2013 Midwestern U.S. floods

Flooding along the Des Plaines River on April 18

Flooding in Wauconda, Illinois, after the Fox River crested to a major flood stage

In Des Plaines, at least 800 homes and businesses were impacted, and 60 water rescues occurred.[4] Residences were evacuated around Big Bend Lake in Des Plaines, and the Des Plaines River swelled 10.92 feet (3,330 mm),[19] breaking the 1986 crest level record by 0.02 inches,[20] and prompting a local state of emergency for Des Plaines.[21]

In Chicago, 3.54 inches (90 mm) of rain fell, which would add to the city's rainfall total to 8.54 inches (217 mm)–which was recorded as the wettest April on record in Chicago.[22] Portions of the Kennedy, Edens, and Eisenhower expressways were shut down, and a flash flood warning was issued for the city of Chicago.[23] A portion of Interstate 74 shut down in Peoria and Tazewell counties.[24] Chicago emergency management received more than 1,500 calls of flooding.[23]

In Clarendon Hills, homes and yards sustained "devastating" damage,[25] while in downtown Naperville, streets were flooded and schools were cancelled the next day on April 19 because of flooding concerns.[26][17] A branch of the DuPage River spilled over a levee protecting the river flooding, and a hospital in Morris evacuated 44 patients after floodwaters entered the basement of the hospital.[27] In Utica, a mobile home park was evacuated, while in Marshall County water rescues occurred.[27] A levee breached in Lincolnshire, prompting 49 homes to be evacuated, and in Marseilles, 1,500 people were evacuated after a compromised levee flooded homes and infastructure.[24] Several homes were also evacuated in London Mills as numerous homes were inundated by floodwaters.[24] The parking lot at Scott Air Force Base was flooded.[28][29] In Peoria, the city broke their 24-hour rainfall record, while Galesburg set a daily rainfall record on April 18, with 4.16 inches (106 mm).[3] The Illinois River near Peoria crested to 29.35 feet (895 cm), which broke a crest record set 70 years prior, and 20 to 30 homes and businesses near the river were evacuated.[15]

Two deaths occurred, one in Oak Brook and the other in Cora.[30] Two injuries occurred when two homes collapsed into a basement in Peoria.[24] One person in Chicago was hospitalized after their vehicle, along with two parked cars, was swallowed into a sinkhole.[27] 550 flights were cancelled at O'Hare International Airport, while an additional 30 were cancelled at Midway International Airport.[31][27] Floods damaged thousands of homes and structures across the state, and damages totaled in excess of $265 million.[24]

Flooding along the Grand River in Grand Rapids, Michigan, near the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum

The Grand River crested to a record 21.85 feet, breaking a 1985 river crest record, forcing evacuations and flooding downtown Grand Rapids.[32] 9.1 inches (230 mm) of rainfall fell in Grand Rapids on April 18, breaking the previous rainfall record set in 1909.[33] Sandbags were set up in downtown Grand Rapids along the Grand River, and 1,000 people were evaucated from the Plaza Towers.[34] The Grand Rapids Public Museum was shut down after floodwaters surrounded the museum, despite sandbags that were set up around the building.[35][36] The Grand River also flooded areas of Lowell and Ada Township and prompted evacuations in Wyoming for 25 homes.[27][37][38] Buck Creek was flooded, leading to evacuations across Grandville,[39] and minor flooding occurred along the Saginaw River.[40] Parts of Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge was flooded, and water topped the dike at Misteguay Creek in Saginaw County.[15] Homes and businesses along the Tittabawassee River were flooded.[15] Grand Rapids mayor George Heartwell declared a local state of emergency after low-lying areas in the city were inundated, forcing people to evacuate.[41]

The Big Walnut Creek near a county road in Putnam County, showing a record flood stage level at 21.42 inches on April 19

Roads were flooded in downtown Indianapolis, and schools were closed in Zionsville and Lebanon.[42] Two car crashes occurred on Interstate 465 and Interstate 65 after rain caused vehicles to hydroplane. A water rescue occurred in Brownsburg, and vehicles were inundated and stranded in Carmel and Westfield.[42] The thunderstorms accompanying the heavy rain caused a lightning strike which damaged a US Airways plane on the runway at Indianapolis International Airport, according to airport officials, and another lightning strike damaged three homes in Hamilton County.[43] Numerous creeks and rivers, including the Wabash River, crested above major flood levels.[44] Flooding forced sandbags to be placed along the Little Calumet River and cancelled a flood-fighting drill in Gary.[27] Two fatalities occurred when they were swept away by floodwaters along a crested Cicero Creek.[30][45]

In Ava, children and a bus driver were rescued after their school bus was surrounded by floodwaters.[27] De Soto was flooded, resulting in nearly 5,000 power outages across the city.[46] Near St. Louis, 114 barges were loosened, with some hitting Jefferson Barracks Bridge, forcing the bridge to close.[30] Nearly 300 state roads were closed according to the Missouri Department of Transportation.[47][48] Six levees north of St. Louis along the Mississippi River were overtopped.[15] A woman was killed after she was swept away by a swelled Joachim Creek.[49]

The Red River overflowed due to leftover melting snow caused by the heavy rainfall, which posed a flood threat to Fargo.[50] However, temporary levees prevented significant flood damage. Fargo mayor Dennis Walaker recalled after the flood event, "Four floods in the last five years. That's extremely unusual."[51]