Wet Start To Halloween Leaves Many Roads Flooded
CHICAGO (CBS) -- It's been a soggy start for Halloween, and steady rain overnight has created some trouble on local roads.
Several highway viaducts and other streets were experiencing minor flooding early Thursday, and there have been a handful of crashes that appeared to be tied to slick conditions.
CBS 2 Meteorologist Megan Glaros reports rain was expected to continue throughout the day, with temperatures in the low- to mid-60s. There could be a brief break from the rain in the afternoon, allowing a few opportunities for kids to go trick-or-treating without dealing with rain.
There is also potential for severe thunderstorms in northwest Indiana, though the majority of severe weather from the system moving across the central part of the country is more likely to be much farther south, around Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas.
As of 11:15 a.m., more than 4 inches of rain had fallen in parts of southern Cook County. The official total for Chicago at O'Hare International Airport stood at 3.2 inches.
Another inch of rain is likely in the Chicago area by the end of the day.
CBS 2's Susanna Song reports large puddles and pools of standing water formed on many streets and highways, as rain fell steadily since late Wednesday night, and well into Thursday morning.
On the Dan Ryan Expressway, a semi-trailer truck jackknifed in the outbound lanes near 47th Street. Illinois State Police tow trucks were working to remove the truck and clear traffic in time for the morning rush.
No injuries were reported in that crash.
Illinois State Police also responded to several crashes on the Stevenson Expressway near Kedzie overnight, due to flooding on both sides of the expressway. Several drivers spun out as they drove through the standing water, and hit a median wall.
Also on the Stevenson, the rain caused moderate flooding at a railroad viaduct near Pulaski, though vehicles were still getting through.
The Eisenhower Expressway also had minor flooding in the eastbound lanes at Racine.
There also were reports of standing water near Grant Park, on Jackson Drive, between Columbus and Lake Shore Drive.
Conditions should clear overnight, and stay mostly clear through the weekend, with a slight possibility of morning showers on Saturday.
