'It needs to stop raining'
Saturated rivers and creeks in the Chicago area rose and receded slightly Monday, but a steady diet of rain over the next few days makes their ultimate fate uncertain.
The Des Plaines River reached 6½ feet by mid-afternoon Monday and was projected to crest at 7.4 feet at 1 a.m. today. Most homes near the river -- barring a garage or two on low-lying Big Bend Drive in Des Plaines -- are typically not affected unless the river reaches 8½ feet.
The Fox River spilled over its banks this weekend as storms continued to roll through northern Kane and southern McHenry counties.
Rains flooded backyards, forced the closure of streets and parks and had officials in some villages bracing for more trouble.
Residents in Elgin's Willow Lake Estates and those in the Richardson neighborhood south of East Dundee, for instance, were dealing with flooded yards Monday.
Algonquin residents could follow suit today, with the National Weather Service in Chicago issuing a flood warning with the river expected to rise above its 3-foot flood stage.
In Elgin, city officials had to close Walton Island, Eagle Heights Park, the Wing Park Golf Course and city land along Wright Avenue because of flooding.
Elgin officials also blocked off parts of Varsity Drive, after 2 feet of water flooded the road, and a section of Sadler Avenue because of rising waters in Poplar Creek.
Well to the north, officials in Fox Lake said sandbags were being filled in preparation for the worst.
Water levels along the Fox River in New Munster, Wis., are expected to crest about 4 feet above flood levels this morning.
Those numbers, according to officials at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, will cause the Chain O' Lakes and the Fox River to pour into people's yards and could cause extensive property damage.
Fox Lake Emergency Services Disaster Agency Director Ed Lescher said he expects the Chain O' Lakes in Fox Lake to overflow in low-lying areas as early as this morning.
"We're are being proactive and preparing for the worst," Lescher said. "Work crews are filling sandbags right now and we will start distributing them."
To make matters worse, the National Weather Service says it will rain off and on throughout the week, which could keep water levels high.
Because of the high waters, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources closed the Fox River to all boaters from the Algonquin Dam north to the mouth of the Chain O' Lakes. The Fox Waterway Agency officials imposed no-wake restrictions on the Chain O' Lakes.
Fox Waterway Agency Executive Director Ingrid Ruttendjie said that if area waters rise as high as predicted, they could wind up as high as she's ever seen.
"This is real high," Ruttendjie said. "It needs to stop raining."
Projections of the river levels take into account forecasts of continued rain, but only for the next 24 hours. The National Weather Service on Monday forecast the possibility of more rain every day through Saturday.
But suburban officials said the lack of severe problems so far is largely because of the rain falling in periodic waves.
"It's a lot better than a steady rainfall," Des Plaines Director of Engineering Tim Oakley said. The ground has a chance to soak up the water before the next wave hits, he explained.
Still, projections of the river level near some Des Plaines neighborhoods saw steady improvement throughout the day Monday.
At 8 a.m. Monday, workers began placing sandbags at Big Bend Drive and Hawthorn Lane, at the end of Junior Terrace and at the end of the Big Bend Drive cul-de-sac, based upon then current projections of the river cresting at 8.8 feet.
By late afternoon, sandbags also had been placed at Mill Street, Birchwood Avenue and the intersection of Stewart Avenue and River Drive.
Oakley said a gauge in Gurnee indicated the river level was flattening before noon, evidence that it might do the same in Des Plaines.
The sandbags were kept in place as a precautionary measure, however, as officials continued to closely monitor the river level and rain forecast.