+-----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Number range CHAPTER                    | HSA OFFICE: **LINCOLN,     |
|                                         | ILLINOIS**                 |
| **NWS FORM E-5** U.S. DEPARTMENT OF     |                            |
| COMMERCE                                |                            |
|                                         |                            |
| NOAA, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE          |                            |
|                                         |                            |
| **MONTHLY REPORT OF RIVER AND FLOOD     |                            |
| CONDITIONS**                            |                            |
|                                         |                            |
| TO: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE            |                            |
|                                         |                            |
| HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL INFO CENTER, W/OS31 |                            |
|                                         |                            |
| SSMC 2 -- Room 13468                    |                            |
|                                         |                            |
| 1325 EAST-WEST HIGHWAY                  |                            |
|                                         |                            |
| SILVER SPRING, MD 20910-3283            |                            |
+-----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
|                                         | REPORT FOR (MONTH / YEAR): |
|                                         |                            |
|                                         | January 2005               |
+-----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
|                                         | DATE: November 13, 2023    |
+-----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
|                                         | SIGNATURE: Daniel F. Smith |
|                                         | -- HPM                     |
|                                         |                            |
|                                         | Dan Kelly -- Asst HPM      |
+-----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| When no flooding occurs, include        |                            |
| miscellaneous river conditions, such as |                            |
| significant rises, record low stages,   |                            |
| ice conditions, snow cover, droughts,   |                            |
| and hydrologic products issued (NWSPD   |                            |
| 10-9).                                  |                            |
+-----------------------------------------+----------------------------+

**All river forecast points in the central Illinois HSA reached or
exceeded Flood Stage during the month of January 2005. These rivers
include:**

**Illinois River: Henry (HNYI2), Peoria(PIAI2), Havana (HAVI2) and
Beardstown (BEAI2)**

**Spoon River: London Mills (LNMI2) and Seville (SEVI2)**

**Mackinaw River: Congerville (CNGI2)**

**Salt Creek: Greenview (GREI2)**

**Sangamon River: Monticello (MNTI2), Riverton (RVTI2), Petersburg
(PETI2) and Oakford (OKFI2)**

**Kaskaskia River: Shelbyville Dam (SBYI2)**

**Vermilion River: Danville (DNVI2)**

**Little Wabash River: Clay City (CLAI2)**

**Embarras River: Ste Marie (STMI2) and Lawrenceville (LAWI2)**

**In addition...the southeastern part of the Central Illinois Forecast
Area (KILX CWA) was significantly impacted by flooding along the Wabash
River (eastern parts of Clark, Crawford and Lawrence Counties).**

January 2005 was a very busy month in the hydro department across the
Central Illinois (KILX) Hydrologic Service Area. Temperatures during
January 2005 were 4 to 6 degrees above normal, and precipitation was up
to 4.5 inches above normal! In fact, it was the 2^nd^ wettest January on
record in Lincoln (Jan 2005 precipitation = 6.18"...Departure from
normal = +4.48") and the 3^rd^ wettest on record in Urbana (Jan 2005
precipitation = 6.20"...Departure from normal = +4.31"). Some stations
in the southeastern part of the Central Illinois HSA received over 9
inches of precipitation during the month! (The Jan 2005 Precipitation
in: Hidalgo (Jasper Co) = 10.07", Palestine (Crawford Co) = 9.43",
Effingham SE (Effingham Co.) = 9.29" and Flora 5NW (Clay Co) = 9.27")

A nearly stationary frontal boundary remained in the vicinity of central
Illinois for the first week of the new year. This front marked the
boundary between warm, very moist air to the south, and very cold air to
the north. This warm and moist air fueled showers, and even some
thunderstorms, across the Central Illinois HSA, especially across
southeastern Illinois. In the 5 day period between Jan 2^nd^ and the
6^th^, many stations picked up well over half their monthly rainfall
(see jan02-06 05rain.gif). Rivers across eastern and southeastern
Illinois responded quickly to all of this rain. The Sangamon River in
Monticello went above flood stage on the 5^th^ and crested nearly 2 feet
above flood stage (13 feet) at 14.94 feet on the 7^th^. In Danville, the
Vermilion River crested just barely above flood stage (18 feet) at 18.05
feet on the 6^th^. The Embarras River also responded quite rapidly to
this rainfall. In Ste Marie (FS=19 feet), the river exceeded flood stage
on the 5^th^, and crested nearly 5 feet above flood stage on the 7^th^.
Two additional crests would take place in Ste Marie before the river
finally fell below flood stage on the 17^th^. Further downstream in
Lawrenceville, after going above flood stage (30 feet) on the 4^th^, the
Embarras River finally crested 10.5 feet above flood stage, at 40.50
feet on the 9^th^. Pictures of the flooding in Lawrenceville on Jan
5^th^ and 6^th^ are available on the Lawrenceville Daily Record Website
at: <http://www.lawdailyrecord.com/main.asp?SectionID=30> .
Unfortunately there was 1 fatality due to the river/flash flooding. A
woman was swept away in her car, by flood waters, in the North Fork
Creek near the Crawford/Jasper County Line. On the Little Wabash River,
the Clay City Gauge (FS = 16 feet) shot up from 8 feet at 1145 UTC on
the 3^rd^, to 18 feet by 2300 UTC on the 3^rd^. The Little Wabash River
finally crested at 25.27 feet (the 6^th^ highest crest on record) on the
morning of the 7^th^.

