Storms across McHenry County cause flooding, outages

ALGONQUIN – Government officials are warning residents in the Fox River floodplain to prepare for more flooding as thunderstorms continue to sweep through McHenry and Lake counties.

Heavy thunderstorms with the possibility of large hail are expected to continue into Thursday morning. A flash flooding alert is in effect from 9 p.m. Wednesday to 9 a.m. Thursday in McHenry County, according to the National Weather Service.

The service has issued a flood warning specific to the Fox River at the Algonquin tailwater, affecting Kane and McHenry counties as well. The river was at 9.7 feet Wednesday morning and had risen to nearly 10 feet by 12:30 p.m. Flood stage is 9.5 feet. The service predicts the river will continue to rise and crest at 13.3 feet about noon Saturday.

Village residents can pick up sandbags in the lobby of the Algonquin Police Department. Each resident is limited to 25 sandbags. Sand is available at the water tower on Algonquin Road or at the park located on North River Road at Lincoln Avenue.

This follows heavy storms Tuesday night, which led to heavy flooding that affected several homes.

The Fox Lake Fire Department responded to the 35900 block of Wilson Road in Ingleside early Wednesday to find several houses under 3 to 5 feet of water, Fox Lake Fire Battalion Chief Brent Connelly said.

“There was water inside some of the garages and into the homes,” Connelly said. “It went up to the front doors.”

One resident was nine months pregnant and needed to be evacuated using an inflatable raft, Connelly said. ComEd also was called to shut off power in the area because of the flooding. Connelly did not have a cost estimate for the flood damage.

Late Wednesday morning, water marks could be seen on the homes’ front doors to show how high the flood rose. Personal belongings were strewn across the residents’ driveways as they worked to pump water out of their garages and basements. Standing water was a constant throughout the neighborhood. The residents declined to speak with the Northwest Herald. A water main in the Leisure Village subdivision in Fox Lake also broke Wednesday afternoon, causing six surrounding homes to evacuate, according to a news release from the Village of Fox Lake.

Residents on the 4800 block of Prairie Avenue near Meadow Lane in McHenry had difficulties leaving their homes, as the flood waters also stretched all the way up to their front doors.

In Woodstock, more than 900 people were affected by a power outage Wednesday morning, according to ComEd’s outage map. The majority of power had been restored throughout McHenry County by Wednesday evening, according to the map.

People should turn around when approaching flooded roads, and not attempt to travel unless necessary, according to a news release from the village of Fox Lake.

To find out about road closures in Lake County, visit LakeCountyPassage.com.

A separate release from Lake County warned residents to avoid contact with flood waters completely, if possible. The water may contain disease-causing organisms, and ponds or streams that may appear shallow can be extremely powerful. Additionally, check for hazards before entering flooded parts of a home.