Flooding In Lake, McHenry, Kane Counties: Gov. Rauner Declares Disaster Areas; Photos, Videos Of Flooding

Hundreds of residents have been affected by flooding in Lake, McHenry, Kane and Cook counties and area communities are working to clean up. Road closures, blocked trains, power outages, water rescues and evacuations have been reported over the course of flooding Wednesday. With more rain expected Wednesday evening and night, Patch will update as new information comes in:

• 8:46 P.M. Flooding Closes Fox River Trail, Forest Preserve Sites In Kane Co.
  
• 5 P.M.: Weekend Weather: Isolated Storms Possible: Rain, rain go away. We may get some isolated storms late Saturday into Sunday but otherwise, the weekend should be dry.
• 4:30 P.M.: Gov. Bruce Rauner was in Lake Co. Friday, touring damaged areas. He later declared Kane, McHenry and Lake Counties disaster areas. Earlier in the day, Patch was out along the Fox River checking out the flooding in Algonquin and north through Johnsburg. PHOTOS, VIDEO: Fox River On The Rise
• 4 P.M.: Rivers are on the rise and the Fox River and Chain O' Lakes have been closed to boating. We've got information on the river levels, and when those rivers should crest, and what towns are doing to prepare. We also look back on the past week at some of the major flooding-related news. READ MORE: River Levels On The Rise In Lake, McHenry Counties; More Flooding Likely

• 10:15 P.M. JULY 13: The results are in. Find out which Chicago-area towns got the most rain during heavy storms that hit in recent days. Rainfall Totals: Which Chicago-Area Town Got Hit The Hardest?

• 9:30 P.M. JULY 13: Lincolnshire Marriott Theatre, Resort Evacuated; Performances Cancelled
• 8:45 P.M. JULY 13: The rain appears to have stopped for the the foreseeable future but that doesn't mean more flooding is not on the way. READ MORE: Maps Show Where Flooding Could Occur Near Chain O' Lakes, Northern Fox River
• 4:30 P.M. JULY 13: Several area residents have been left homeless after an apartment complex flooded in Grayslake. READ MORE: Grayslake Apartment Complex Evacuated Due To Flooding
• 3 P.M. JULY 13: The Fox River is expected to continue to rise through the weekend and major flooding is possible. Boat traffic is being restricted or not allowed along the river and Chain O' Lakes. READ MORE: Fox River Reaches Flood Stage, Towns Prep For 'Major Flooding'
• 2 P.M.: A portion of Hunt Club Road in Gages Lake is closed after floodwaters washed out a culvert and collapsed the roadway. READ MORE:Flooding Causes Lake Co. Roadway To Collapse
• 10 A.M. JULY 13: The rain may have let up, but the cleanup work has not, and Lake County Board Chairman Aaron Lawlor signed a proclamation late Wednesday declaring that severe flooding has created a disaster. The Des Plaines River in Lake County is expected to crest over the weekend and could cause more flooding issues for the area. READ MORE: State Of Emergency Declared Over Lake County Flooding
• 8:44 P.M. JULY 12: Thunderstorms could affect the Chicago area through at least a portion of the overnight hours, according to the National Weather Service. Additional strong to severe thunderstorms are possible with this activity. The most intense thunderstorms could produce large hail, damaging winds, torrential rain/flooding and frequent cloud to ground lightning. Rainfall rates of over one inch per hour are possible. Outside of thunderstorms, the uncomfortably humid conditions will continue. A flash flood watch will remain in effect through Thursday morning for towns throughout the Chicago area. With the ground already saturated from the recent rainfall, any additional rain could cause flash flooding to occur quickly, posting a danger to motorists and those in low-lying areas.

