by Mike Hamernik http://twitter.com/#!/MikeHamernik
The Flash Flood Watch for the Chicago area continues through the rest of the overnight and into the day Thursday. Two waves of thunderstorms dropped anywhere from .50" to 2.00" of rain over northeast Illinois Wednesday night. The precipitation has tapered to just light rain at 1:30AM, but new thunderstorms are trying to develop over some of western suburbs. Additional heavy rain is possible late tonight and Thursday morning.
Tornado Watch Expired
The Tornado Watch for the Chicago area expired at 1AM Thursday morning.
Historic flooding in Dubuque and northwest Illinois
Rainfall totals are reaching epic proportions around 100 miles west of Chicago. A storm spotter 5 miles east of Galena, Illinois checks in with 9.53" of rain as of 2AM . Dubuque, Iowa has received 9.02" of rain in 7 hours (7PM-2AM). Major flash flooding is occurring in northwest Ilinois and northeast Iowa. Travel in and around that area is highly discouraged. Many roads are impassable, bridges were washed out and several water rescues are underway at the hour. Here are a few more rainfall totals in the Dubuque area:
10.50" Peosta, IA
Record Wettest July in Chicago; 9th wettest month on record
Wednesday's rainfall at O'Hare pushed the monthly total to 9.75" mark establishing July 2011 as the wettest July on record. This surpasses the 9.56" of rain that fell in July 1889.
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