Fox River Reaches Flood Stage, Towns Prep For 'Major Flooding'

• Lake, McHenry Co. Flooding Updates: State Of Emergency Declared, Water Rescues
  

ALGONQUIN, IL - The Fox River in Algonquin has reached flood stage and public works crews have been working around-the-clock as they try to keep the rising waters at bay. As of 8:30 a.m. Thursday, the Fox River at Algonquin Tailwater had reached 10.5 feet. Food stage for that portion of the river is 9.5 feet.

The Fox River is expected to continue to rise with the river in Algonquin expected to crest by Tuesday morning at 13 feet. At that level, major flooding is expected, according to the National Weather Service.

"At this time, the village does not see an immediate need to leave the area, but residents are encouraged to monitor the quickly changing conditions and to take appropriate actions, including possible relocation," according to the news release.

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Floodwaters have begun to creep into downtown Algonquin, closing some parks and cancelling events scheduled for the coming days. Cornish Park and Towne Park are currently closed. And performances scheduled for the village of Algonquin's weekly concert series, which is held on Thursday night in Riverfront Park, have been cancelled.

As of early Thursday afternoon, no street closures in Algonquin have been reported.

Village officials on Wednesday began to prepare for the rising river levels. Employees worked around the clock to fill and deliver sandbags to locations near the Fox River.

"We are experiencing high demand for sandbags and will be working through the overnight hours to keep up," according to a post Wednesday night on the village of Algonquin Facebook page.

Sandbags are currently available at the following locations in Algonquin:

• La Fox River Drive at Cornish Park
• Center Street at IL Route 31
• Filip Road at END
• Beach Drive at Rattray Drive
• Oceola Drive at Hubbard Street

In St. Charles, the city is also prepping for flooding. Walkways along the river in St. Charles will be closed as necessary, city officials said. The city has sand and bags available at the entrance to the public works facility at Deveraux Way and Riverside Avenue near Langum Park for residents to come and fill if they think they will need them.

Meanwhile, the Fox Waterway Agency has closed the lower Fox River, from the Stratton lock and dam near McHenry south to the Algonquin dam, to all boat traffic. The agency is also requesting residents remove their boats from the Fox River if possible and use sandbags on properties that are at risk for flooding. The upper portion of the Fox River, from the Stratton lock in McHenry to Pistakee Lake, is also closed. Meanwhile, the Chain O' Lakes remained open but a "no wake" policy is in place.

Flood waters from the Fox River in Wisconsin, which appears to be cresting at 17.4 feet Thursday in New Munster, Wis., will flow down and into the Chain O' Lakes on Friday, Brad Winters, with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, wrote in a memo Thursday. The water level of the Fox River in Wisconsin is two feet over a previous flood record. And the amount of water that is expected to flow into Illinois is "higher than we have seen on the Chain," Winters said.

"Flooding of this magnitude has not been seen before," he said.

The Fox Waterway Agency is expecting the flooding, which could peak on Sunday or Monday, to eclipse previous flooding that occurred in 2008 and 2013, Executive Director Joe Keller said in a statement. The agency is predicting the entire Chain O' Lakes will be closed down in the next 24 hours.

Important Flood Safety Tips

The city of St. Charles offered the following tips for staying safe during flooding:

• Do not drive around roadblocks or through a flooded area. More people drown in cars than anywhere else.
• Do not walk through flowing water. Currents can be deceptive; six inches of water can knock you off your feet.
• Stay away from downed power lines and electrical wires, and turn off your power if you suspect flooding in your home. Electrical current can travel through water. Electrocution is the second leading cause of death during floods.
• Also beware of gas leaks. Turn off the gas to your house before it floods. If you smell gas, report it to the gas company and don’t use candles, lanterns or open flames.
• Keep children away from flood waters, ditches, culverts and storm drains. Water can carry dangerous items or may suck smaller people into them.
• Clean everything that has been wet. Flood water may be contaminated with sewage or chemicals.
• Look out for displaced animals, especially snakes.
• Do not use gas engines, such as generators, or charcoal fires indoors during power outages. Carbon monoxide exhaust can pose serious health hazards.

Check back to Patch for more updates.

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Photo via the Algonquin Police Department Facebook page