The 2007 Midwest flooding was a major

flood A flood is an overflow of water (list of non-water floods, or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are of significant con ...

ing event that occurred in the

Midwestern United States The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...

in the third week of August 2007. While

Hurricane Dean Hurricane Dean was the strongest tropical cyclone of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the most intense North Atlantic hurricane since Hurricane Wilma of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, 2005 season, and is tied with Hurricane Mit ...

was affecting the

Yucatán Peninsula The Yucatán Peninsula ( , ; ) is a large peninsula in southeast Mexico and adjacent portions of Belize and Guatemala. The peninsula extends towards the northeast, separating the Gulf of Mexico to the north and west of the peninsula from the C ...

and the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

, and Tropical Storm Erin was affecting

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

and

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, a persistent storm system hung over the Midwest for several days, causing repeated

flash flood A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas: washes, rivers, dry lakes and depressions. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm, hurricane, or tropical storm, or by meltwater from ice and snow. Flash f ...

ing in the US states of

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

, and

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

. Cool Canadian air clashed with large quantities of warm moist air from the Gulf, producing torrential rains along a

stationary front A stationary front (or quasi-stationary front) is a weather front or transition zone between two air masses when each air mass is advancing into the other at speeds less than 5 knots (about 6 miles per hour or about 9 kilometers per hour) at th ...

. 5 deaths across the central United States were attributed to the resulting flooding. Seven Minnesota counties, eight Ohio counties, fourteen counties in Wisconsin, and seven counties in Illinois were declared Federal Disaster Areas.

Meteorological synopsis

On Saturday, August 18, a

warm front Warm, WARM, or Warmth may refer to: * A somewhat high temperature; heat * Kindness Music Albums * ''Warm'' (Herb Alpert album), 1969 * ''Warm'' (Jeff Tweedy album), 2018 * ''Warm'' (Johnny Mathis album), 1958, and the title song * ''Warm'' ( ...

pushed northward into Iowa and Illinois, where it became stationary. Warm, moist air pushing over the frontal boundary fueled showers and thunderstorms that moved in a west-to-east fashion,

training Training is teaching, or developing in oneself or others, any skills and knowledge or fitness that relate to specific useful competencies. Training has specific goals of improving one's capability, capacity, productivity and performance. I ...

over the same areas for hours at a time. Some parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa saw moderate to heavy rain for nearly a full day before the activity finally cleared out. Additional thunderstorms formed over these areas on Sunday, August 19, exacerbating the flooding problems. Tropical Storm Erin had pushed into the coast of Texas on August 15, and by August 18 had stalled over Oklahoma. Though the remnants of Erin did not directly impact the flooding in these areas, moisture from Erin streamed northward, enhancing the thunderstorm activity for two to three days. The stationary front and associated energy then extended eastward through Illinois, Indiana and Ohio on August 19 and August 20. Similarly, the front was the focus for thunderstorm development, and the precipitation continued moving over the same areas, leading to extended periods of heavy rainfall. Approximately 1,000,000 homes lost electricity due to the storms. Runoff from the heavy rain also caused river flooding to the south of the affected areas. The Rock River near Joslin, Illinois peaked at 17.11 feet, above flood stage. Moderate flooding was also reported on the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

from the

Quad Cities The Quad Cities is a region of five cities (originally Tri-Cities, later four, see #History, History) in the U.S. states of Iowa and Illinois: Davenport, Iowa, Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa, Bettendorf (the fifth to be included) in southeaster ...

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

Illinois

The city of

Rockford, Illinois Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, Winnebago and Ogle County, Illinois, Ogle counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. Located in far northern Illinois on the banks of the Rock River (Mississippi River tributary), Rock River, Rockfor ...

was deluged in the weeks preceding the major flooding during the third week of August. On August 7, Rockford was hit by five to seven inches (127–178 mm) of rain. Many streets, including main thoroughfares, were flooded. There was also fear that the Alpine Dam might break.Kelokhe, Smita.
Rockford's flooding same story again for dozens of victims
" ''13 WREX-TV (NBC)'', August 8, 2007. Retrieved on August 25, 2007Downpours flood northern Illinois, ''Chicago Tribune'', August 7, 2007. Retrieved on August 8, 2007 The following day, Governor

