Summary of Historic Rainfall and Flooding of April 2025

Flooding

Hydrographs (Click on images to enlarge)

We forecast for 31 points along 12 different rivers across our 58 county forecast area. 26 of these reached at least moderate flood level during this event with 12 of them reaching major category.

Major Flooding at these locations:


Big Muddy River - Murphysboro, IL	Current River - Doniphan, MO	Green River - Calhoun, KY	Green River - Paradise, KY


Little Wabash River - Carmi, IL	Mississippi River - Hickman, KY	Ohio River - Shawneetown, IL	Ohio River - Olmsted Lock & Dam


Patoka River - Princeton, IN	Skillet Fork River - Wayne City, IL	South Fork Little River - Hopkinsville, KY Bypass	South Fork Little River - Hopkinsville, KY 68/80

Moderate Flooding at these locations:


Big Muddy River - Plumfield, IL	Black River - Poplar Bluff, MO	Ohio River - Owensboro, KY	Ohio River - Newburgh, IN


Ohio River - Evansville, IN	Ohio River - Henderson, KY	Ohio River - Mt Vernon, IN	Ohio River - JT Myers Lock & Dam


Ohio River - Golconda, IL	Ohio River - Smithland, KY	Ohio River - Paducah, KY	Ohio River - Cairo, IL


St Francis River - Patterson, MO	Wabash River - New Harmony, IN

**Please note that all of these crests are preliminary.

Major Flooding
River	Location	Preliminary Crest	Highest Crest Since:
Big Muddy	Murphysboro, IL	36.39 ft on April 9	38.56 ft on May 6, 2017
Current	Doniphan, MO	22.82 ft on April 6	33.13 ft on May 1, 2017
Green	Calhoun, KY	35.89 ft on April 13	36.30 ft on Jan 16, 1950
Green	Paradise, KY	403.31 ft on April 9	403.65 ft on Mar 5, 1962
Little Wabash	Carmi, IL	37.04 ft on April 11	38.34 ft on May 3, 2011
Mississippi	Hickman, KY	45.66 ft on April 12	45.85 ft on May 8, 2017
Ohio	Shawneetown	53.30 ft on April 15*	56.36 ft on May 6, 2011
Ohio	Olmsted Dam	48.47 ft on April 12	Records only go back to 2020
Patoka	Princeton, IN	23.19 ft on April 10	24.30 ft on May 6, 2017
Skillet Fork	Wayne City, IL	25.44 ft on April 6	25.75 ft on May 17, 1990
South Fork Little River	Hopkinsville, KY Bypass	21.20 ft on April 4	21.35 ft on Jul 7, 2016
South Fork Little River	Hopkinsville, KY 68/80	19.33 ft on April 4	20.96 ft on Jul 7, 2016

Moderate Flooding
River	Location	Preliminary Crest	Highest Crest Since:
Big Muddy	Plumfield, IL	28.21 ft on April 9	28.62 ft on May 2, 2017
Black River	Poplar Bluff, MO	19.90 ft on April 6	21.96 ft on May 1, 2017
Ohio	Owensboro, KY	47.54 ft on April 11	49.00 ft on Mar 9, 1997
Ohio	Newburgh, IN	50.68 ft on April 11	50.90 ft on Mar 12, 1945
Ohio	Evansville, IN	47.67 ft on April 12	47.72 ft on Mar 16, 1964
Ohio	Henderson, KY	43.10 ft on April 12	Records only go back to 2024
Ohio	Mt Vernon, IN	50.20 ft on April 14*	51.80 ft on May 5, 2011
Ohio	JT Myers Dam	54.03 ft on April 14*	56.92 ft on May 6, 2011
Ohio	Golconda, IL	52.50 ft on April 15*	52.66 ft on Mar 4, 2018
Ohio	Smithland, KY	48.00 ft on April 16*	51.83 ft on Feb 25, 2019
Ohio	Paducah, KY	48.50 ft on April 16*	48.39 ft on Feb 21, 2020
Ohio	Cairo, IL	52.68 ft on April 12	56.51 ft on Mar 1, 2019
Saint Francis	Patterson, MO	28.76 ft on April 5	37.13 ft on Apr 30, 2017
Wabash	New Harmony, IN	22.6 ft on April 14*	23.67 ft on May 4, 2011

