09/21/2008, 9:53 am
By Leila Noelliste
lnoelliste@daily-journal.com
815-802-5144
You could call it the perfect storm.
Key factors came together to make last weekend's intense rain and flooding a very powerful and unusual experience. The rain dumped close to 9 inches in some towns, and Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel classifies it as a 25-year storm, not likely to happen again within the next two and a half decades.
"With a lot of those rainfall totals, we're talking about a 25-year storm. And some of those totals that are over 8.75 inches could be described as 100-year storms, expected to happen once every 100 years, on average," he said.
The rains were powered by Hurricane Ike, which traveled north to Illinois after battering Texas. According to Angel, most hurricanes would have lost most of their power after leaving the heat and moisture of the tropics, but Ike stayed strong, unleashing wind and heavy rain on the Midwest....
September 17, 2008
Peru, Illinois
Photographer states :: Flooded Illinois River In Peru, Illinois.
September 18, 2008
Seabrook, Texas
Photographer states :: damage from ike at houston yacht club in la porte texas and seabrook sailing club in seabrook tx
September 21, 2008
1730z
UNISYS Enhanced Infrared GOES East Satellite
