Above / With rain forecast for the day, outdoor events were canceled. The scene from the Riverwalk Covered Bridge at Webster Street provided views of the rapidly rising DuPage River over the walkways as its waters meandered through downtown Naperville. DuPage County Stormwater Management issued an advisory while operating flood control facilities Saturday. (PN Photo, 2PM Oct. 14)
Several roads closed due to flooding in Naperville, yellow caution tape marks closures along the Riverwalk
Note: Detour will be posted by 4AM Mon., Oct. 16, 2017. Naper Boulevard north of Dunrobin will remain closed Monday during the morning rush hour due to water on the roadway. Naper Boulevard will be detoured to Olesen via Green Trails and Chicago Avenue. Drivers are asked to follow the posted detour or avoid the area if possible.
PHOTO UPDATE 9AM Oct. 15 / The heavy rain has passed, but it’s mighty blustery out there! Hang on to your hat!
Above / After another six to eight inches of reported rainfall, the DuPage River is up and rushing through downtown. (Compare clearance under Eagle Street Bridge in the three photos.) Some streets on the way to downtown are barely passable due to standing water near retention ponds. Basement flooding is likely in some neighborhoods. Be alert to caution tape. Respect the power of water. Be safe.
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The City reports experiencing over 64 active flooding areas and 29 closed road sections. Major closures include:
- Naper Boulevard N between Abbeywood Drive and Dunrobin
- Dunrobin is also closed from Naper to Olesen
- Naper Boulevard north of 75th Street has water on the pavement
- Washington Street by Jefferson Junior High School
- Bauer by Jefferson Junior High School
- 95th Street by Cedar Glade and Skylane
Residents should avoid these areas. Any residents with flooding on their property are reminded to be cautious about electrical equipment and cords that may be located in those areas to reduce the risk of electrocution.
UPDATE 6PM Oct. 14 / With more than four inches of rain reported in the Naperville area today, the City continues to monitor flooding throughout Naperville. Throughout the rest of the day, if people encounter standing water on streets at any location, they should not drive through the area. For their safety, members of the public should stay away from ponds and the DuPage River.
Above / Note how much higher the water level is at 5:50PM under the Eagle Street Bridge as the DuPage River swells up over its banks toward the Sept. 11 Memorial and City Hall. Always respect water. (PN Photo Oct. 14)
As of 4:30PM, the following roads were closed due to high standing water:
Julian between Porter and Prairie; Prairie between Columbia and Julian; North Aurora at the via duct; 5th Avenue just west of Mill Street; Bunker Circle at Country Lakes; Royal St. George at Burning Tree; Olesen south of Whirlaway; Fairway at Inland Circle; and Naper Boulevard just north of 75th Street.
Residents should avoid these areas. Any residents with flooding on their property are reminded to be cautious about electrical equipment and cords that may be located in those areas to reduce the risk of electrocution.
An additional quarter of an inch to two inches of rain is expected before the current weather system subsides and all detention areas in the City are full. The latest weather information can be found at http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lot/.
Story submitted by Linda LaCloche, Communications Manager, for the City of Naperville.
Posted 3:30 PM Oct. 14 / DuPage County Stormwater Management is currently operating the Elmhurst Quarry Flood Control and Spring Creek Reservoir (Bloomingdale) on Salt Creek following precipitation throughout the area beginning early Saturday.
DuPage County received rainfall totals ranging from 2.5 inches to up to 5 inches throughout the day Saturday. The National Weather Service is forecasting an additional 1.5 to 2.5 inches of rainfall through early Sunday. The rainfall triggered operation of the Elmhurst Quarry and Spring Creek Reservoir, as well as several of the County’s smaller gravity-operated facilities.
Flood forecasts indicate the remaining larger facilities, including the Wood Dale-Itasca Reservoir, Armstrong Park Reservoirs (Carol Stream) and Fawell Dam (Naperville), will go into operation later Saturday.
PHOTO GALLERY / DuPage River viewed from the Riverwalk Covered Bridge looking east toward Water Street and the Main Street Bridge, and west toward the Eagle Street Bridge in the heart of downtown Naperville. The green film atop the rushing water is duckweed.
[shareprints gallery_id=”79097″ gallery_type=”squares” gallery_position=”pos_center” gallery_width=”width_100″ image_size=”small” image_padding=”2″ theme=”dark” image_hover=”false” lightbox_type=”slide” comments=”false” sharing=”true”]DuPage County Stormwater Management staff will continue to monitor stream elevations throughout the event and provide updates as they become available. Be advised that this precipitation may also cause localized and flash flooding, especially in low-lying areas.
Of the 16 flood control facilities DuPage County operates, five larger facilities have mechanical equipment allowing staff to control them according to a predetermined operating plan. The remaining facilities protect the surrounding areas from flooding without human intervention using fixed weirs and natural drainage systems. In total, the facilities have a floodwater storage capacity of nearly four billion gallons.
Local agencies and residents may visit http://ec.dupageco.org/dec/stormwater/watershed/index.html for more information about flood control facilities throughout the County, as well as to view rain and stream gages, forecasts and real-time pictures.
Story submitted by Mary Mitros for DuPage County Stormwater Management. PN Photos.