Rain Reports

Click on images to enlarge:


April 1-7 Rainfall Totals	April 1-7 Departure from Normal Rainfall	April 1-7 Percent of Normal Rainfall


Rainfall Totals from Kentucky Mesonet	Regional Map of Rainfall Totals

Quick links: Illinois | Indiana | Kentucky | Missouri

Illinois Rainfall Totals - April 1-7

Station Name	Source	County	Total Precipitation
VILLA RIDGE 2.1 ESE	CoCoRaHS	Pulaski	11.61
ULLIN 0.4 WSW	CoCoRaHS	Pulaski	11.09
CYPRESS 1.4 WSW	CoCoRaHS	Johnson	10.5
CAIRO 0.8 N	CoCoRaHS	Alexander	9.71
METROPOLIS 2.9 NNE	CoCoRaHS	Massac	9.36
NEW GRAND CHAIN 1.1 NNW	CoCoRaHS	Pulaski	9.32
OLMSTED LOCK AND DAM	COOP	Pulaski	9.2
VIENNA 5.3 NNW	CoCoRaHS	Johnson	8.79
ELIZABETHTOWN	COOP	Hardin	8.64
ALBION 0.2 SW	CoCoRaHS	Edwards	8.62
BROOKPORT 7.3 ENE	CoCoRaHS	Massac	8.44
SHAWNEETOWN 3 WSW	COOP	Gallatin	8.31
SMITHLAND LOCK & DAM	COOP	Pope	8.24
MOUNT VERNON 5.2 SSW	CoCoRaHS	Jefferson	8
MURPHYSBORO 2.8 NNE	CoCoRaHS	Jackson	7.98
1 ENE FAIRFIELD	COOP	Wayne	7.98
BELLE RIVE 1.7 NNE	CoCoRaHS	Jefferson	7.76
MOUNT VERNON 1.3 WSW	CoCoRaHS	Jefferson	7.75
DE SOTO 0.3 ESE	CoCoRaHS	Jackson	7.68
CHRISTOPHER 1.1 NNW	CoCoRaHS	Franklin	7.62
WEST SALEM 0.2 E	CoCoRaHS	Edwards	7.58
MOUNT CARMEL 4.2 NW	CoCoRaHS	Wabash	7.56
GOREVILLE 3.8 NE	CoCoRaHS	Johnson	7.54
MURPHYSBORO 1.3 NW	CoCoRaHS	Jackson	7.53
COBDEN 4.1 ENE	CoCoRaHS	Union	7.52
HARRISBURG 3.5 NNE	CoCoRaHS	Saline	7.5
ALBION 1.4 E	CoCoRaHS	Edwards	7.48
WALTONVILLE	COOP	Jefferson	7.48
COBDEN 4.2 N	CoCoRaHS	Union	7.47
CARBONDALE 0.7 W	CoCoRaHS	Jackson	7.45
CARBONDALE 3.8 S	CoCoRaHS	Jackson	7.36
HARRISBURG 4.6 NNE	CoCoRaHS	Saline	7.29
CARBONDALE 1.7 ESE	CoCoRaHS	Jackson	7.28
ANNA 4 N	COOP	Union	7.23
MARION 1.8 NE	CoCoRaHS	Williamson	7.09
CARBONDALE 3.7 S	CoCoRaHS	Jackson	7.06
COULTERVILLE 5.5 E	CoCoRaHS	Perry	7.06
MCLEANSBORO 7.8 SE	CoCoRaHS	Hamilton	7.05
CARTERVILLE 1.6 SSE	CoCoRaHS	Williamson	7.05
WEST FRANKFORT 7.5 E	CoCoRaHS	Franklin	7
BENTON 1.3 NNE	CoCoRaHS	Franklin	6.93
CARBONDALE 4.4 SW	CoCoRaHS	Jackson	6.92
MT VERNON 3 NE	COOP	Jefferson	6.87
MARION 8.0 SSW	CoCoRaHS	Williamson	6.84
THOMPSONVILLE 3.5 ESE	CoCoRaHS	Saline	6.83
CREAL SPRINGS 2.2 W	CoCoRaHS	Williamson	6.69
DU QUOIN 4 SE	COOP	Perry	6.67
COBDEN 0.1 WNW	CoCoRaHS	Union	6.66
CARBONDALE 1.2 W	CoCoRaHS	Jackson	6.65
CARBONDALE 2.5 W	CoCoRaHS	Jackson	6.62
WEST FRANKFORT	COOP	Franklin	6.6
CARBONDALE AIRPORT	ASOS	Jackson	6.58
CARBONDALE 6.2 S	CoCoRaHS	Jackson	6.54
PINCKNEYVILLE 2 N	COOP	Perry	6.52
MCLEANSBORO 4.9 W	CoCoRaHS	Hamilton	6.4
CARTERVILLE 0.6 NW	CoCoRaHS	Williamson	6.38
BUSH 2.0 ESE	CoCoRaHS	Williamson	6.36
ELDORADO 2.9 ESE	CoCoRaHS	Saline	6.35
CROSSVILLE 3.0 E	CoCoRaHS	White	6.35

