The National Weather Service Chicago is calling the three-day rain totals calculated Wednesday morning (Feb. 21, 2018) “historic.”

The biggest downfalls were south of Kane County, but it was a major event, whether measured in Aurora, O’Hare Airport or Wheatfield in Jasper County.

Among the fast facts you’ll see below, the Chicago area recorded the second wettest February event ever. The first was 4.08 inches recorded Feb 20 through Feb. 22, 1997.

The 2.10 inches recorded at O’Hare on Feb 20 was the second wettest February calendar day on record. Again, second to Feb 21, 1997.

And it was the wettest event in meteorological winter (December through February) since the event in 1997, and appears to be the 10th wettest meteorological winter event on record (dating back to 1871).

Locally, Aurora led Kane County communities with 2.84 inches. Batavia recorded 2.71 inches and Sugar Grove 2.59 inches during the three-day period.

Fast Facts / Records Set

• Multiple episodes of heavy rain fell over the region, with the heaviest amounts along and southeast of the Illinois River.  This brought widespread areal flooding and major river flooding to northern Illinois into northern Indiana.
  • The heaviest rainfall was over east central Illinois into northwest Indiana, where 4 inches to 6.5 inches of rain fell, the highest being 6.5 inches near Wheatfield, IN.
• Rivers continue to crest this week, some approaching or reaching record levels.

• Chicago (O’Hare): Total rainfall of 2.68 inches
  
  • Second wettest February event on record after 4.08″ on Feb 20-22, 1997.
  • The 2.10″ on Feb 20 was the second wettest February calendar day on record (Feb 21, 1997).
  • Wettest event in meteorological winter (Dec-Feb) since the above event in 1997, and appears to be the 10th wettest meteorological winter event on record (dating back to 1871).

Top 10 Kane County 3-Day Rain Totals

The following are rainfall amounts for the previous three days as measured Wednesday (Feb. 21) morning by NWS Cooperative Observers and CoCoRaHS observers. Observations are usually taken between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m.

1. Aurora 4SE (Du Page) — 2.84
2. Batavia (Kane) — 2.74North Aurora 2NE (Kane) — 2.71
3. Sugar Grove 1NE (Kane) — 2.59
4. Sugar Grove 1ENE (Kane) — 2.56
5. Aurora (Kane) — 2.54
6. Batavia 1WNW (Kane) — 2.52
7. Geneva 1SSW (Kane) — 2.48
8. Batavia 2WNW (Kane) — 2.48
9. St. Charles (Kane) — 2.41
10. Batavia 1WSW (Kane) — 2.32