Flooding closes Cornish Park in Algonquin

Minor flooding has forced Algonquin officials to close down Cornish Park, which borders the Fox River, officials said Thursday.

Water has risen over the retaining wall separating the park from the river and "It's pretty much underwater at the edges," said Street Superintendent Al Mozola.

A pair of other streets in town -- Beach Street and Rattray Avenue, also are flooded.

Moderate flooding is expected to hit the village this weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

Algonquin's flood stage is 3 feet; by Sunday, water is expected to measure 3.8 feet due to rain predicted in the area.

Thursday morning, the water levels had risen 3.3 feet and are expected to reach 4 feet along Lowe Drive, according to the National Weather Service.

Officials in East and West Dundee said neither village had encountered major problems as of Thursday afternoon, but were bracing for possible flooding today.

The low-lying areas of the Riverwalk in West Dundee were closed Thursday.

In East Dundee, sand and bags are available at the North end of the Haeger Pottery lot on Van Buren Street.

If you encounter a flooded area while driving, turn around and use another route. And stay out of the water, Mozola said.

Officials will leave a thousand sandbags outside of the public works building for residents to pick up, just in case.

Workers also will be on call over the weekend in case an emergency arises.

"We have to wait and see on this to see whether the rain is really going to come in," Mozola said. "With Mother Nature, you never know what's going to transpire."