Indiana Rainfall Totals - April 1-7

Station Name	Source	County	Total Precipitation
NEWBURGH 0.3 SE	CoCoRaHS	Warrick	9.55
NEWBURGH 1.3 ENE	CoCoRaHS	Warrick	8.75
EVANSVILLE 8.8 WSW	CoCoRaHS	Vanderburgh	8.43
BOONVILLE 1S	COOP	Warrick	8.31
J.T. MYERS LOCKS & DAM	COOP	Posey	8.2
ROCKPORT 4.0 WNW	CoCoRaHS	Spencer	7.81
EVANSVILLE 2.5 NE	CoCoRaHS	Vanderburgh	7.78
FERDINAND 2.3 SSE	CoCoRaHS	Spencer	7.66
BOONVILLE 4.5 WSW	CoCoRaHS	Warrick	7.51
BOONVILLE 1.4 N WBNL RADIO	CoCoRaHS	Warrick	7.47
BOONVILLE 2.4 N	CoCoRaHS	Warrick	7.3
POSEYVILLE 2.9 SSE	CoCoRaHS	Posey	7.24
MOUNT VERNON 10.6 ENE	CoCoRaHS	Posey	7.05
EVANSVILLE 6.7 NW	CoCoRaHS	Vanderburgh	7.05
EVANSVILLE 11.2 NNW	CoCoRaHS	Vanderburgh	7.03
EVANSVILLE 5.4 NNE	CoCoRaHS	Vanderburgh	7
EVANSVILLE 10.0 NW	CoCoRaHS	Vanderburgh	6.88
EVANSVILLE AIRPORT	ASOS	Vanderburgh	6.85
1 WSW PRINCETON	COOP	Gibson	6.8
MOUNT VERNON 11.0 ENE	CoCoRaHS	Posey	6.73
FRANCISCO 0.1 SE	CoCoRaHS	Gibson	6.52
POSEYVILLE 2.8 NW	CoCoRaHS	Posey	6.12
PETERSBURG 1.4 ENE	CoCoRaHS	Pike	5.37

