Gurnee officials watch as Des Plaines River rises

With sandbags in place, Gurnee officials are waiting to see how high the Des Plaines River will rise.

Patrick Muetz, Gurnee assistant village administrator, said rising floodwaters from the Des Plaines River could start hitting homes along Kilbourne Road and Emerald Avenues as early as Tuesday morning.

However, he said, it remains unclear how high the water will go, due to conflicting data from the National Weather Service.

"The weather service says the river should rise another 6 inches to 1 foot, but ... the river isn't rising as fast as it has been," he said. "So, while we know it will rise, we aren't sure how high it will go at this point."

Currently, the Des Plaines River is about 2 feet, 3 inches over flood stage. Water typically reaches the sandbags protecting Gurnee Grade School when the river reaches about 2 feet, 6 inches over flood stage, he said.

The water currently is on the playground at the grade school, he said, and is threatening to cross onto Grand Avenue. The area is typically one of the first in the region to flood.

But, he added, the river at that point should crest about 24 hours after levels crest on at Russell Road, which happened late Sunday.

"So, we're kind of in the middle of a waiting game," he said. "There's nothing more we can do here, really, to prepare, so now we just need to see how high the water goes."

A flood alert was issued over the weekend for towns along the Des Plaines River after torrential downpours Friday caused the river to rise more than 6 feet in 48 hours.

Gurnee experienced about 5 inches of rainfall Friday, while towns north of Gurnee collected about 6 inches.

Gurnee officials worked Sunday to sandbag Gurnee Grade School, 940 Kilbourne Road, and homes in low-lying areas along Kilbourne Road and Emerald Avenue, said Kent McKenzie, head of the Lake County Emergency Management Agency.

"Gurnee Grade School and homes on Emerald have been sandbagged and residents seem prepared for the worst," McKenzie said. "I think we're in as good a shape as we can be in."

Water on the Chain O' Lakes also is high, but officials said barring any more heavy storms, there is just enough space to hold the rainfall recorded in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin.

Officials said the Fox River in New Munster, Wis., rose to about 1 foot over flood levels while Nippersink Creek has already crested and should begin dropping.

Both tributaries feed into the Chain O' Lakes and cause the Chain to rise and fall accordingly.

Water levels in Fox Lake show the Chain is about 1 foot over flood levels. Most nearby homes do not take on water until water climbs another 6 inches.

Officials at the Fox Waterway Agency in Fox Lake, though, declared the Chain and the Fox River from the Algonquin Dam north to the Wisconsin state line as no-wake zones. No-wake means boats are not allowed to drive faster than 5 mph for safety reasons as well as to reduce shoreline erosion.

Sandbagging supplies are available for residents, McKenzie said. People in need of assistance or additional information should call (847) 599-6690.

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