Flood Concerns Have Officials Keeping An Eye On Kankakee River Ice Jams
(CBS) -- Ice jams have been forming on bends in the Kankakee River near Wilmington and that's forcing water near, though not yet over, flood stage, reports WBBM's John Cody.
Federal forecasters posted a flood advisory to keep an eye on the Kankakee where ice jams cover over a half mile of the river near the Will-Grundy county line, mainly at bends in the river.
"Water movement is a little bit more restricted in some of the outer parts of those turns there and it is just a natural spot for ice to kind of collect," said Tom Murray, Deputy Director for Operations for the Will County Emergency Management Agency.
Murray said the Kankakee had risen within six inches of flood stage. He says if the river does top flood stage, EMA could siphon warm water from the Dresden Cooling Lake to break up the ice jams near the Will-Grundy county line.