Flash Flooding and Severe Storms July 9-11, 2026

News Headlines

Overview

Multiple rounds of thunderstorms producing very heavy rain moved across our region from the afternoon of July 9th through the early morning on July 11th. This lead to widespread rainfall totals of 2 to 5" across large portions of southeast MO, southern IL, and western KY. Embedded within that zone was a swath of 6 to 11", which was primarily focused across southern IL. This caused significant and dangerous flash flooding with many roads impassable due to high water over them and several that ended up washing out. Several rounds of severe thunderstorms also impacted the region with damaging winds and scattered instances of wind damage. Some of the most intense wind damage, upwards of 80 mph, occurred in the Eddyville, KY area on July 9th and the Du Quoin, IL area on July 10th.

MRMS rainfall estimates for the 48 hour period ending at 7 AM July 11th

Rain
Flooding Photos
Wind
Radar
Storm Reports
Environmental
Additional

Rain Reports

Extremely heavy rainfall impacted the region with the heaviest swath of 6 to 11" primarily focused across southern Illinois. Several considerable Flash Flood Warnings were issued due to hourly rainfall rates exceeding 2.5 to 3" in some cases. The highest official rainfall total in our area was in Jackson County Illinois, with a CoCoRaHS site 6 miles south of Carbondale reporting 10.82" over a 48 hour period ending at 7 AM on July 11th. This came very close to breaking the 2 day rainfall record for Jackson County which is 10.90" set June 17-18, 2000.

Map of CoCoRaHS observations for 48 hour period ending 8 AM on July 11th

Flooding Photos


Washed out road in Ballard County near Wickliffe, KY on July 10th via Sharon Adams	Flash flooding in Massac County IL on July 10th via Beau Dodson	Piles Fork Creek out of its banks causing flooding in Carbondale, IL on July 11th via Nick Hausen	Rosebud Road washed out in Massac County IL on July 10th via Nick Hausen


Franklin Road washed out in Massac County IL on July 10th via Leslie Thompson	Wilson Road washed out in Ballard County KY on July 10th via

Wind

Scattered reports of wind damage occurred across our region, focused during the evenings and early overnight on July 9th and 10th. Some of the most intense damage impacted the Eddyville, KY area on July 9th and Du Quoin, IL on July 10th.


Damage in Eddyville, KY on July 9th via Lyon County Sheriff's Department	Damage in Eddyville, KY on July 9th via Beau Dodson	Damage near Du Quoin State Fairgrounds on July 10th via EM Raymond Clark	Damage on Gas Plant Road near Du Quoin on July 10th via Raymond Clark

Radar

Here is a radar loop of the event beginning at 11 AM on July 9th and ending at 8 AM on July 11th.

Map showing all the warnings we issued from July 9th through 11th.
Yellow - Severe Thunderstorm Warnings, Red - Tornado Warnings, Green - Flash Flood Warnings

Storm Reports

Here is an interactive map showing all the local storm reports our office issuing from July 9th through 11th. There were several rounds of severe thunderstorms that produced damaging winds along with waves of very heavy rain that lead to flash flooding.

Map showing all the LSR's (Local Storm Reports) issued from July 9th through 11th.

Environment

Precipitable water values were extremely high (at or above 2") for an extended period from the afternoon of July 9th through the day on the 11th. They peaked at 2.4" around and shortly after midnight on July 10th. Multiple shortwaves helped generate convection along a boundary draped across the region, leading to training thunderstorms. We had a nice instability gradient over us on July 9th and 10th with MLCAPE upwards of 3000 j/kg. Deep layer shear of 20-30 kts was also present, which helped fuel some organized storms both days.


Precipitable Water Values at 1 AM on July 10th	Precipitable Water Values at 11 PM on July 10th	MLCAPE at 7 PM July 9th	MLCAPE at 7 PM July 10th

Additional Information

Early morning on July 8th we messaged the threat was increasing for flash flooding in the coming days. Later that day, we issued a Flood watch across the entire region valid from the afternoon of the 9th through the night of the 11th. The worst of the flash flooding occurred late evening on the 9th into the early morning of the 10th and again late on the 10th and into the early morning of the 11th.


Weather Story issued at 4 AM on July 8th	Weather Story issued at 3 PM on July 8th

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