With Des Plaines River Receding, Oakton Community College Reopening
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Oakton Community College in northwest suburban Des Plaines was reopening Monday, after it had been closed for more than a week due to flooding.
Classes and activities had been on hiatus since July 13, due to flooding on the Des Plaines River after heavy storms.
The river started overflowing its banks on July 13, filling parking lots, sports fields, and the main roads to and from campus.
With the Des Plaines River slowly receding, and a dry forecast for the next several days, police said they will allow Oakton students to go around barriers on Central Road on Monday if they approach from the east at Circle Drive. However, public transportation will not be able to access the campus until further notice.
Administrators said the grounds at Oakton have dried out, and are safe for students and staff.
The first summer semester was supposed to end on Thursday. It was not immediately clear if Oakton would hold makeup classes for the time missed due to flooding.
According to the National Weather Service, the Des Plaines River has gone down about 1.5 feet since Saturday night near Des Plaines, and should drop below flood stage by Wednesday, and will be back to normal levels by Thursday night.
The Fox River also has begun receding, but the water is going down very slowly, and it might be next week before the river drops below flood stage, even if there is no more rain during that time. Of course, any further precipitation in the northern suburbs could send the Fox River rising again.