Flash Flooding Leaves Roads Impassable In Downstate Gibson City; Police Ask People To Stay Home

GIBSON CITY, Ill. (CBS) -- Flash flooding has left "essentially all" roads in downstate Gibson City impassable with water that is several feet deep in some places, officials said.

Heavy rain fell during the day Thursday in southwest Ford County in Central Illinois, about 120 miles south of downtown Chicago. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for much of the day for that area.

CBS 2 Meteorologist Robb Ellis reported 8 to 10 inches of rain fell in the past 24 hours in some spots. The complex of thunderstorms downstate kept severe weather at bay in Chicago, Ellis reported.

The NWS reported "essentially all" roads in Gibson City, east of Bloomington, were left impassable. The Illinois Department of Transportation reported all state routes into and out of Gibson City were also closed, and Illinois 9 near Elliott was also impassable.

A total of 7 to 8 inches of rain fell in total in Gibson City.

Water came up to the windows of a minivan. People who had to get rescued walked through hip-high water to get to higher ground, and some were even up to their chests.

Still others had to use boats.

In some places, the water was 5 feet deep.

Several people tweeted photos and videos showing roadways turned to rivers.

Gibson City police asked people to stay home, and officials warned that their cars could get stuck in floodwaters if they ventured out.