Rod Blagojevich Rod R. Blagojevich ( ; born December 10, 1956), often referred to by his nickname "Blago", is an American politician who served as the 40th governor of Illinois from 2003 to 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, Blagojevich previously worked ...

declared both Rockford and Winnebago County a state disaster area. With this declaration, he dispatched both the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and the

Illinois Department of Natural Resources The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is the code department of the Illinois state government that operates the state parks and state recreation areas, enforces the fishing and game laws of Illinois, regulates Illinois coal mines ...

to assist the city. Debris removal, law enforcement, damage assessment, and other physical assistance were offered by the governor. Two weeks later on August 23, violent storms rolled through most of the

Chicago metropolitan area The Chicago metropolitan area, also referred to as Chicagoland, is the largest metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Illinois, and the Midwest, containing the City of Chicago along with its surrounding suburbs and satellite cities. ...

. Tornado warnings were issued during the first round of storms, which produced wind gusts as high as 80 miles per hour (130 km/h); the highest being reported in

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

. A small tornado was reported in

Bolingbrook Bolingbrook is a village in Will and DuPage counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is a southwest suburb of Chicago on I-55 and Historic Route 66 (Frontage Road). The village was a new town built on the Gateway Wetlands west of the Des Plai ...

in a

DuPage County DuPage County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, and one of the collar counties of the Chicago metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 932,877, making it Illinois' second-most populous county. Its county seat ...

Forest Preserve. The storms shut down airports (including

O'Hare International Airport Chicago O'Hare International Airport is the primary international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, United States, located on the city's Northwest Side, approximately northwest of the Chicago Loop, Loop business district. The airport is ope ...

and

Midway International Airport Chicago Midway International Airport is a major commercial airport on the southwest side of Chicago, Illinois, located approximately 12 miles (19 km) from the city's Loop business district, and divided between the city's Clearing and ...

), uprooted trees and left over 600,000 residents in northern Illinois without power, some for several days. The storms also caused flooding on streets and major expressways such as the

Bishop Ford Freeway A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of dioceses. The role ...

. Rainfall totals in Boone and LaSalle Counties topped 1987 records. Governor

declared McHenry,

Lake A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from ...

Cook Cook or The Cook may refer to: Food preparation * Cooking, the preparation of food * Cook (domestic worker), a household staff member who prepares food * Cook (profession), an individual who prepares food for consumption in the food industry * C ...

(including Chicago), DuPage, and

Kane Kane or KANE may refer to: Art, entertainment and media Fictional entities *Kane (comics), the main character of the eponymous comic book series by Paul Grist * Kane (''Command & Conquer''), Tiberium universe character in the ''Command & Conquer'' ...

counties to be disaster areas after the storm. Flooding across northern Illinois was widespread in the aftermath of the storms. Along the Rock River in

Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824) was an English poet. He is one of the major figures of the Romantic movement, and is regarded as being among the greatest poets of the United Kingdom. Among his best-kno ...

, the river reached moderate flood stage on August 24; moderate stage is above 14 feet (4 m).Rock River at Byron
" (PDF) (Does not render in Firefox), Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service, ''National Weather Service''. Retrieved August 25, 2007. Officials in Ogle County recommended that people in low-lying areas along the Rock River, and along

Killbuck Creek Killbuck Creek is a tributary of the Walhonding River, 81.7 mi (131.5 km) long,Ohio Department of Natural Resources''A Guide to Ohio Streams.''Lindenwood, evacuate to higher ground.Osborne, Melinda.
Rain soaked and ready for more
" ''Sauk Valley Newspapers'', August 25, 2007. Downstream, in Lee County at Dixon, the river had not reached flood stage as off August 25, though it continued to rise.Rock River at Dixon
" Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service, ''National Weather Service''. Retrieved August 25, 2007. Though not affected by flooding as it was on August 7, the city of Rockford received 1.23 inches (31 mm) of rain, setting an all-time record for Rockford's wettest month in recorded climate data history, with a total of 13.82 inches (351 mm) of rain.0, 2007 is wettest month ever at Rockford
" (Press release), ''National Weather Service''. Retrieved August 25, 2007. DeKalb Il Kishwaukee River Flood21

