Sep 14, 2008 7:15 pm US/Central
Weekend Rain Leads to 4 Deaths And Many Rescues
Red Cross Opens More Shelters For Flood Victims
CHICAGO (Sun-Times Media Wire) ―
The weekend's heavy rain has led to four drowning-related deaths, multiple rescues and even more flooding-related displacements across the Chicago area, prompting Cook County Board President Todd Stroger to declare a state of emergency.
The heavy rains led the National Weather Service to issue a flood warning for Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Kankakee, Lake, McHenry and Will counties that will remain in effect until 10 a.m. Monday, according to the weather service's Web site. A flood warning means flooding is imminent or has been reported.
The weather service says the heavy rainfall has mostly passed, but the amount of water will result in a long period of continued runoff. At 4 p.m. Sunday, the weather service reported widespread flooding across northern Illinois and northwest Indiana.
Four water-related deaths have already been reported in the Chicago area.
In Oak Lawn, Eduardas Jokuvauskas, 83, of 10320 Linder Ave. in Oak Lawn, drowned in a window well outside his southwest suburban home Saturday, said the Cook County Medical Examiner's office.
In Arlington Heights, Alan G. Byrd, 28, of 2703 School dr. in Rolling Meadows drowned Saturday afternoon trying to swim across a retention pond at Sunset Meadows Park, 700 S. Dwyer Ave., authorities said.
In northwest Indiana, a father and grandfather died trying to save a 12-year-old who fell into a rain-swollen ditch in Chesterton, Ind., according to the Chesterton Fire Department.
The flooding has also prompted numerous rescues by area fire departments.
In Northbrook, Fire Chief Mark Nolan rescued a woman trapped in a submerged car at 1150 Willow Rd. Saturday afternoon, he said. In Prospect Heights, firefighters rescued a woman Saturday afternoon from a submerged vehicle near Willow and Elmhurst roads.
In Franklin Park, firefighters rescued about 50 people from their homes after Silver Creek caused flooding that was waist-high in some residences, officials said.
In Joliet, firefighters, city employees and animal control workers rescued two 6-week-old puppies trapped in an underground drain tile in the 1000 block of Hacker Avenue Saturday afternoon.
The American Red Cross of Greater Chicago has opened additional shelters on the Northwest Side early Sunday to help those displaced by the flooding of the Chicago River.
More than 100 people displaced by floods stayed at Red Cross facilities throughout the city and suburbs Saturday and Sunday, Red Cross spokeswoman Martha Carlos said.
The current Red Cross shelter locations are:
* DesPlaines Park District at 515 E. Thacker St. in DesPlaines
* St. Stevens Lutheran Church at 14700 S. Kildare Ave. in Midlothian in the South Suburbs
* Mt. Carmel School, 1101 N. 23rd Avenue in Melrose Park
* North Park College at 5801 N. Pulaski Rd.
The flooding prompted Cook County Board President Todd Stroger to declare a state of emergency Sunday. The formal declaration allows Stroger to request Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich to declare a state of emergency on behalf of the county and make the county eligible for federal emergency disaster funds, according to a Stroger release.
"Some of our local rivers are at record flood stage, with more rain falling as we speak," Stroger said in the release. "We've been working with local, regional and state agencies to get help where it's needed – whether that's the more than 200,000 sandbags provided by Cook County's Emergency Management Agency or help from our law enforcement agencies to evacuate people at risk.
"By declaring this formal State of Emergency, Cook County puts the process in motion to get people the kind of federal assistance we'll need to recover from this flooding. We intend to do whatever it takes to address this crisis and get Cook County taxpayers and residents the aid that will help people get back on their feet."
United States Representative Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) toured Chicago's 39th Ward to survey damage from flooding.
"Today, I saw flooding of the kind not seen on the North Side of Chicago in my lifetime. Residential streets were under three and four feet of water and half a dozen blocks of homes were flooded. But in the midst of the damage, I saw first-hand the great spirit of neighbors helping neighbors and city workers, including police officers, firefighters, and sanitation workers, responding to help the residents of the north side. As Americans respond with relief to communities on the Gulf Coast, I will work to ensure we do not forget what happened to our neighbors right here in Cook County."
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago has been moving billions of gallons of storm water from Cook County's rivers into Lake Michigan to help minimize flooding.
The district said water control gates at three Lake Michigan locations in Cook County remain open Sunday afternoon and the district has released about 62 billion gallons of water from Chicago area waterways since Saturday morning, according to a Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago release. The Lockport Controlling Works has also discharged an additional 13 billion gallons of storm water towards the Mississippi River.
The district estimates this storm system has brought more than 90 billion gallons of storm water to Cook County.
The weather service said the Des Plaines River near Des Plaines and Riverside and the Kankakee River in the far southwester suburbs are at an especially high risk of flooding. Chicago Police have also reported flooding of the North Branch of the Chicago River near Foster Avenue.
On Lake Michigan, the weather service is predicting a high-risk of rip currents from Sunday afternoon through Tuesday morning and beachgoers are advised to use extreme caution.
Meanwhile, Hobart, Ind. has issued an emergency disaster declaration; Calumet City has issued an evacuation notice for River Oaks Mobile Estates and the southern portion of the city along the Little Calumet River.
On Chicago area's roads, the Bishop Ford Freeway (I-94) has been closed between 95th Street and I-80, according to Illinois State Police District Chicago. On the tollways, US Route 45 and Illinois Route 102 are both closed in both directions are various locations, Illinois State Police Tollway District said.
Additionally, Metra temporarily suspended South Shore Line service Saturday afternoon because rails were under water. Service was restored Sunday night. On the CTA, the rains temporarily suspended service Saturday afternoon on the Blue and Yellow lines.
The rain is likely to continue until about 7 p.m. Sunday night, but new rainfall is expected to only be about 1/10 of an inch, the weather service said. Monday is expected to be dry with a high near 63 degrees and a northwest wind near 10 miles per hour.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2009. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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