Rains Cause Flooding Concerns Along Rivers

Starved Rock Flood 2/20/18 – Studstill Media Photo

OTTAWA – Heavy rains have caused the National Weather Service to issue flood warnings along the Illinois and Fox Rivers on Tuesday. In Ottawa the river was 465.4 feet which is two feet above flood stage. Major flooding is forecast rising nearly another six feet by early Thursday morning. The river could reach the top of the levee by the Ottawa Waste Water Treatment Plant. On the Fox river by Wednesday we could see some homes being threatened south of the I&M Canal.
Dee Bennet Road will be closed this evening from IL-178 to the Nursing Home, and Starved Rock State Park has already announced the lower portions of the park are closed.
In LaSalle, the river is expected to rise over ten more feet between now and Thursday morning, topping off at 32.5 feet.