Other rivers and streams in the Rock River valley experienced moderate to major flooding as well. The

Kishwaukee River The Kishwaukee River, locally known as simply The Kish, is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed May 13, 2011 river in the U.S. state of Illinois.. United States Board on ...

at Perryville crested at 17.57 feet (5.36 m), more than five feet above flood stage. The same river also rose above flood stage in Belvidere.Driscoll, Sean F.
South of Rockford, rivers reach flood stage
" ''Rockford Register Star'', August 24, 2007. After 4.85 inches (123 mm) of rain fell on August 23 and 24 in

DeKalb County DeKalb County may refer to one of several counties in the United States, all of which were named for Baron Johann de Kalb: * DeKalb County, Alabama DeKalb County is a County (United States), county in the Northeast Alabama, northeastern part ...

, at DeKalb, the South Branch Kishwaukee River rose to its highest level since 1983 and its second highest level in recorded history. Numerous roads and bridges were closed, and the cities of DeKalb and

Sycamore Sycamore is a name which has been applied to several types of trees, but with somewhat similar leaf forms. The name derives from the Ancient Greek () meaning . Species of otherwise unrelated trees known as sycamore: * ''Acer pseudoplatanus'', a ...

declared local emergencies, though DeKalb County was not included in Blagojevich's initial disaster declaration.Schott, Kate.
DeKalb County begins cleaning up
," ''The Daily Chronicle'' (

DeKalb, Illinois DeKalb ( ) is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,290 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The city is named after decorated Franconian-French war hero Johann de Kalb, who died during the Ameri ...

), August 25, 2007. Retrieved August 25, 2007. DeKalb County received state disaster area designation from Blagojevich on August 26.Gov. Declares DeKalb County Disaster Area; Red Cross Opens New Shelter
''WBBM 780'', August 26, 2007, Chicago. Retrieved September 18, 2007. In DeKalb and Sycamore, about 600 residents were displaced from their homes, and the DeKalb campus of

Northern Illinois University Northern Illinois University (NIU) is a public research university in DeKalb, Illinois, United States. It was founded as "Northern Illinois State Normal School" in 1895 by Illinois Governor John P. Altgeld, initially to provide the state with c ...

was closed because of the flood.Northern Illinois braces for more rain, flooding
," ''Associated Press'', via NBC News, August 25, 2007. Retrieved August 25, 2007. DeKalb Il Kishwaukee River FloodP1

The Fox River at Dayton crested after it rose to more than 17 feet (5 m), over five feet above the river's flood stage.Tabular data
"
Fox River at Dayton
, Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service, ''National Weather Service''. Retrieved August 25, 2007. In

Plano, Illinois Plano is a city near Aurora in Kendall County, Illinois, United States, with a population of 11,847 as of the 2020 census. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area, being about 55 miles (90 km) from Chicago. The city was home to the Pla ...

the Fox rose up around the historic

Farnsworth House The Edith Farnsworth House (also the Farnsworth House) is a historical house designed and constructed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe between 1945 and 1951. The house was constructed as a one-room weekend retreat in a rural setting in Plano, Illino ...

, a modern architecture masterpiece designed by

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Ludwig Mies van der Rohe ( ; ; born Maria Ludwig Michael Mies; March 27, 1886August 17, 1969) was a German-American architect, academic, and interior designer. He was commonly referred to as Mies, his surname. He is regarded as one of the pionee ...

. Preservationists used a boat to save the home and its furnishings, which previously had been devastated by high water in 1996. With the boat, preservationists were able to enter the house and move vulnerable furnishings to higher locations within the home. Water rose to within a foot of the Farnsworth House's raised platform, covering the

terrace Terrace may refer to: Landforms and construction * Fluvial terrace, a natural, flat surface that borders and lies above the floodplain of a stream or river * Terrace, a street suffix * Terrace, the portion of a lot between the public sidewalk a ...

in front of the home, but the river crested before any damage occurred. Kamin, Blair.
This time, Farnsworth House dodges flood
" ''Chicago Tribune'', August 30, 2007. Retrieved October 4, 2007. At

Starved Rock State Park Starved Rock State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Illinois, characterized by the many canyons within its . Located just southeast of the village of Utica, Illinois, Utica, in Deer Park Township, LaSalle County, Illinois, Deer Park To ...

