Chain O' Lakes crests, but flood warnings remain in Lake, McHenry

The good news is the water level on the Chain O' Lakes crested overnight and has leveled out.

The bad news is, because of the amount of water flowing into the system from Wisconsin, water isn't leaving Chain and Fox River as quickly as officials would like.

And, in the interim, the National Weather Service issued flood warnings today for parts of Lake, McHenry and Kane counties as the Fox River continues to rise.

Russell Road on the Des Plaines River has been mentioned as part of the warning, but forecasts are for water levels on the Des Plaines to fall throughout the day.

Chain O' Lakes

Water leveled off at about two-and-a-half feet over flood stage on the overnight, about 20-inches over the point where homes in Fox Lake, Antioch, Antioch Township and Grant Township become damaged.

Now, officials say flood waters on the Chain aren't expected to drop significantly until the weekend or early next week.

The Fox River in New Munster, Wis., crested about 5 feet, 2 inches over flood stage Sunday, but has been dropping faster than officials expected. It has dropped about a half-foot since cresting, and should be below flood stage in one week.

In all, officials estimate there are about 500 homes in north-western Lake County taking on water or with standing water on the property.

Fox River south of Algonquin

The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for locations south of the Stratton-Bolger Lock and Dam in McHenry because water levels are rising over historic flood levels.

The National Weather Service claims the Fox River is about 8 inches over flood stage, and is expected to continue rising until cresting sometime Thursday.

Emergency management officials said residents should be prepared for flooding.

The Fox River is not expected to reach levels recorded in August 2007, officials from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources said.

The river will remain lower because rivers, creeks and lakes that flow into the system have crested and fallen. That means the river is only moving Chain water south.

The IDNR has closed the river through McHenry, Kane and Kendall counties because of swift-moving currents and large debris. Boats are not allowed on the river.

Officials in Algonquin, East and West Dundee, and further south along the river are supplying residents with sandbags as a safety measure.

Rawson Bridge Road in unincorporated McHenry County is closed after river water submerged the roadway.

In Algonquin, sandbags are available on a first-come, first-serve basis at Cornish Park, the public works facility on Center Street and at the following streets that intersect with the river: Division Street, Filip Road, Meyer Drive and Oceola Drive.

Village officials in East Dundee measured a slight swell in the river's level overnight. Public works director T.J. Moore said flooding has been limited to the Richardson subdivision.

Moore said Kane County officials have not indicated the Fox River in East Dundee would leave its shores, but residents should note the increased level.

"The river is supposed to crest sometime tomorrow," Moore said. "The river north of us is already cresting, but the county is telling us that the river (in East Dundee) should crest tomorrow and stay at that level for about a week before it starts going down."