Some South Elgin residents asked to evacuate

People along Riverside Drive in South Elgin are being asked to evacuate because of the storm but so far that evacuation is not mandatory.

According to the South Elgin Police Department, drivers are being asked to stay off Woodrow Avenue, Wilson Way, Chipstone Drive, Park Street, Crystal Avenue, Spring Avenue and North Water Street. Residents can still access their homes along those streets but police are trying to keep unnecessary traffic off the roads.

Quarry Street may also be closed later Thursday as police continue to monitor the water levels.

Paul Gogo lives on South River Street, which runs parallel to the Fox River just south of the South Elgin dam. He said he was up at 3 a.m. to start laying sandbags and protect his home from the flooding.

“This is just brutal,” Gogo said. “It’s never been like this.”

Residents can stop by the South Elgin Public Works Department garage at 735 Martin Drive for sandbags but trucks have also been taking sand to areas where entire streets are in bad shape.

Ÿ Daily Herald photographer Brian Hill contributed to this story.