, parking lots were closed due to the level of the

Illinois River The Illinois River () is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River at approximately in length. Located in the U.S. state of Illinois, the river has a drainage basin of . The Illinois River begins with the confluence of the Des Plaines ...

, which stood at 26.5 feet on August 25, 6.5 feet (2 m) above its flood stage.Szuda, Stephanie.
Fox River exceeds flood stage by five feet
," ''The Times'' (

Ottawa, Illinois Ottawa is a city in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the confluence of the navigable Fox River (Illinois River tributary), Fox River and Illinois River, the latter being a conduit for river barges and ...

), August 25, 2007. Retrieved August 25, 2007. Governor Blagojevich estimated total flood damages could cost nine Illinois counties and the state more than $22.8 million, and the state requested federal assistance.News-Sun Staff.
Disaster declaration sought for Lake County
," ''Lake County News-Sun'' (

Lake County, Illinois Lake County is a County (United States), county located in the northeastern corner of the U.S. state of Illinois, along the shores of Lake Michigan. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it has a population of 714,342, making it th ...

), September 15, 2007. Retrieved October 4, 2007. On September 25, the

Federal Emergency Management Agency The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...

(FEMA) announced that federal disaster aid was available for the state of Illinois to assist with recovery from the August storms.CBS 2 Chicago.
FEMA Offers Aid For Illinois Storm Victims
" ''CBS2Chicago.com''. Retrieved September 25, 2007. The disaster aid was made available when President George W. Bush declared DeKalb, Grundy,

, LaSalle,

, and

Will Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...

Counties, in northern Illinois, "major disaster" areas.President Declares Major Disaster for Illinois
," (Press release), September 25, 2007, ''Federal Emergency Management Agency''. Retrieved October 4, 2007. The federal funding made individual assistance available to flood victims in Lake, Will and Grundy Counties, and individual and public assistance available to those in DeKalb, Kane and LaSalle Counties.Illinois map
," (PDF), Illinois Severe Storms and Flooding – Declared Disaster: September 25, 2007, ''Federal Emergency Management Agency''. Retrieved October 4, 2007.

Indiana

Dyer, Indiana Dyer ( ) is a town in St. John Township, Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 16,517 at the 2020 census. It is a southeastern suburb of Chicago. Geography Dyer borders Munster to the north, unincorporated St. John Townshi ...

, southeast of Chicago, authorities evacuated 70 patients from St. Margaret Mercy Hospital after a waters from a nearby creek started seeping into the hospital. Also in northwest Indiana, a section of

Interstate 80 Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one of the ori ...

/ 94 (

Borman Expressway Interstate 94 (I-94) is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Billings, Montana, to Port Huron, Michigan. I-94 enters Indiana from Illinois in the west, in Munster, and runs generally eastward through Hammond, Gary, and ...

) was closed on August 24 due to flooding on the roadway.Bunkley, Nick.
Difficult cleanup lies ahead for soaked Midwest
" ''The New York Times'', August 25, 2007. Retrieved August 25, 2007. It was reopened on August 27.

Iowa

The

Des Moines River The Des Moines River () is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the upper Midwestern United States that is approximately long from its farther headwaters.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe N ...

near

Fort Dodge Fort Dodge is a city in and the county seat of Webster County, Iowa, United States, along the Des Moines River. The population was 24,871 in the 2020 census, a decrease from 25,136 in 2000. Fort Dodge is a major commercial center for North Ce ...

crested at 4 feet (1.2 m) above flood stage, necessitating the evacuation of three subdivisions. In Ottumwa, storm sewers backed up into the city's

water treatment Water treatment is any process that improves the quality of water to make it appropriate for a specific end-use. The end use may be drinking, industrial water supply, irrigation, river flow maintenance, water recreation or many other uses, ...

plant, shutting four pumps down and leaving the entire town without adequate drinking water. This was caused by rainfall of over 12 inches (304.8 mm) that fell in southeast Iowa during the night of August 23–24. August 24 damage estimates in nearby

Boone County, Iowa Boone County is a county in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,715. Its county seat is Boone. Boone County comprises the Boone, IA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Des Moines- Ames- We ...

reached $150,000 in road damage and an additional $1 million damage to a scenic railroad.Cauchon, Dennis and Gomez, Alan.
Soggy Midwest in 'cleanup mode'
" ''USA Today'', August 24, 2007. Retrieved October 9, 2007.