Kentucky Rainfall Totals - April 1-7

Station Name	Source	County	Total Precipitation
BENTON 4 N	KYMN	Marshall	15.87
MAYFIELD 2N	COOP	Graves	15.64
GREENVILLE 6.2 WSW	CoCoRaHS	Muhlenberg	15.31
EDDYVILLE 2.0 NNE	CoCoRaHS	Lyon	14.99
EDDYVILLE 11.5 SSE	CoCoRaHS	Lyon	14.7
GRAND RIVERS 3.9 S	CoCoRaHS	Marshall	14.63
EDDYVILLE 11.6 SSE	CoCoRaHS	Lyon	14.51
EDDYVILLE 5S	COOP	Lyon	14.34
CADIZ 4 SW	KYMN	Trigg	14.3
HOPKINSVILLE 8.5 NNE	CoCoRaHS	Christian	14.21
CROFTON 3N	COOP	Christian	14.16
HOPKINSVILLE	COOP	Christian	13.93
HOPKINSVILLE 6 N	KYMN	Christian	13.91
FULTON 3.3 NE	CoCoRaHS	Hickman	13.78
MAYFIELD 6 SW	KYMN	Graves	13.64
CROFTON 0.3 W	CoCoRaHS	Christian	13.52
EDDYVILLE 5.9 SE	CoCoRaHS	Lyon	13.5
CALVERT CITY 2.5 SSW	CoCoRaHS	Marshall	13.32
PRINCETON 2 SE	KYMN	Caldwell	13.23
GREENVILLE 0.3 ESE	CoCoRaHS	Muhlenberg	13.18
MADISONVILLE 4 S	KYMN	Hopkins	13.03
CADIZ	COOP	Trigg	12.75
MURRAY 1 W	KYMN	Calloway	12.43
GREENVILLE 6 N	KYMN	Muhlenberg	12.39
SEDALIA 5.0 SE	CoCoRaHS	Graves	12.34
HOPKINSVILLE 0.3 NW	CoCoRaHS	Christian	12.15
FARMINGTON 5.6 S	CoCoRaHS	Graves	12.13
KUTTAWA 3.4 NW	CoCoRaHS	Lyon	12.05
FULTON 5.0 W	CoCoRaHS	Fulton	12.04
MADISONVILLE	COOP	Hopkins	11.56
LA CENTER 2.8 SSE	CoCoRaHS	Ballard	10.95
MADISONVILLE 1.6 NE	CoCoRaHS	Hopkins	10.68
MURRAY 7.2 E	CoCoRaHS	Calloway	10.54
HERNDON 5S	COOP	Christian	10.45
KEVIL 4.6 NW	CoCoRaHS	Ballard	10.39
HICKMAN 2 E	KYMN	Fulton	10.27
LA CENTER 5 NNE	KYMN	Ballard	9.95
ELKTON 5 SW	KYMN	Todd	9.93
HANSON 2.2 NE	CoCoRaHS	Hopkins	9.7
MARION 1 SSW	COOP	Crittenden	9.6
TRENTON 2.3 SSW	CoCoRaHS	Todd	9.54
HENDERSON 0.4 SSW	CoCoRaHS	Henderson	9.36
GUTHRIE 0.8 WNW	CoCoRaHS	Todd	9.32
CALHOUN 6.4 E	CoCoRaHS	McLean	9.17
PADUCAH 1.3 W	CoCoRaHS	McCracken	9.14
PADUCAH 8.5 WSW	CoCoRaHS	McCracken	9.1
CALHOUN 4ENE	COOP	McLean	8.91
PADUCAH 3.1 SW	CoCoRaHS	McCracken	8.88
CALHOUN 6.2 N	CoCoRaHS	Daviess	8.8
MARION 4 NE	KYMN	Crittenden	8.78
MORGANFIELD 4 E	KYMN	Union	8.73
WEST PADUCAH 3.1 SSW	CoCoRaHS	McCracken	8.72
KEVIL 5.7 NNW	CoCoRaHS	Ballard	8.64
UTICA 5.4 ESE	CoCoRaHS	Daviess	8.61
HENDERSON 5.1 SSW	CoCoRaHS	Henderson	8.61
OAK GROVE 4.6 NW	CoCoRaHS	Christian	8.56
HENDERSON 4.5 S	CoCoRaHS	Henderson	8.54
MASONVILLE 0.8 ENE	CoCoRaHS	Daviess	8.52
UTICA 0.0 W	CoCoRaHS	Daviess	8.47
DIXON 1 NW	KYMN	Webster	8.37
MASONVILLE 0.7 NW	CoCoRaHS	Daviess	8.28
CALHOUN 5 NW	KYMN	McLean	8.25
OWENSBORO 4.4 ESE	CoCoRaHS	Daviess	8.24
PHILPOT 2.0 S	CoCoRaHS	Daviess	8.2
HENDERSON 5 E	KYMN	Henderson	8.19
WEST PADUCAH 2W	COOP	McCracken	8.18
PADUCAH AIRPORT	ASOS	McCracken	8.16
MASONVILLE 0.1 SSE	CoCoRaHS	Daviess	8.15
OWENSBORO 4.9 S	CoCoRaHS	Daviess	8
OWENSBORO 3.5 ESE	CoCoRaHS	Daviess	7.93
OWENSBORO 1.7 SSW	CoCoRaHS	Daviess	7.86
OWENSBORO 3.5 SE	CoCoRaHS	Daviess	7.77
OWENSBORO 4.8 ESE	CoCoRaHS	Daviess	7.74
ROBARDS 4.9 NNW	CoCoRaHS	Henderson	7.71
OWENSBORO 3.4 WNW	CoCoRaHS	Daviess	7.31
OWENSBORO 4.1 W	CoCoRaHS	Daviess	7.27
OWENSBORO 0.5 ENE	CoCoRaHS	Daviess	7.16
OWENSBORO AIRPORT	ASOS	Daviess	7.03
STURGIS 5.4 ENE	CoCoRaHS	Union	6.77

