Fox Lake, Antioch watching flood levels

Emergency personnel said it's a waiting game for now.

Fox Lake and Antioch officials are watching water levels slowly rise along the Fox River and Chain O'Lakes, and fielding phone calls from residents in need of sandbags.

Ed Lescher, head of the Fox Lake Emergency Services Disaster Agency, said some sandbags have been delivered to residents in low-lying areas, such as on Atwood Parkway where water is inching closer to houses.

More sandbags are available for anyone who needs them by calling the village street department at (847) 587-8570.

Lee Shannon, head of the Antioch Emergency Services Disaster Agency, said officials are keeping a close eye on the area where Sequoit Creek meets the Chain near Route 173.

Water on the Chain is about 8 inches above flood level, but about 3 inches below the point where homes and businesses are affected.

"Right now, we are in a holding pattern, waiting to see how high it's going to rise," Shannon said. "Optimistically, if the rain holds off for the next three days, we'll feel a lot more comfortable."

Water levels on the Fox River in New Munster, Wis., have crested at about 2.5 feet above flood levels. That high water should enter the Chain by Friday morning, causing water levels to rise further.

Determining an exact crest height and time on the Chain and Fox River is a guessing game, officials said, because of the amount of water coming from Wisconsin compared to the amount of water sent through Fox River dams in McHenry and Algonquin.

One thing that is certain, is more water is entering the Chain than is being sent through the dams. Until that changes, water levels will continue to rise.

"It's going to continue to go up, but there's nothing we can do about it except prepare for it," Lescher said. "Let's just hope the rain stays away until we are past this latest issue."

The National Weather Service is predicting a 60 percent chance of rain Thursday night.