Gov. Bruce Rauner has declared Lake County, McHenry County and Kane County state disaster areas as a result of heavy rain and severe flooding. Updates on the flooding are available on the Ready Illinois website at www.ready.illinois.gov.
A release from the State of Illinois governor’s office said the state has already coordinated the delivery of 350,000 sandbags as requested by Lake County and is sending another 250,000 sandbags and plastic to an Illinois Department of Transportation yard in northern Illinois.
Today I visited Gurnee to survey the damage from the devastating flooding that took place there and across northern Illinois this week. pic.twitter.com/LTOUoufyZO
— Bruce Rauner (@GovRauner) July 14, 2017
Rauner also directed Illinois Emergency Management Agency Director James K. Joseph to activate the State Emergency Operations Center as needed over the weekend and into next week to coordinate any requests for assistance from communities hit by floods.
The disaster declaration was announced less than two days after the end of heavy rainfall that ended on Wednesday July 12, 2017 and late Tuesday night July 11, 2017. Multiple waves of thunderstorms moved across southern Wisconsin and northeast Illinois — condition defined as training of thunderstorm. Summertime moisture was at its maximum, and the storms produced rainfall rates of about 2 inches per hour or more. Given the training nature of storms lining up over the same locations, substantial rainfall amounts resulted. This brought flash flooding by daybreak on July 12 that continued through that entire day and into the next night. In addition, river flooding continues now, especially on the Des Plaines River.
2-DAY RAIN TOTALS FOR THURSDAY (07/13/17) AS OF 10:22 AM CDT
ILLINOIS 2-DAY RAINFALL
LOCATION (COUNTY): AMOUNT IN INCHES (# OF REPORTS)
ELGIN 1S (KANE)…………………………7.31 (2)
GURNEE 2W (LAKE)………………………..7.22 (2)
LAKE VILLA 2WSW (LAKE)…………………..7.11 (2)
LAKE VILLA 1SSW (LAKE)…………………..7.11 (2)
LAKE BLUFF 1W (LAKE)…………………….6.69 (2)
LAKE FOREST 2NNE (LAKE)………………….6.46 (2)
WAUKEGAN 2E (LAKE)………………………5.53 (2)
MUNDELEIN 2WNW (LAKE)……………………5.49 (2)
ELGIN 2WNW (KANE)……………………….5.24 (2)
FOX LAKE 2SE (LAKE)……………………..5.15 (2)
CARPENTERSVILLE 1E (KANE)………………..5.00 (2)
MUNDELEIN (LAKE)………………………..4.78 (2)
RIVERWOODS (LAKE)……………………….4.70 (2)
WAUKEGAN 2N (LAKE)………………………4.68 (2)
WADSWORTH 1SSE (LAKE)……………………4.60 (2)
GILBERTS (KANE)…………………………4.60 (2)
LAKEMOOR 2SE (LAKE)……………………..4.55 (2)
BANNOCKBURN (LAKE)………………………4.52 (2)
BARRINGTON (LAKE)……………………….4.47 (2)
HIGHWOOD 1S (LAKE)………………………4.41 (2)
LINCOLNSHIRE 1N (LAKE)…………………..4.40 (2)
ALGONQUIN 1N (MCHENRY)…………………..4.25 (2)
ELGIN 2NE (KANE)………………………..4.08 (2)
HOFFMAN ESTATES 5W (COOK)………………..4.07 (2)
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS 1SW (COOK)……………..3.93 (2)
PALATINE 1NNE (COOK)…………………….3.81 (2)
WHEELING (COOK)…………………………3.77 (2)
BOTANIC GARDENS (COOK)…………………..3.76 (2)
CARY (MCHENRY)………………………….3.72 (2)
BUFFALO GROVE 2N (LAKE)………………….3.72 (2)
SLEEPY HOLLOW 1SE (KANE)…………………3.64 (2)
WAUKEGAN (LAKE)…………………………3.63 (2)
LAKE ZURICH 1N (LAKE)……………………3.56 (2)
ZION (LAKE)…………………………….3.54 (2)
ELGIN (KANE)……………………………3.54 (2)