Minnesota

A large swath of heavy rain fell across most of southern Minnesota during Saturday, August 18, and Sunday, August 19, with the highest totals in the far southeast counties of the state. Twenty-four-hour rainfall totals of 15.10 inches (384 mm) were recorded in Hokah, which easily broke the old state record of 10.84 inches (275 mm). An unofficial twenty-four-hour total of over 17 inches (432 mm) was recorded near

Caledonia Caledonia (; ) was the Latin name used by the Roman Empire to refer to the forested region in the central and western Scottish Highlands, particularly stretching through parts of what are now Lochaber, Badenoch, Strathspey, and possibly as ...

. During the entire weekend rainfall event, parts or all of 28 counties in Minnesota received at least 4 inches (102 mm) of rain. The highest total for the entire event was 18.17 inches (462 mm) near La Crescent. Southeast Minnesota and southwestern Wisconsin are in the

Driftless Area The Driftless Area, also known as Bluff Country and the Paleozoic Plateau, is a topographic and cultural region in the Midwestern United States that comprises southwestern Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, northeastern Iowa, and the extreme ...

, which was not covered by the last glaciation, and therefore is not covered by deep layers of glacial till. The soils therefore are thin and less able to retain water; they lie atop porous rock into and through which surface waters can rapidly drain into the water table. The highly dissected topography, characterized by steep hills and bluffs and deep

coulee Coulee, or coulée ( or ), is any of various different landforms, all of which are kinds of valleys or drainage zones. The word ''coulee'' comes from the Canadian French ''coulée'', from French ''couler'' 'to flow'. The term is often used ...

s, gives steep gradients to the drainage and makes streams highly erosive. As the rains far exceeded the absorption rate of 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) in six hours, flash floods rapidly overflowed the water courses and spread across the valley floors. The towns of Stockton,

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

Elba Elba (, ; ) is a Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino on the Italian mainland, and the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago. It is also part of the Arcipelago Toscano National Park, a ...

, Minnesota City, and portions of Winona, on the

, were evacuated. Citizens were moved to Saint Mary's University in Winona, Lewiston, and

Caledonia, Minnesota Caledonia is a city and the county seat of Houston County, Minnesota, United States and is part of the La Crosse, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,847 at the 2020 census. History Caledonia was platted in 1854 ...

. Massive bluffs gave way in Brownsville and several homes were completely washed away. Governor

Tim Pawlenty Timothy James Pawlenty ( ; born November 27, 1960) is an American attorney, businessman, and politician who served from 2003 to 2011 as the 39th governor of Minnesota. A member of the Republican Party, Pawlenty served in the Minnesota House ...

ordered 240 National Guard soldiers to help and declared a state of emergency in six counties. The

Minnesota Army National Guard The Minnesota Army National Guard, along with the Minnesota Air National Guard, is an element of the Minnesota National Guard. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions. I ...

soldiers guarded communities that were cleared out after the flooding early August 19. The Army Corps of Engineers opened up the floodgates on the rising Root River to release some of the water creating pressure on the dike in Houston. WhitewaterRiverMNbridge2007-09-02

High flood waters on the Middle Branch of the Whitewater River, which runs through Whitewater State Park, destroyed three bridges and damaged campgrounds, bathhouses, a group dining hall, and water and sewer systems in the park. About 500 campers were staying in Whitewater State Park at the time. The park was closed to the public on August 20, 2007, for an indefinite period of time.

E. coli ''Escherichia coli'' ( )Wells, J. C. (2000) Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. Harlow ngland Pearson Education Ltd. is a gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped, coliform bacterium of the genus ''Escherichia'' that is commonly foun ...

bacteria were found in the Rushford's water supply, and residents were urged not to use it until the city's water system could be flushed. DMErailbridgeStocktonMN2007-09-02

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

train service between

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

and

La Crosse, Wisconsin La Crosse ( ) is a city in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. Positioned alongside the Mississippi River, La Crosse is the largest city on Wisconsin's western border. La Crosse's population was 52,680 as of the 202 ...

was shut down for a week because of damage to the tracks. Passengers were bussed between the two until repairs could be made. The passenger rail line resumed service on August 27. State Senator Sharon Erickson Ropes stated after initial flooding, "This is the worst disaster that's hit southeast Minnesota in a lifetime." Four thousand two hundred homes were damaged or destroyed in the state, and seven deaths were reported. It is estimated that there has been $67 million in damage.

