Flood warning extended for Cook County through Monday

Cook County remains under a flood warning through Monday morning after 1 to 3 inches of rain fell across the Chicago metro area Saturday night into Sunday. National Weather Service officials warned residents about flooding near the Little Calumet River and oth

By Sunday morning. the rain had eased from the heaviest burst of the night—but in Cook County. officials were still asking residents to take it seriously. The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for Cook County that runs until Monday morning. extending the immediate threat as water lingers in the same places it always finds: low-lying streets. swollen creeks. and river corridors.

The weather service said 1 to 3 inches of rain fell across the Chicago metro area Saturday night into Sunday morning. The warning was extended through Monday morning at 10 a.m. As crews and residents watch waterlines. the wider outlook stays tense for parts of northeastern Illinois and northwest Indiana. where a hazardous weather outlook remained in effect. Flood warnings, officials said, initially covered only small pockets across the region but were set to end at 3 p.m. Sunday before the extended watch into Monday.

A list of Illinois towns marked as being at heightened risk of flooding underscores how widespread the concern is across Chicago’s suburbs: Richton Park. Sauk Village. Flossmoor. Lynwood. Glenwood. Crete. University Park. Olympia Fields. Ford Heights and South Chicago Heights. Chicago’s South Side also was slated to see more rain. the National Weather Service said. as meteorologist Todd Kluber warned that the danger is tied to geography.

Officials specifically urged residents to be careful near the Little Calumet River. and also near creeks. streams and low-lying areas where runoff can collect quickly. The weather service also predicted moderately dangerous swimming conditions at Illinois beaches because of the storms. while Indiana beaches were at a heightened risk.

“The rain falling this morning isn’t quite as heavy as what we saw overnight,” Kluber said Sunday morning. “Flooding isn’t expected as a concern over the next couple days, and what we’re seeing now should be receding.”

Even with the forecast suggesting flooding will ease, the warning lands in the aftermath of a rough stretch. Last week’s storms brought 11 tornados to the area. including at least two EF-3 tornadoes far southeast of the Chicago metro area. according to the National Weather Service. An EF-3 tornado that hit Kankakee in March killed one person and destroyed 30 homes and 500 buildings. Damage surveys are still being conducted from these recent storms. and Kluber said officials could add more tornadoes to the final count as assessments continue. with further reports expected within a few days.

The rain driving this weekend’s flood threat arrived on ground that had already been soaked. Kluber described what it feels like to watch water build where it doesn’t normally linger.

“Adding that [rain] on top of Thursday, we’re definitely seeing a lot of standing water, the creeks are all swollen,” he said.

Those earlier storms also brought significant rainfall. The weather service said some areas southeast of Rockford saw between four and six inches of rain, while most of the Chicago area saw one to three inches of rain.

Further into the week, the weather is expected to stay active, but the timing shifts. Storms that began Wednesday left 290. 000 people without power as high winds—78 mph gusts in the Lakeview neighborhood and more than 70 mph winds in Midway and Hyde Park—brought down trees across the city. More showers. and potentially thunderstorms. are expected Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. with temperatures staying just shy of 80 for the rest of the week. Kluber said Wednesday is likely to see stronger storms.

“Temps will start to creep back up over the next several days, [but] it doesn’t look like there will be any oppressive heat,” Kluber said. He also said the greatest risk appears to stay south of the Chicago metro area, referring to possible thunderstorms on Wednesday.

In the near-term forecast, showers are expected to end from west to east across the area during the mid to late morning. An isolated thunderstorm is possible south of Interstate 80, and no severe weather is expected.

For residents near waterways and beaches, the message remains blunt: the rain may be moving, but its effects are still working their way through streets, yards and the edges of Lake Michigan.

Cook County flood warning National Weather Service Chicago Little Calumet River Southern Lake Michigan beaches hazardous weather outlook Todd Kluber standing water Lakeview winds Midway Hyde Park storms