Apr 10, 2008 10:14 pm US/Central
Flash Flood Watch In Effect As River Levels Rise
ELGIN, Ill. (CBS) ―
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Parts of northern Illinois, including Elgin, are under a flash flood watch as river levels rise and rain continues.
CBS
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Michigan Avenue looking north from Balbo Avenue during a chilly rain Thursday morning.
CBS
The Chicago area is under a flash flood watch as heavy rains descend on northern Illinois.
In Elgin the rains subsided by 10 p.m. Thursday, but everything was pretty much soaked. And more rain is expected – up to an inch in some areas.
CBS 2's Vince Gerasole reports for most of the day rains poured down on the rushing waters of the Fox River. It moved swiftly and closely by bridges in Elgin and inched its way toward homes that dot the riverbanks.
"You initially get scared," said South Elgin resident Sondra O'Connor. "You just keep watching it."
O'Conner has lived along the Fox River for 20 years. She's watched the waters creep past her dock and closer to her home, and has 50 sandbags ready just in case.
The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for Cook County, the five collar counties, and several other counties in Northern Illinois and Northwest Indiana. The watch is in effect through Friday morning.
"As long as it doesn't come in the yard you're OK," O'Connor said. "When it comes in the yard you start sweating it."
Because of an exceptionally snowy winter and rainfall last week, the Fox River has already been at flood levels.
Soil is already saturated with rain that fell Tuesday, and rivers and streams are running above average, the National Weather Service said. More rain may result in flash flooding.
"It's been coming up a few inches every day," said Jeff Jarka of South Elgin.
Jarka is another resident who's seen his normally dry dock flood from rising waters. He says watching the river has been unnerving these past few days.
"It's kind of at the highest peak it's been since last fall," he said.
"We got flooded last year really bad but we have high hopes it won't come up," O'Connor said.
A flood warning has been issued for the areas surrounding several rivers, including the Des Plaines River near Russell and Gurnee in Lake County, and the Fox River at Algonquin, affecting Kane and McHenry counties. The Kankakee River is also approaching flood stage at Shelby, Ind.
For those venturing out, keep safety in mind. If you see a flooded roadway it's best to turn around and find an alternate route.
CBS 2's Vince Gerasole contributed to this report.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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