Missouri Rainfall Totals - April 1-7

Station Name	Source	County	Total Precipitation
NEW MADRID 0.2 SE	CoCoRaHS	New Madrid	12.58
SCOTT CITY 0.9 E	CoCoRaHS	Scott	10.77
DEXTER	COOP	Stoddard	10.61
CHAFFEE 3.1 S	CoCoRaHS	Scott	10.48
ADVANCE 0.1 WSW	CoCoRaHS	Stoddard	10.25
CHARLESTON 5.5 WNW	CoCoRaHS	Scott	10.15
JACKSON 2.5 N	CoCoRaHS	Cape Girardeau	10.1
SIKESTON 1.7 ENE	CoCoRaHS	Scott	10.08
MINER 0.7 SSE	CoCoRaHS	Scott	9.98
DEXTER 2.3 W	CoCoRaHS	Stoddard	9.93
LAMBERT 0.8 ESE	CoCoRaHS	Scott	9.91
MARBLE HILL 6.8 E	CoCoRaHS	Cape Girardeau	9.83
BLOOMFIELD 2.9 S	CoCoRaHS	Stoddard	9.59
CAPE GIRARDEAU AIRPORT	ASOS	Scott	9.47
DONIPHAN 2.7 NE	CoCoRaHS	Ripley	9.27
JACKSON 1.0 SW	CoCoRaHS	Cape Girardeau	9.05
ANNISTON 1.9 WNW	CoCoRaHS	Mississippi	8.77
POPLAR BLUFF 2.5 SSE	CoCoRaHS	Butler	8.74
MARBLE HILL 0.4 NE	CoCoRaHS	Bollinger	8.59
POPLAR BLUFF AIRPORT	ASOS	Butler	8.57
WAPPAPELLO DAM	COOP	Wayne	8.52
POPLAR BLUFF 4.2 NW	CoCoRaHS	Butler	8.32
MILLERSVILLE 3.2 WNW	CoCoRaHS	Cape Girardeau	8.1
JACKSON 3.7 NE	CoCoRaHS	Cape Girardeau	8
CAPE GIRARDEAU 2.3 N	CoCoRaHS	Cape Girardeau	7.99
CAPE GIRARDEAU 1.0 ESE	CoCoRaHS	Cape Girardeau	7.88
OAK RIDGE 1.5 WSW	CoCoRaHS	Cape Girardeau	7.82
JACKSON 1.8 NNE	CoCoRaHS	Cape Girardeau	7.76
SIKESTON POWER STATION	COOP	Scott	7.75
POPLAR BLUFF 3.7 WNW	CoCoRaHS	Butler	7.62
CLEARWATER DAM	COOP	Wayne	7.47
PATTERSON 3.6 N	CoCoRaHS	Wayne	7.1
DONIPHAN 14.5 NW	CoCoRaHS	Ripley	6.78
MILL SPRING 1.3 WSW	CoCoRaHS	Wayne	6.57
ELLSINORE 4.8 WNW	CoCoRaHS	Carter	6.24
PERRYVILLE 1.1 NE	CoCoRaHS	Perry	5.92
PERRYVILLE WATER PLT	COOP	Perry	5.35

