Flash Flood Watch Issued, Heavy Rain Expected South Of Chicago

CHICAGO (CBS) -- With heavy rain expected to hit Monday afternoon and evening, a flash flood watch has been issued for some far southern suburbs and virtually all of northwest Indiana.

A very large storm system is moving up from southern Illinois and Indiana, and could bring very heavy rain totals in central and southern Illinois and much of Indiana.

Chicago likely will be spared the worst of the storm, but still should see some rain on Monday.

The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for Kankakee and Iroquois counties, and more than 45 other counties in central and southern Illinois, starting at 1 p.m. central time, and continuing through late Monday night. A flash flood watch also has been issued for most counties in Indiana, including all of northwest Indiana.

Some areas south of Chicago already were seeing some rain late Monday morning.

That rainfall will get very heavy to the south and east of the city, with the south suburbs likely getting hit with heavy downpours by 4:30 p.m.

Three inches of rain is not out of the question for some of those areas under the flash flood watch, with up to 5 inches possible south of Kankakee County in Illinois, and in many parts of northwest Indiana. Even heavier totals could be seen further south.

Storms were expected to taper off Monday night, but another round of showers could move through Tuesday morning.

Every other day this week has at least a slight chance for rain as well.

In:
• National Weather Service