The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Warning and a Flood Watch for Chicago and the surrounding areas through Thursday and Friday, April 18-19. Any rain in addition to the 5 inches that have already fallen could be dangerous.
Flood Warnings, Watches
The Flash Flood Warning will be in effect until 8 p.m. Thursday for the following counties: Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, La Salle, Will, northwestern Kankakee, northwestern Livingston, southeastern Lee, southern De Kalb, and northwestern Lake in Indiana.
The Weather Service warns that in urban areas, creeks, streams, highways, streets, underpasses, drainage areas, and other low-lying areas will continue to flood due to runoff from heavy rains. Rural areas will see flooding from runoff in creeks and streams, as well as farmland along the banks, and on county roads.
The Flood Watch has been issued through Friday morning and includes counties in both Illinois and Indiana. Illinois counties include Boone, Cook, De Kalb, DuPage, Ford, Grundy, Iroquois, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, La Salle, Lake, Lee, Livingston, McHenry, Ogle, Will, and Winnebago. Indiana counties under the watch include Benton, Jasper, Lake, Newton, and Porter.
According to the Flood Watch, more rain -- even if it's not as heavy as earlier -- will result in more flooding in northern Illinois and northwestern Indiana. Areas in northwestern Indiana and east central Illinois that have yet to get much rain due to this storm will see heavy rainstorms through the afternoon. Rain may overwhelm storm drains, drainage ponds, and drainage ditches, which could mean more floods in suburban and urban neighborhoods.
River Warnings
River Flood Warnings are still active for the Des Plaines River. The flood level near Des Plaines is 5 feet, and the river has reached 8.8 feet. It is expected to reach 11.5 feet by Friday morning -- record flooding. The Des Plaines River near Riverside was at 9.2 feet this morning -- 2.2 feet over flood stage. Record flooding is expected at this section of the river, as well, with predictions of 10.5 feet by early tomorrow.
The Little Calumet River at South Holland has a River Flood Warning until Friday morning, with severity increased from minor to moderate.
The north branch of the Chicago River at Albany Avenue has a River Flood Warning until tomorrow night, with major flooding predicted.
Thorn Creek at Thornton currently has a warning in effect until Sunday at 1 a.m. It is over 3 feet above flood stage and is expected to reach almost 6 feet over flood level.
Travel Conditions and Warnings
Sections of the Edens, Kennedy, and Eisenhower expressways were closed this morning due to flooding. They have since been reopened, but water remains on the roadways. Commuters should drive slowly to avoid hydroplaning and avoid water-covered streets, as cars can become stranded in high water. Drivers should also be aware of potholes hiding under water to avoid tire blowouts and damage to vehicles.
Sinkholes are also a concern after the street collapsed underneath three cars in the South Deering neighborhood this morning. It is being reported that a water main broke, leading to the collapse, with the weather being suspected as the cause.
Chicago airports have also canceled over 500 flights, and delays are up to five hours. Be sure to check your flight status before heading out.
Chicago-Area City Named Disaster Site
Lombard, Illinois, Acting President Bill Ware advises residents not to travel after he declared the area a state of emergency based on water-covered roads that are swamped with stalled cars and high water. Crews are currently pumping the water to fix the problem.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/flood-warnings-watches-across-chicago-area-175600642.html
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