Heavy rains pose new threat to residents along Fox River
For the third time in a year, John Schmidke and his Antioch Township neighbors are preparing for a flood.
As they did in August and again in April, residents in Fox River Springs are pulling out the sandbags to keep the Fox River -- expected to rise between 2 and 4 feet over the next 36 hours -- at bay.
By now, they're experts.
"It's not fun, but it's something that needs to be done," he said. "This time, I'm able to go a little slower speed because I have 24 or 36 hours before the river rises."
The water is coming thanks to storms that pounded northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin over the last couple of days, dumping up to 7 inches of rain in some areas, National Weather Service officials recorded.
The National Weather Service has issued flood warnings and watches Tuesday for towns along the Des Plaines River, the Fox River and Chain O' Lakes. More rain is forecast for Thursday and Friday.
This time around, the problem seems to focus more on the Fox River, officials said. The Des Plaines River has risen about 3 feet already, but is expected to crest in the coming days well below the level where property damage may occur.
Rita Lee, water hydraulist with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, said forecasts show the Fox River will rise to about 4.5 feet over flood stage Tuesday in New Munster, Wis. It will take the water about 36 hours to travel south to the Chain O' Lakes.
The Chain is expected to rise between 18 inches and 3 feet, flooding between 100 and 400 homes in Antioch, Antioch Township and Fox Lake. Damage is expected to be worse than in April, but less than last August.
Ed Lescher, head of the Fox Lake Emergency Services Disaster Agency, said the village will provide sandbags to homeowners in the Atwater Parkway, King's Island, Eagle Point and Knollwood Park subdivisions.
"We have a couple of days, so we'll do what we have been doing for the last year," he said. "It would be nice if the rain stopped. Three times in one year is just too much."
Antioch officials are keeping an eye on Sequoit Creek and businesses along Route 173 on the Chain.
"We are all in constant communication and keeping an eye on the water levels," said Lee Shannon, Antioch's emergency management coordinator. "It would be nice if some of these places in the nation facing a drought could have some of this rain because we really don't need it."
Due to the high water, officials at the Fox Waterway Agency in Fox Lake have closed the Fox River to all boating between the Stratton Lock and Dam south to the Montgomery Dam in Kane County. Boats may travel at no more than 5 miles an hour from the Stratton Lock and Dam in McHenry through the Chain O' Lakes to the Illinois border.
Schmidke, meanwhile, is considering his options.
"I am not pleased at all," he said. "I'm thinking about moving to Arizona. There may be monsoons there, but I can deal with that."