LAKE IN THE HILLS 1ESE (MCHENRY)………….3.45 (2)
WINTHROP HARBOR 1SSW (LAKE)………………3.42 (2)
CARY (MCHENRY)………………………….3.39 (2)
LAKE ZURICH (LAKE)………………………3.36 (2)
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS 3SSW (COOK)…………….3.27 (2)
SCHAUMBURG 2E (COOK)…………………….3.18 (2)
WINTHROP HARBOR (LAKE)…………………..3.18 (2)
HUNTLEY (MCHENRY)……………………….3.06 (2)
ELK GROVE VILLAGE 2WSW (COOK)…………….3.06 (2)
PALATINE 1E (COOK)………………………3.03 (2)
MCHENRY (MCHENRY)……………………….2.88 (2)
ELGIN 8WSW (KANE)……………………….2.83 (2)
BULL VALLEY 2WNW (MCHENRY)……………….2.80 (2)
ELK GROVE VILLAGE 1ESE (COOK)…………….2.78 (2)
DWIGHT 4NNW (GRUNDY)…………………….2.69 (2)
CRYSTAL LAKE 1WSW (MCHENRY)………………2.57 (2)
LAKE IN THE HILLS 2.5W (MCHENRY)………….2.51 (2)
WONDER LAKE 1WNW (MCHENRY)……………….2.47 (2)
OHARE (COOK)……………………………2.33 (2)
WINNETKA 1ESE (COOK)…………………….2.33 (2)
BELVIDERE 2NW (BOONE)……………………2.22 (2)
PARK RIDGE (COOK)……………………….2.21 (2)
MANTENO 2NW (KANKAKEE)…………………..2.20 (2)
VILLA PARK 1NW (DU PAGE)…………………2.10 (2)
WOODSTOCK 4SW (MCHENRY)………………….2.09 (2)
ELMHURST 1ESE (DU PAGE)………………….1.84 (2)
HARWOOD HEIGHTS (COOK)…………………..1.79 (2)
BELVIDERE (BOONE)……………………….1.77 (2)
HEBRON (MCHENRY)………………………..1.68 (2)
PLAINFIELD 5SW (KENDALL)…………………1.68 (2)
ELMHURST (DU PAGE)………………………1.58 (2)
WOODSTOCK 5NW (MCHENRY)………………….1.54 (2)
OAK PARK 1SW (COOK)……………………..1.54 (2)
LINCOLNWOOD 2E (COOK)……………………1.47 (2)
ROCKFORD 2ENE (WINNEBAGO)………………..1.46 (2)
BEECHER 3SSE (WILL)……………………..1.45 (2)
CAROL STREAM (DU PAGE)…………………..1.43 (2)
CHATSWORTH (LIVINGSTON)………………….1.40 (2)
OAK PARK 2S (COOK)………………………1.39 (2)
GLEN ELLYN 1NNW (DU PAGE)………………..1.37 (2)
ROCKFORD 1NW (WINNEBAGO)…………………1.37 (2)
LOMBARD 1NNW (DU PAGE)…………………..1.31 (2)
ROGERS PARK 2SW (COOK)…………………..1.28 (2)
CHICAGO 6ESE (COOK)……………………..1.25 (2)
OAK PARK 1NNE (COOK)…………………….1.21 (2)
DWIGHT (LIVINGSTON)……………………..1.19 (2)
ROCKFORD 3NE (WINNEBAGO)…………………1.18 (2)
STREATOR 1WSW (LA SALLE)…………………1.17 (2)
CAPRON (BOONE)………………………….1.16 (2)
HARVARD (MCHENRY)……………………….1.15 (2)
GLEN ELLYN 1WSW (DU PAGE)………………..1.13 (2)
STREATOR 4ENE (LA SALLE)…………………1.12 (2)
GENEVA 1SSW (KANE)………………………1.10 (2)
PLAINFIELD 2SSE (WILL)…………………..1.09 (2)
BONFIELD 4WSW (KANKAKEE)…………………1.08 (2)
GENOA (DE KALB)…………………………1.07 (2)
WHEATON 2NNE (DU PAGE)…………………..1.05 (2)
LILY LAKE 2E (KANE)……………………..1.03 (2)
ELWOOD 5NE (WILL)……………………….1.02 (2)
Some rivers and lakes in the disaster area counties have reached or will reach record crests.
“These counties were hit with flash and river flooding caused by more than seven inches of rain over a couple of days. The first responders have done a tremendous job protecting public health and safety. IEMA has been working closely with the emergency managers in these counties. This proclamation will ensure that we continue to provide whatever assistance is needed now and in the coming days as they begin recovery efforts.”
— Gov. Bruce Rauner
“IEMA and state agencies currently are working together with the affected counties to proactively identify potential resource needs and allocate the necessary state resources.”
— Emergency Management Director James K. Joseph
Updates on the flooding are being provided on the Ready Illinois website at www.ready.illinois.gov.