Many roads reopen in Algonquin

Flooding in Elgin and South Elgin is slowly receding after this week’s storms, but officials continued to watch the Fox River on Friday.

Water levels of Poplar Creek and Tyler Creek, though still very high, are down from Thursday, while the Fox River is expected to crest sometime early Saturday, said Elgin Police Sgt. Dennis Hood, the city’s emergency management director.

“The Fox River, based on eyesight evaluation, had no significant change. Maybe it’s just a little higher,” he said.

Hood said that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, homes along the river should be OK on Saturday.

“It doesn’t appear that they will be in harm’s way,” he said.

South Elgin Village Administrator Larry Jones agreed.

“I think we’ll be all right if the river doesn’t crest beyond expectation, and if we don’t get a lot of new rain,” he said.

In Elgin, areas that remained impassable Friday morning included one block of Sadler Avenue, the corner of Kirk and Getty avenues, and the southwest corner of the Eagle Heights neighborhood, Hood said.

Walton Island was almost submerged, and it could be several days before people can walk on it, he said.

Flooding had significantly receded in the Willow Lakes Estates neighborhood by the Fox River, and the Old Oaks Estates and Villa Gardens Estates neighborhoods by Poplar Creek, Hood said. The Willow Lakes Estates issue was related to a water retention area, he added

The Elgin Fire Department evacuated people from four homes — two in Old Oaks, two in Eagle Heights — and helped a woman with a broken leg get out of her house, he said.

Public Works Superintendent Dan Rich said crews worked Friday morning to repair shoulder erosion on McDonald Road, about a mile west of Crawford Road.

Free sandbags are still available at the Elgin public works building at 1900 Holmes Road.

A few people in South Elgin evacuated homes along the Fox River on Thursday, while others used sandbags to fight off the water, Jones said.

At Judson U.

At Judson University in Elgin, about 120 students who reside in Volkman Hall were relocated Thursday to other residences on campus after officials turned off the plumbing system as a precautionary measure, said Bethany Suckrow, staff writer and social media manager for Judson.

Students were expected to return to their dorm sometime Saturday, she said.

Some classes on Friday were moved or rescheduled, but most parking lots had reopened since being closed Thursday, officials said.

In Cary

Rawson Bridge Road in unincorporated McHenry County near Cary remained closed Friday. Most of the road is in the Cary Fire Protection District, while the Wauconda Fire Protection District covers a small portion. The road passes over the Fox River.

“(The river) just went over its banks there, it’s not very far off the road,” said Brent Innes, a firefighter with the Wauconda Fire Protection District.

Because the river was expected to crest late Friday, Innes predicted the two-lane bridge will remain closed until further notice.

Innes advises motorists to use Route 176 and Roberts Road as alternative routes.

Algonquin on alert

Things were looking up in Algonquin where several streets were reopened.

But the village still remains on guard because at 12.8 feet late Friday, the river is more than three feet higher than the 9.5 flooding threshold. Michael Kumbera, the assistant to the village manager, anticipates the river will crest overnight Saturday. The National Weather Service has already issued a flood warning for the river by the Algonquin tail water. It was expected to reach 14 feet by midday Saturday.

“We’re just tracking the forecast, really watching upstream to see how that would change the current projections,” Kumbera said.

Fox River Drive and La Fox River Drive and Cornish Park were still closed, while Cumberland Parkway, Teton Parkway, Glacier Parkway and Woods Creek Lane reopened Friday.

The village is using volunteers and staff from Island Lake and Hoffman Estates to assist with sandbag distribution for affected properties.

“We’re still cranking away at getting sandbags out there,” Kumbera said.

Ÿ Daily Herald staff writer Lenore T. Adkins contributed to this story.