Flash flood warning along Kankakee River southwest of Chicago due to melting ice jams
WILMINGTON, Ill. (CBS) -- People living along the Kankakee River were in a precarious situation Thursday night – with officials warning at any time that an ice jam along the river could break and cause flash flooding.
A flash flood warning has been issued in parts of Will and Grundy counties – and the rain falling Thursday night was exacerbating the situation. The National Weather Service said the flash flood warning is in effect until 9:15 p.m. Saturday.
The likely imminent breakup of the ice jam could lead to flooding of roads and buildings along the river between Wilmington and Phelan Acres. Shifting ice floes also could damage buildings along the river.
Will County Emergency Management Agency Director Allison Anderson and officials have told people who live near the river to be prepared to evacuate. Officials said they would use reverse 911 calls if evacuation orders are issued.
Officials said they would use reverse 911 calls if evacuation orders are issued.
"We have teams on standby right now monitoring the ice and conditions. The visibility is quite reduced in this area with the fog. So once our teams start to notice the river level rise, and the ice start to break up, that's when we're going to go into action, and start alerting residents to evacuate the area," she said.
During a news conference Thursday afternoon, local officials said there was not "a whole lot of action" on the river, but they were still weary of conditions changing rapidly.
"What we're really urging residents to do is be mindful of what the river's doing. Have a plan," said Tom Murray, chief deputy director at the Will County EMA.
Late Thursday, roads were blocked – and signs were up to warn people of the dangers of flash floods.
Meanwhile, those who live along the river, or have second homes there, have been visiting daily to check on the conditions.
Bill Krizmanic returned home to survey the river after a few days on the road. Krizmanic's home of 30 years is riverfront property in Wilmington. His front porch is situated about 15 feet above the water.
Having property that close to the river when the ice freezes and forms dams is enough to leave homeowners anxious.
"Yeah, I was a little worried," Krizmanic said.
"All this is going to do is rise, and that means it's going to come up here, and that's what we don't want," resident Dwayne Killian said earlier Thursday. "There's some big, big houses all the way along here, and I feel for them because there's nothing you can do at this point when the river is like it is."
About 12 miles of ice has jammed up the river, one of the largest ever seen on the Kankakee River, and as it starts to melt, it not only could cause flooding along the river, but remaining chunks of ice could damage buildings and other structures along the river as they begin flowing downstream. Officials said about 200 homes along the river are at risk.
Earlier this week, Will County Emergency Management Agency officials said, while conditions on the river were gradually improving, a large portion of the river was still covered in ice, which was expected to begin melting rapidly this week, and could lead to rapidly changing conditions.
The ice acts like a dam and is forcing water to pool into people's backyards. Fingers of the river bloated and froze over onto neighbors' properties amid freezing temperatures last week.
For days, Will County officials have been warming the water in the river in attempt to break up the ice dams.
The Will County EMA was siphoning warm water from the Dresden Generating Station cooling lake. There are three siphons of warm water from the nuclear plant cooling lake, and all were turned on last week.
The goal was to get the water flowing downstream and away from homes.
"The flooding can really happen anywhere in the area where we have ice right now," Murray said Thursday afternoon.
Over the next days, as the rain falls and temperatures increase, officials asked everyone along the banks to be prepared for what Mother Nature could bring.
"Make sure that at any moment's notice – because like we said, with a flash flood, things can happen quickly – that we're ready to respond," said Wilmington fire Chief Todd Friddle.
The ice remained Thursday night, and levels kept getting higher. Krizmanic was glad, if nothing else, that the ice dams weren't in front of his house anymore Thursday night.
"Well, it was in front, but you can see now it's flowing," he said.
Krizmanic and just about everyone else in the community was wondering Thursday night what was to happen next.
"Ride the storm," Krizmanic said.
Rain was falling persistently across the area with temperatures well above freezing Thursday night – accelerating the melting and making the ice jam more and more likely to break. Persistent rain was expected through 2 a.m.
While evacuation warnings could come at any moment, officials do not expect them to become mandatory.
