Up to 3 inches of rain forecast for Fox River area this week

The Fox River watershed could be hit with up to 3 inches of rain in the coming days, likely prolonging the time it'll take for floodwaters to recede.

Water levels peaked earlier this week at the Chain O' Lakes and northernmost portion of the Fox River in Illinois. The river in Algonquin crested at just under 12.4 feet Tuesday, and water levels have since been slowly declining, according to the National Weather Service.

New rain began falling Wednesday night, with a fast-moving severe storm system bringing through thunderstorms and heavy winds.

The lakes and river are expected to remain above the flood stage and continue falling over the next week. But with more potentially heavy rainfall projected again later this week, water levels could remain high for an extended period of time, said Brad Winters of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

For Fox River communities most affected by the severe flooding, that could mean a delay in recovery time, Algonquin Village President John Schmitt said. After a week of preparing for the high flood stages, he said, the village is waiting for floodwaters to drop before beginning damage evaluations and cleanup efforts.

"We're not thrilled about the fact that more rain is coming," Schmitt said.

Forecasters were calling for one-half to 1 inch of rain Wednesday night into Thursday and another 1 to 1.5 inches Friday into Saturday, according to the IDNR.