Lake Co. declared disaster area as residents wait for the water

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich declared Lake County a disaster area Saturday, as pounding rain in Wisconsin promised to worsen flooding along the Chain O' Lakes and Fox River.

"Any rain that comes down up there, the water runoff's going to make it down here," Antioch Emergency Services Disaster Agency Director Lee Shannon said. "We're just waiting to see. Sooner or later we're going to be feeling it."

Heavy rains last weekend in Wisconsin touched off the most recent water crises for residents along the Fox River and Chain O' Lakes.

The Chain O'Lakes rose another inch overnight Friday, to about 18 inches over flood level -- and 1 foot above the point where homes in Fox Lake and Antioch begin to sustain water damage.

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