Dodge Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence, Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...

, Fillmore,

Olmsted Olmsted may refer to: People * Olmsted (name) Places * Olmsted Air Force Base, inactive since 1969 * Olmsted, Illinois * Olmsted County, Minnesota * Olmsted Falls, Ohio * Olmsted Point, a viewing area in Yosemite National Park * Olmsted To ...

, Steele, Wabasha, and Winona counties were declared federal

disaster area A disaster area is a region or a locale that has been heavily damaged by either natural, technological or social hazards. Disaster areas affect the population living in the community by a dramatic increase in expense, loss of energy, food and se ...

Ohio

Ottawa OH 2007 Blanchard River Flood Coast Guard

The

Blanchard River The Blanchard River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed May 19, 2011 tributary of the Auglaize River in northwestern Ohio in the United States. It drains a primarily rur ...

was 7.5 feet (2 m) above flood level in Findlay, the highest level since 1913. A 92-year-old man drowned trying to get to safety after his car became trapped in floodwater near Findlay, where water poured into the downtown area from the Blanchard and its tributary creeks. One hundred thirty inmates were moved from a Hancock County jail. Bucyrus received 9 inches (229 mm) of rain, and several hundred people were evacuated from their homes in

Crawford County Crawford County is the name of eleven counties in the United States: * Crawford County, Arkansas * Crawford County, Georgia * Crawford County, Illinois * Crawford County, Indiana * Crawford County, Iowa * Crawford County, Kansas * Crawford County, ...

. The river also reached 8.7 feet (3 m) above flood level in

Ottawa, Ohio Ottawa is a village (United States)#Ohio, village and the county seat of Putnam County, Ohio, United States. It is located about southwest of Toledo, Ohio, Toledo. The population is 4,456 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Hist ...

. Ottawa's Main Street (U.S Route 224) was fully flooded, as were homes and churches for blocks around. Between Findlay and Ottawa, Route 224 was washed out in several spots. The fire department in Ottawa rescued dozens of people from their deluged homes by boat. Northwest Ohio's most serious flooding was along the Blanchard, though other rivers, including the Auglaize,

Tiffin Tiffin is a South Asian English word for a type of meal. It refers to a light breakfast or a light tea-time meal at about 3 p.m., consisting of typical tea-time foods. In certain parts of India, it can also refer to the midday luncheon or ...

Portage Portage or portaging ( CA: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a '' ...

, and Sandusky, all experienced some level of flooding.Feehan, Jennifer, et al.
Flood submerges towns; dozens rescued from Findlay, Ottawa homes
," ''Toledo Blade'' (

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the western end of Lake Erie along the Maumee River. Toledo is the List of cities in Ohio, fourth-most populous city in Ohio and List of United Sta ...

), August 23, 2007. Retrieved October 9, 2007. The cities of

Bellevue Bellevue means "beautiful view" in French. Bellevue or Belle Vue may refer to: Places Australia * Bellevue, Queensland * Bellevue, Western Australia * Bellevue Hill, New South Wales Canada * Bellevue, Alberta * Bellevue, Newfoundlan ...

and Shelby also had severe flooding that forced residents from their homes.

Allen Allen, Allen's or Allens may refer to: Buildings * Allen Arena, an indoor arena at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee * Allen Center, a skyscraper complex in downtown Houston, Texas * Allen Fieldhouse, an indoor sports arena on the Univ ...

, Crawford,

Hancock Hancock may refer to: Places Places in the United States * Hancock, Iowa * Hancock, Maine * Hancock, Maryland * Hancock, Massachusetts * Hancock, Michigan * Hancock, Minnesota * Hancock, Missouri * Hancock, New Hampshire ** Hancock (CDP), New H ...