• 8:30 P.M. JULY 12: A state of emergency has been issued for both the villages of Grayslake and Libertyville. Libertyville has made sandbags available for residents and both towns are encouraging residents to report any flood-related concerns. READ MORE: State Of Emergency Issued For Libertyville, Grayslake
  
• 8:15 P.M. JULY 12: Flooding Update: Several Grayslake Roads Remain Closed Wednesday Night
• 6:45 P.M. JULY 12: Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital is evacuating its facility due to power outages. Patients are being transferred to nearby facilities until power can be fully restored. READ MORE: Lake County Flooding: Hospital Evacuated, Roads Closed
• 5:30 P.M. July 12: A flood warning has been issued for the Fox River in Algonquin. Village officials are encouraging residents in flood-prone areas to prepare. Sandbagging is encouraged and the river is expected to continue to rise through the weekend. READ MORE: Major Flooding In Forecast For Fox River In Algonquin
• 5 P.M. July 12: The American Red Cross has opened emergency shelter and is providing assistance to hundreds who have been affected by flooding in Lake, McHenry and Cook counties. READ MORE: Red Cross Opens Shelters Following Flooding
• 4:30 P.M. JULY 12: Some residents in Grayslake decided to make the most out of a bad situation, breaking out their kayaks and paddle boats to take a rare ride down through their flooded streets. READ MORE: Kayaking Through Town: Grayslake Floods, Village Works To Clean Up

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ORIGINAL STORY (UPDATED 11 A.M. ON JULY 12): Emergency crews came to the rescue of dozens of residents in Lake and McHenry counties who became stranded following severe flooding late Tuesday through Wednesday morning. Among those rescued was a pregnant woman who was brought to safety via an inflatable raft in Fox Lake, the Northwest Herald reports.

The woman, who was nine months pregnant, was among residents who needed to be evacuated from home in the 35900 block of Wilson Road Wednesday morning, Fox Lake Fire Battalion Chief Brent Connelly told the Northwest Herald. Some of the homes had three to five feet of standing water.

In Mundelein, where 6.75 inches of rainfall was reported, crews evacuated around 20 people from a senior living complex at Route 45 and Division Street, Mundelein Fire Chief Bill Lark told CBS Chicago. They brought an inflatable raft to assist in getting everyone out of the one-story building.

In addition, an apartment complex at 361 S. Walnut St. in Mundelein needed to be evacuated after an adjacent retention pond overflowed, the Lake County News-Sun reports.

"Those people couldn't stay in their apartments because water had risen above electrical outlets and compromised the entire electrical system," Eric Guenther, Mundelein's director of public safety, told the Lake County-News Sun. "It created a serious safety risk.”

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Eight to 10 inches of water was reported in homes near Lincoln and Division streets in Mundelein where emergency crews also responded with rafts Wednesday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

A makeshift shelter had been set up at the Mundelein Police Station to house those dealing with flooding problems with about 40 people there as of 9:15 a.m., Guenther told the Lake County News-Sun.

In Libertyville, where more than 5 inches of rain reportedly fell during storms, several roadways were left impassable Wednesday. Libertyville fire officials said the flooding was so bad Wednesday morning they actually did not have enough barricades to use to mark off roadways that were closed, NBC 5 Chicago reported.

Metra service remained suspended from Fox Lake to Libertyville along the Milwaukee North Line as of 11:30 a.m. Wednesday due to flooding and downed trees, according to the rail agency. Minimal shuttle service was being offered between Lake Forest and Chicago.

Libertyville Fire Chief Rich Carani told the Chicago Sun-Times at least seven vehicles were stuck in water as of early Monday morning but all the occupants were removed. Authorities are urging residents not to drive onto a flooded roadway and to turn around if they encounter flooding.

In Grayslake, public works crews were out in full force to assess damage and make fixes to try and alleviate extreme flooding throughout town. More roads were left impassible and area residents were dealing with flooded basements. In addition, the Grayslake Aquatic Center closed due to flooding issues. The Grayslake Heritage Center & Museum also closed Wednesday.

Meanwhile, some Grayslake residents decided to make the most out of a bad situation, breaking out their kayaks and paddle boats to take a rare ride down through their flooded streets.

• Kayaking Through Town: Grayslake Floods, Village Works To Clean Up
  

The village of Gurnee and the Round Lake area are also dealing with flooding issues Wednesday. Gurnee has set up a flooding hotline at 847-599-6640 for flood-related calls.

