NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WARNINGS/WATCHES ARE NOT TO BE
DISSEMINATED TO THE PUBLIC AFTER EXPIRATION TIME.



RWUS32 KSPI 221744
FFSSPI
ILZ043>046-052>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-231200-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
1144 AM CST FRI JAN 22 1999

...A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EASTCENTRAL ILLINOIS THIS
AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

THE WATCH AREA COVERS THE COUNTIES OF...VERMILION...CHAMPAIGN...
PIATT...DE WITT...MACON...CHRISTIAN...SHELBY...MOULTRIE...
DOUGLAS...EDGAR...COLES...EFFINGHAM...CUMBERLAND...CLARK...
JASPER...CRAWFORD...CLAY...RICHLAND AND LAWRENCE.

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...DECATUR...CHAMPAIGN...DANVILLE...
TAYLORVILLE...MATTOON...CHARLESTON...EFFINGHAM AND LAWRENCEVILLE.

AN INTENSE STORM SYSTEM OVER SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA WILL TRACK NORTHEAST
INTO EASTCENTRAL ILLINOIS LATE TONIGHT. COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF MILD AND
MOIST UNSTABLE GULF AIR WILL CONTINUE TO FLOW NORTH INTO THE
SOUTHEAST HALF OF ILLINOIS THROUGH TONIGHT.

RAIN SOUTHEAST OF INTERSTATE 70 WILL DEVELOP NORTH ACROSS EAST
CENTRAL ILLINOIS THIS AFTERNOON AND INCREASE IN INTENSITY. SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINS WILL APPEAR LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND
CONTINUE THIS EVENING. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN THE WATCH AREA
WILL AVERAGE BETWEEN 1 AND 1.5 INCHES WITH LOCAL 2 INCHES AROUND
LAWRENCEVILLE BEFORE DIMINISHING LATE TONIGHT.

BETWEEN THREE QUARTER /0.75/ INCH AND 2 INCHES WITH LOCAL THREE
/3.10/ INCHES AT CLAY CITY...HAS ALREADY FALLEN IN THIS AREA
THURSDAY NIGHT. IN ADDITIONAL SNOWMELT NORTH OF INTERSTATE 70 WILL
ADD TO THE RUNOFF AGGRAVATING FLOODING CONDITIONS.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO
CROSS SAFELY AND THE ROAD BENEATH MAY NOT BE INTACT. MONITOR WEATHER
CONDITIONS CLOSELY ESPECIALLY IF YOU LIVE IN A FLOOD PRONE AREA.

HUETTL




NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WARNINGS/WATCHES ARE NOT TO BE
DISSEMINATED TO THE PUBLIC AFTER EXPIRATION TIME.

*** NO WARNINGS/WATCHES DURING THE LAST 6 HOURS ***