, Hardin, Putnam, Richland,

Seneca Seneca may refer to: People, fictional characters and language * Seneca (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname : :* Seneca the Elder (c. 54 BC – c. AD 39), a Roman rhetorician, writer and father ...

, and

Wyandot Wyandot may refer to: Native American ethnography * Wyandot people, who have been called Wyandotte, Huron, Wendat and Quendat * Wyandot language, an Iroquoian language * Wyandot Nation of Kansas, an unrecognized tribe and nonprofit organization ...

counties were declared federal

Wisconsin

In Wisconsin, Governor

Jim Doyle James Edward Doyle Jr. (born November 23, 1945) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 44th governor of Wisconsin from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he narrowly defeated incumbent Republican governor Scott M ...

declared a state of emergency on August 20 in three counties in the southwest corner of his state after weekend rains of ten to twelve inches fell. (254–305 mm). More than 200 homes were flooded in the

communities of Gays Mills and Soldiers Grove, each with about 600 to 640 residents. A mudslide pushed one house onto state

Highway 35 The following highways are numbered 35: The Karakoram Highway (Urdu language, Urdu: شاہراہ قراقرم, ''Śāhirāh-i Qarāquram''), also known as the KKH, National Highway 35 (Urdu language, Urdu: قومی شاہراہ ۳۵), N-35, and ...

in Vernon County. Approximately $48 million in damage was reported in 12 Wisconsin counties. Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Grant,

Green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a com ...

, Jefferson,

Kenosha Kenosha () is a city in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is the fourth-most populous city in Wisconsin, with a population of 99,986 at the 2020 census. Situated on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan, Ke ...

La Crosse La Crosse ( ) is a city in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. Positioned alongside the Mississippi River, La Crosse is the largest city on Wisconsin's western border. La Crosse's population was 52,680 as of the 20 ...

Racine Jean-Baptiste Racine ( , ; ; 22 December 1639 – 21 April 1699) was a French dramatist, one of the three great playwrights of 17th-century France, along with Molière and Corneille, as well as an important literary figure in the Western tra ...

, Richland,

Rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

, Sauk, and Vernon counties were declared federal

s. In

Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States * Madison (footballer), Brazilian footballer Places in the United States Populated places * Madi ...

, a mother and daughter waiting for a Madison Metro bus were

electrocuted Electrocution is death or severe injury caused by electric shock from electric current passing through the body. The word is derived from "electro" and "execution", but it is also used for accidental death. The term "electrocution" was coined ...

when

lightning Lightning is a natural phenomenon consisting of electrostatic discharges occurring through the atmosphere between two electrically charged regions. One or both regions are within the atmosphere, with the second region sometimes occurring on ...

struck a

power line An overhead power line is a structure used in electric power transmission and Electric power distribution, distribution to transmit electrical energy along large distances. It consists of one or more electrical conductor, conductors (commonly mu ...

and caused it to fall onto a flooded street on which they were standing, while another child was injured. A passenger on the bus was killed, and the driver was injured, both having been shocked after coming out of the bus to help. Before this torrential rain and flooding event, much of the state was in a moderate to severe drought that had persisted until mid-August. Although the southern half of the state received abundant precipitation, an upper-level high pressure ridge centered in

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

caused a cut-off of precipitation to the north, leaving much of northern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan with continued drought conditions.

References

External links

Amateur video of a flash flood in a residential area
– Minneapolis Star Tribune

Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois The Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois – also known as Landmarks Illinois – is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1971 to prevent the demolition of the Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan designed Chicago Stock Exchange Building. ...

, includes photo slide show.
Rainfall totals & prediction
– Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service {{DEFAULTSORT:Midwest 2000s floods in the United States 2007 floods 2007 natural disasters in the United States

2007 Midwest flooding The 2007 Midwest flooding was a major flooding event that occurred in the Midwestern United States in the third week of August 2007. While Hurricane Dean was affecting the Yucatán Peninsula and the Gulf of Mexico, and Tropical Storm Erin (2007 ...

Natural disasters in Indiana Natural disasters in Iowa Natural disasters in Minnesota Natural disasters in Ohio Natural disasters in Wisconsin

Meteorological synopsis

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Minnesota

Ohio

Wisconsin

See also

References

External links