Gurnee, Lake County keeping eye on swollen river
Gurnee residents are looking to the sky in hopes that the pattern of violent storms and heavy rains that struck this week slows down before the Des Plaines River overflows.
Officials from the National Weather Service are warning that if more than an inch and half of rain falls overnight Thursday into Friday, the river could spill over its banks in the village.
Bill Morris, a hydraulist with the weather service, said the river will crest overnight right at flood levels if only an inch and a half of rain falls.
However, he said, if more than an inch and a half is realized, or if it falls faster than normal, there could be flooding.
“If that 2 inches comes over two hours instead of six hours, it’ll cause the river to rise faster than anticipated and could lead to additional problems,” he said.
As of late Thursday, the river measured at 6.7 feet near Gurnee, just above the “action stage,” but below the 7-foot flood stage, according to the National Weather Service. About 4 inches of rain poured into the river and nearby tributaries during the heavy storms Wednesday night and Thursday morning, Morris said.
Projections show levels remaining at about that stage until Saturday afternoon before receding, but that could change depending on expected rainfall.
Gurnee officials were not anticipating problems, according to a village update Thursday, but said they would continue monitoring the river level.
While the river generally spills over its banks at about 7 feet, serious roadway access problems along Emerald Avenue and Kilbourne Road, which are just east of Route 21 and Grand Avenue, often don’t occur until 9 feet. Nearby buildings also become affected when the water reaches 9 feet.
The river is expected to remain below flood stage along Russell Road near Zion as well, but could top the flood level in Lincolnshire on Saturday, according to the weather service.
“But, that forecast is based on the rain that fell in the last 24 hours and with another inch and a half of rain falling in the next 24 hours,” Morris said Thursday. “It all depends on how much rain actually falls.”
The storms Wednesday night and Thursday morning dumped more than 4 inches of rain over Lake County. Rain totals from the storms were recorded at 4.37 inches in Wadsworth, 3.57 inches in Beach Park, 3.11 inches in Zion and 2.76 inches in Waukegan.
Officials said a tornado touched down in Galena just before 8 p.m. as the storm began to make its way across the state. Lightning from the storm struck and sparked fires in four houses, one government center and the legendary Woodstock Opera House late Wednesday.
Two of the residential fires were in Schaumburg, a third was in Fox River Grove, while the fourth was in Highland Park, officials said.
Damage at the opera house was minimal as lightning hit the masonry on the building and broke some ornamental lights.
The heavy rainfall pushed July 2011 into the record books, making this the wettest July since 1889. This month’s rainfall totals reached 9.75 inches, officials said, eclipsing the previous high of 9.56 inches.
Friday’s forecast calls for early morning rain followed by partly cloudy skies in the afternoon. It’s expected to remain sunny throughout the weekend until storms return Tuesday, officials said.
Ÿ Daily Herald staff writer Bob Susnjara contributed to this story.