Ice jam on Kankakee River causes flooding 50 miles southwest of Chicago
WILMINGTON, Ill. (CBS) – An ice jam on the Kankakee River caused some major flooding for some residents nearly 50 miles southwest of Chicago.
A flood warning was issued this week for residents who live near the river's edge in unincorporated Wilmington. CBS 2's Shardaa Gray had the story in Wilmington where locals are keeping a close eye on the ice jams.
It might have been like a scene out of a movie with trees and homes covered in frozen evaporation, but residents said the problem was very dangerous.
The Will County Emergency Management Agency said with the river freezing over, the water didn't have anywhere to go, so it started to spread out. Officials said the ice essentially acts like a dam.
Amy Phillips has lived along the Kankakee River for 15 years. She said the river freezes every year, but it hasn't gotten this bad.
"It's crazy," Phillips said. "It makes you think about how the glaciers came through."
She's worried she'll lose one of her buildings, which is close to the river. If the ice melts, it could cause the water level to rise and "take out houses," she said.
"Ice has never been this high, at least not for me," Phillips said. "Not in this area so soon. So we'll see when it breaks, when it swells, and when it starts moving, we'll see what happens."
Across the river, streets and yards were flooded and the water froze. Randy Barton used to live in the area and came back to check on his old neighbors.
"It's a lot of work," he said. "That's the problem, the clean up and stuff and it does a lot of damage, especially the ice stuff. That's where it really does damage."
The Will County EMA said it had crews out assessing the damage on Tuesday and that no one should drive across flooding roads or walk in flooded parks or yards. The agency said the freezing temperatures causing the ice jams are expected to last until at least Jan. 22.
"River conditions will be unpredictable throughout the week, and we are advising residents along the river to be prepared for rapidly changing conditions," said Will County EMA Director Allison Anderson in a statement. "Please do not hesitate to contact emergency officials if you need support with evacuating your property."
The areas impacted by flash flooding included:
- Phelan Acres Subdivision
- Cottage Road
- Kelly & Phillips Road
- Whalen Place
- Blodgett Road
- Macintosh Acres (Grundy County)
Residents should dial 911 for evacuation assistance. To receive real-time emergency alerts, visit WillCountyEMA.org/signup.