On the 12^th^, a warm front lifted north through the central Illinois
HSA. Very warm and moist air was transported into the state behind this
front, with dew points in the middle to upper 50s. By the evening of the
12^th^, a strong cold front collided with this warm and moist air, as it
slowly drifted across the state. Showers and thunderstorms erupted ahead
of this front, and deposited 1 to 2 inches of rain and liquid equivalent
precipitation across central and southeastern Illinois, with a swath of
over 2 inches from Petersburg (Menard County) to Lincoln to Bloomington.
(see 011305ilpcn.gif) This heavy rainfall, on already saturated ground,
resulted in widespread flash flooding, and later river flooding, across
the central Illinois Hydrologic Service Area. In fact, Flash Flood
Warnings were issued for each one of the 35 counties in the KILX County
Warning Area on the evening of the 12^th^ and the morning of the 13^th^,
as this heavy precipitation moved through the area. Numerous roads
across central and southeastern Illinois were closed due to flood
waters. Some of the more significant reports of flash flooding include:
Car stalled on country road 2000N near Oblong (Crawford Co.), which was
under 2 to 3 feet of water. US Route 150 west of Mahomet (Champaign Co.)
was closed due to flowing water. West of Fisher (Champaign Co.), a half
mile stretch of US Route 136 was under up to 2 feet of water. Near
Newton, in Jasper County, water closed State Highway 33. Unfortunately
there were 2 fatalities that were indirectly related to the flash
flooding, a man (24) and his mother (45) were electrocuted in their
flooded basement in Shirley (southwestern McLean County).

Very cold air poured into Illinois behind this strong cold front,
resulting in a changeover from rain to snow. In addition, the cold air
caused the flooded creeks, streams, farm fields and road ditches to
freeze, turning much of central Illinois into an ice skating rink. The
attached pictures were taken by Dan Smith (HPM at KILX) in Lawndale
(northeast of Lincoln in Logan Co.). By the afternoon of the 13^th^,
Clinton Lake (DeWitt County) was rising rapidly due to all of this water
(normal stage at Clinton Lake is 690 feet), and there was concern that
the Clinton Dam would be overtopped (The dam is overtopped at a height
of 697 feet MSL). A failure of this dam would result in the flooding of
Illinois Route 10 just below the dam, as well as the Salt Creek in
western Dewitt and southern Logan Counties. Lake Clinton came up to
695.5 feet (1.5 feet below the overtop stage) by 0130 CST on the 14^th^,
before slowly receding. Downstream along the Salt Creek, the stage at
Greenview began to rapidly fall, and there was some concern of a levee
failure. After an emergency visit by NWS personnel, it was determined to
be a gauge failure. The Greenview gauge was back on line later that day,
however went out just as the river was about to crest, so the crest had
to be estimated. Lake Shelbyville also rose to near record levels, and
the US Army Corps of Engineers had to release slowly to get the lake
down, and to prevent flooding in Shelbyville downstream. The Kaskaskia
River crested right at flood stage on the 22^nd^. According to the US
Army Corps of Engineers St. Louis District, the record level of Lake
Shelbyville since it's creation in 1971, was 620.26 feet on Jun. 29,
1974. The peak level of the Lake was 618.08 feet pm the 18^th^, just 2
feet below the record.

Across southeastern Illinois, the Wabash River climbed to record or near
record levels as a result of heavy rainfall across Indiana. Although the
Wabash River is not a part of the central Illinois Hydrologic Service
Area, 3 of our counties border the river (Clark, Crawford and Lawrence).
The flooding of the Wabash River required the evacuation of around 100
people from the town of Hutsonville (Crawford County). On the 14^th^ at
about 1630 CST, a levee breach was observed just north of Darwin, in
eastern Clark County. Water from the Wabash River surrounded the towns
of York and Darwin, and the only way to get to these towns was by boat.
Residents of York and Darwin were encouraged to evacuate, however
several residents remained in their homes. A major levee failure on the
Indiana side of the Wabash River spared many communities on the Illinois
side. According to the Robinson Daily News, the river came to within 9
inches of overtopping a levee in eastern Lawrence County. Had this levee
failed, extensive flooding would have occurred in parts of eastern
Lawrence County. Flood waters washed out a bridge on Robinson-Marshall
Road in Crawford County which will need to be completely replaced.
Pictures of the flooding along the Wabash River are available on the
Robinson Daily News internet site at: <http://www.robdailynews.com/> .
To get to the pictures, click on the yellow box on the right side of the
window that states "New local photos Browse and order here!"

Monthly Statement Summary

(CHIFLWILX) Flood Warnings - 45

(CHIFLSILX) Flood Statements - 220

(CHIRVSILX) River Statements - 14

(CHIESFILX) Hydrologic Outlooks - 3

(CHIESFILX) Snowmelt River Flood Outlook - 0

(CHIFFWILX) Flash Flood Warnings - 35

(CHIFFSILX) Flash Flood Statements - 15

(CHIFFAILX) Flood Watches -- 27

Total January 2005 hydro Statements...359!!!!

CC: OHRFC NCRFC W/CR2