Heavy rain causes road closure, flooding

Heavy rainfall this weekend has led to road closures and risk of flooding throughout the suburbs, officials said.

The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch through Monday morning for portions of Cook, Kane and DuPage counties.

Additionally, a flood warning is in effect until later this week for the Des Plaines River in Lake and Cook counties and the Fox River in Kane and McHenry counties, officials said. Those waterways are expected to rise above their flood stages Sunday night and into the following morning, causing minor to moderate flooding near Gurnee, Des Plaines, Riverside, Algonquin and Montgomery.

Minor flooding also is forecast for parts of the DuPage River, west branch of the river near Warrenville, where two inches of rain fell in the past 24 hours, according to the National Weather Service. Water levels are expected to continue rising above the 11.5-foot flood stage into Monday morning.

Officials also expect moderate flooding on the east branch of the DuPage River near Bolingbrook.

Near Glen Ellyn, southbound lanes of Route 53 are closed just south of Butterfield Road because of rising water levels, according to the DuPage County Sheriff's Office. Northbound lanes are expected to be closed as more rain falls.

DuPage County officials are encouraging motorists to avoid the area. Park Boulevard, just south of the Route 53 and Butterfield Road intersection, can be used as a detour route.

The National Weather Service is also predicting elevated thunderstorm, hail, wind and flooding risks into Sunday night for counties throughout north central and northeast Illinois, including Kane, McHenry, DuPage, Cook, Lake and Will counties.