Potential for more flooding in Lake, Cook counties hinges on rainy forecast
Some suburbs saw enough rain in the last two days to leave streets flooded and impassable, but meteorologists say there's no need to break out the sandbags just yet.
But officials are watching the rainy forecast to determine if there's a potential for a more serious flooding problem in the coming days.
Scattered showers are expected Tuesday, and a half-inch of rain is forecast to fall into Wednesday night, National Weather Service Meteorologist Casey Sullivan said.
“That will help some of these flood areas to recede,” Sullivan said. “It's hard to tell at this point how heavy the rains will be on Thursday.”
Minimal showers Thursday would leave the area in the clear, he said, but thunderstorms and heavy showers could produce more flooding along rivers and streams.
Overnight flooding in some areas of Lake and northern Cook counties was due to several inches of heavy rain Monday night, Sullivan said. Some areas, such as Lake Bluff, recorded about 4 inches of rain, causing standing water on pavement, Sullivan said.
In the wake of heavy rain Monday, the National Weather Service issued a flood warning in areas near the Des Plaines River and Chain O' Lakes in Lake and Cook counties that expired at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The worst flooding was on Route 41 near Lake Bluff, where 4 inches of water forced officials to close the roadway between Route 137 and Route 60. Lake Bluff District 65 was closed due to flooding at the Route 176 viaduct.
The National Weather Service said some flooding was reported by emergency management agencies across the northern suburbs.
Kent McKenzie, director of the Lake County Emergency Management Agency, said he received some calls for assistance before Tuesday morning.
“A lot of basements took on water because of the downpour last night, but that's about it so far,” McKenzie said.
He said he planned to meet with Lake County Stormwater Management to discuss any potential flooding with the potential for more rain this week.
The National Weather Service said in its flood warning that many area streams will rise in the coming days due to the amount of rainfall recorded so far this week. Areas that could see some flooding are in Antioch, Beach Park, Deerfield, Des Plaines, Evanston, Fox Lake, Gages Lake, Glencoe, Glenview, Grayslake, Gurnee, Highland Park, Lake Forest, Lake Villa and Lake Zurich, according to the warning.
People are urged to report any flooding to their nearest law enforcement agency. For information, visit the National Weather Service website.