Flood warnings issued for Cuivre River
Despite recent onslaught of rains, NWS records 2025 is actually on the drier side
By Gregory Orear
General Manager/Editor
LINCOLN COUNTY – Six consecutive days of rain, including two of the largest amounts recorded in 2025, has prompted multiple flash and river flood warnings in Lincoln County.
After recording .95 inches of rain Monday, the National Weather Service issued separate “river flood warnings” for Cuivre River in Lincoln County.
The first, which is scheduled to expire Thursday morning, impacts the Cuivre River near Troy.
“At 23.5 feet, near this height, State Highway H near the West Fork Cuivre River bridge will be closed due to flooding,” the NWS advises in its warning. “The river is expected to fall below flood stage just after midnight tonight (Tuesday) and continue falling to 6 feet Tuesday, July 29.”
The second warning remains in effect until 9:43 p.m. Friday near Old Monroe.
“At 24.5 feet, extensive left bank agricultural flooding develops upstream of the gage,” the NWS warns. “A utility road is flooded along the Old Monroe levee along the left bank upstream of the gage.”
The NWS advises the Cuivre River is expected to rise above flood stage Wednesday night.
Monday’s deluge represented the sixth consecutive day of measurable rain in Lincoln County, including a 1.28 downpour Thursday, July 17.
While Monday’s rainfall total represented the seventh largest of 2025, Thursday ranked as the fourth wettest day of the year. NWS data indicates the largest rain of the year came on the first day of the Lincoln County Fair, July 8, at 2.24 inches.
For the entire month, Lincoln County has recorded 6.44 inches of rain in July, which is slightly above average. Since 2000, that’s the 9th wettest month on record.
However, for the year, Lincoln County is actually below average in terms of precipitation.
Again, compared to the start of the century, 2025 so far has the 8th smallest amount of precipitation at 22.24 inches through July.
The largest amount came in 2008 at 36.8 inches of precipitation through July. For the entire year, 2008 featured 55.86 inches of precipitation, the second most this century. The most came in 2015 with a total of 58.6 inches of precipitation.
