No flooding expected as long as rain stays away

Forecasters said a warm spell and any rain could turn the remnants of the Blizzard of 2011 into flooding problems for residents along the Fox and Des Plaines rivers.

Lake County could see some each as a chance of rain is expected to accompany potential 60-degree weather later this week, meteorologists said Monday.

Rita Lee, of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, said homes should remain dry as long as only minimal rain falls Wednesday or Thursday, as predicted.

Most riverside residents can keep the sandbags inside as long as only a quarter-inch of rain falls, Lee said.

However, if more rain falls than predicted, some homes in low-lying areas, or the Chain O' Lakes, could get wet.

“Fortunately, it looks like we'll only get about one-quarter inch of rain,” Lee said. “But, couple that with the high temperatures, and it looks like we could have some lawns being flooded and the system straining to hold the water in.”

Rainfall and warm temperatures causes the snow to melt much more rapidly than just heat, she said. To make it worse, the rainwater won't soak into the ground because the ground is frozen.

Current river levels seem to be just low enough to handle the amount of water expected this week, she said.

“But, if we get much more than that, there could be a problem,” she said. “So, lets just hope we get exactly what was predicted. If that happens, we are in pretty good shape.”