Records

Photos


Henderson, KY courtesy of Kenny Garrett	Hopkinsville, KY courtesy of Sarah Toby	Hopkinsville, KY courtesy of Sarah Toby	Road washed out at LBL Hillman Ferry Campground courtesy of Beau Dodson


Paducah, KY courtesy of Vick Patel	State Hwy 450 in Graves County, KY courtesy of Joseph Siedel	WFGS Radio in Murray, KY courtesy of Brian Harris	Dawson Springs, KY courtesy of Grant Keen


Franklin County, IL - Yellow Banks Road courtesy of Luke Saeger	Indian Point road washed out near Vienna, IL courtesy of Sherry Rigsby	Reese Creek northeast of Du Quoin via Raymond Clark	Norris City Road at County Road 1550 E in Hamilton County, IL courtesy of Westyn Welch


Northeast of Pinckneyville, IL courtesy of Raymond Clark	Aerial view of Evansville, IN courtesy of Cliff Weaver	Aerial view of Evansville, IN courtesy of Cliff Weaver	Aerial view of Evansville, IN courtesy of Cliff Weaver

Radar

Click here for a radar loop from this event (3 PM April 2nd through 3 AM April 6th).

Map of Flash Flood Warnings issued by county through the entire event

Environment

The mid to upper level pattern consisted of broad southwesterly flow across the Ohio and Tennessee Valley's in between a large scale trough across the western U.S. and ridging located along the southeast coast.


500mb chart - 7 PM April 2	500mb chart - 7 PM April 3	500mb chart - 7 PM April 4	500mb chart - 7 PM April 5

A cold front was located to our west on the afternoon of April 2nd. It would then make passage and become positioned to our south on the 3rd before lifting back north into western Kentucky and the Missouri bootheel on the 4th. The boundary would shift south of our area again on the 5th.


Mean Sea Level Pressure - 4 PM April 2	Mean Sea Level Pressure - 1 AM April 4	Mean Sea Level Pressure - 7 PM April 4	Mean Sea Level Pressure - 1 PM April 5

Low level moisture transport was quite anomalously through the 4 day period. The 850mb front remained draped over the region from April 3-5, even while the surface front largely remained south of the area during these periods.


850mb Moisture Transport - 4 PM April 2	850mb Moisture Transport - 7 PM April 3	850mb Moisture Transport - 7 PM April 4	850mb Moisture Transport - 2 PM April 5

Precipitable water values ranged from 1.5 to 1.9" through the period, which was greater than the 99th percentile for this time of the year. This allowed thunderstorms to be very efficient rainfall producers as they continued to train across the same areas.


Precipitable Water - 7 PM April 2	Precipitable Water - 1 AM April 4	Precipitable Water - 1 AM April 5	Precipitable Water - 4 PM April 5

These are just a few of the numerous mesoscale precipitation discussions that were in effect across our region during this 4 day period.


WPC Mesoscale Precipitation Discussion on April 2	WPC Mesoscale Precipitation Discussion on April 3	WPC Mesoscale Precipitation Discussion on April 4	WPC Mesoscale Precipitation Discussion on April 5

Service

Our office started messaging the heavy rain potential a week before the event unfolded. Forecast rainfall amounts were in the 6 to 10" range 3 days before the event began and then continued to trend upwards into the 10-15".


Forecast Graphic issued by NWS Paducah on the morning of April 2nd	Forecast Graphic issued by NWS Paducah on the morning of March 30th

The Weather Prediction Center outlooked our region in a moderate risk for excessive rainfall on April 2nd. This was followed by 3 straight days where a high risk excessive rainfall outlook was in effect for some part of our forecast area from April 3-5.


WPC Day 1 Excessive Rainfall Outlook valid for April 2	WPC Day 1 Excessive Rainfall Outlook valid for April 3	WPC Day 1 Excessive Rainfall Outlook valid for April 4	WPC Day 1 Excessive Rainfall Outlook valid for April 5

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