As much as 5.4 inches of rain fell in Gurnee, causing the Des Plaines River to rise by at least four feet overnight Tuesday, according to village officials.

“If you begin to have water come into your basement, please remember to take extreme caution for possible electric shock,” according to information posted by the village Wednesday morning. “The Village would like to urge anyone with flooded basements to contact the Village of Gurnee or ComEd to have the power disconnected prior to entering the basement.”

Sandbagging supplies are available to Gurnee residents at the Public Works Facility, 1151 Kilbourne Road.

Round Lake Park saw more than 7 inches of rain, the highest reported amount as of 11 a.m. Wednesday. Nearby in Round Lake Beach, Michael Scott, deputy chief of police, told Patch the village dealt with extensive flooding throughout the night. As of 11 a.m., Rollins Road remained closed at Lotus due to flooding and many side streets were also closed.

Power Outages

Thousands across northern Illinois are without power Wednesday. Some of the hardest hit areas for power outages as of 11 a.m. Wednesday included Wonder Lake, Long Grove, Lincolnshire, Buffalo Grove, Deerfield, Palatine and Wheeling, according to ComEd’s Outage Map.

A neighborhood near the Walmart in Wheeling had nearly 2,000 customers without power, according to ComEd’s Outage Map.

Crews were out assessing damage and working to restore power Wednesday, according to ComEd.

More via the ComEd Outage Map.

Rainfall Totals

The National Weather Service has released preliminary storm reports. Here is a look at rainfall totals for communities that were most saturated by the storms:

• Round Lake Park: 7.13
• Mundelein: 6.75
• Gurnee: 5.4
• Lake Bluff: 5.38
• Lake Villa: 5.31
• Libertyville: 5.17
• Fox Lake: 4.46

More totals are available here.

Road Closures

As of 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, the Illinois Department of Transportation reported the following road closures:

• US 41 is closed at IL 176 in Lake Bluff due to flooding (Lake County)
• IL 132 closed between Oplaine & 1st Ave due to flooding (Lake County)
• US 41 closed between IL 21 & Delaney due to flooding (Lake County)
• US 45 closed at IL 137 due to flooding (Lake County)
• IL 176 closed at Sheridan Rd due to flooding (Lake County)
• IL 131 closed north of IL 132 due to flooding (Lake County)
• IL 173 closed at Clark due to flooding (McHenry County)
• US 45 at Washington St due to Flooding (McHenry County)
• WB IL-137 at US-41 due to Flooding (Lake County)
• US-14 between Highland & Ridge due to flooding (Cook County).

For more updates, visit the Illinois Department of Transportation website.

In addition, the Lake County Passage website is providing updates on closed roadways.

Weather Updates

A flash flood warning will remain in effect through 2 p.m. for Lake County and northeastern McHenry County. Just before 11 a.m., thunderstorms producing heavy rain moved out. Five to eight inches of rain has fallen and only minor additional amounts are expected through midday, according to the National Weather Service.

Some locations expected to experience flooding through the rest of Wednesday include: Waukegan, North Chicago, Gurnee, Mundelein, McHenry, Vernon Hills, Zion, Grayslake, Libertyville, Lake Forest, Round Lake, Antioch, Beach Park, Wauconda, Fox Lake, Lake Villa, Island Lake, Long Grove, Park City and Wonder Lake.

Additional strong to severe thunderstorms are possible across northern Illinois Wednesday evening and tonight. Those storms could bring heavy rain and more flooding.

Hot and humid weather is also expected throughout the rest of today.

• Torrential Rain, Hail, Damaging Winds: Severe Weather Threat

Weather officials were urging residents living in Lake and Northeastern McHenry counties to move to a higher ground Wednesday morning and say the flooding emergency is "an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation."

"Do not attempt to travel unless you are fleeing an area subject to flooding or under an evacuation order. Turn around, don`t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles," according to the National Weather Service.

Photo caption: Route 31 between McHenry and Crystal Lake was flooded Wednesday morning. Photo credit: Amie Rowland