April 29, 2024
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River threats ease up in Will, Grundy counties

Warnings still in place, but residents along river appear to have weathered the worst

By Bob Okon
A road closure sign warns drivers along Phelan Acres Road in Wilmington of possible flooding due to ice jams along the Kankakee River on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2023. The Will County Emergency Management Agency and National Weather Service issued warnings Tuesday and Wednesday.

A road closure sign warns drivers along Phelan Acres Road in Wilmington of possible flooding due to ice jams along the Kankakee River on Wednesday. (Photo by Michael Urbanec)

Conditions on the Kankakee River have improved as the threat of flooding continues to go down as temperatures stay up.

Will County reported “a significant reduction in water levels” with ice jams clearing between Wilmington and the confluence where the Des Plaines River joins the Kankakee River near Channahon to form the Illinois River.

The Grundy County Emergency Management Agency on Sunday issued what Director Joe Schroeder said likely would be the last situation update on the threat of ice jams.

“Today the rivers all remain free-flowing with chunks of ice in them moving downstream,” Schroeder said in the Sunday update.

Shroeder said Grundy County EMA would continue to monitor conditions.

A news release issued by the Will County Executive’s Office on Saturday noted that a flash flood warning had expired, but the National Weather Service kept a flood watch and flood warning in place until noon Monday.

Flooding caused by ice jams led to a temporary closing of Illinois 53 in the Wilmington area and evacuations of some residents who live along the Illinois River in past week. But the situation appeared to ease as ice melted and temperatures on Saturday again reached toward 40 degrees.

Fourteen people had been evacuated from homes along the Kankakee River before Saturday because of flooding created by ice jams.

“All major roads have reopened,” Michael Theodore, spokesman for the Will County Executive’s office, said in a news release issued Saturday.

The Kankakee River near Phelan Acres north of the Dresden cooling lakes is nearly entirely covered with ice.

The Kankakee River near Phelan Acres north of the Dresden cooling lakes was nearly covered with ice before temperatures began to climb in the past week . (Michael Urbanec)

Theodore said an emergency shelter at the First Christian Church in Morris had been put on standby, meaning it was closed but available to reopen if conditions changed.

“Will County EMA [Emergency Management Agency] and local officials continue to monitor river conditions,” Theodore said. “Residents are still advised that river conditions can change rapidly.”

Theodore noted that all roads had reopened.

The city of Wilmington “out of an abundance of caution” kept a boil order in effect for anyone who uses city water, Theodore said in his news release. The city recommended that water be boiled for five minutes before being used.

The NWS ended its flash flood warning for Wilmington and nearby areas while keeping flood watch and flood warnings in effect until noon Monday.