Friday, December 26, 2008

Flood Watches May Be Extended This Weekend & More Significant Wabash Flooding by Late Weekend & Next Week


Here are the latest advisories from the National Weather Service in
Indianapolis and Chicago. I will keep these fresh and have more
specifics on rainfall and thunderstorms on the way today.



THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR
THE WABASH RIVER AT COVINGTON.
* UNTIL SATURDAY AFTERNOON...OR UNTIL THE WARNING IS
CANCELLED.
* AT 10:00 AM THURSDAY THE STAGE WAS 14.2 FEET.
* MINOR FLOODING IS FORECAST.
* FLOOD STAGE IS 16.0 FEET.
* FORECAST...RISE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE BY LATE TONIGHT AND CONTINUE TO
RISE TO NEAR 16.7 FEET BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON. THE RIVER WILL FALL
BELOW FLOOD STAGE BY LATE FRIDAY NIGHT.
* AT 16.0 FEET...LOW AGRICULTURAL LANDS BEGIN TO FLOOD. BACKYARD
FLOODING OF COTTAGES ON RIGHT BANK STARTS A SHORT DISTANCE UPSTREAM
OF GAGE.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

MCHENRY-LAKE IL-DE KALB-KANE-DUPAGE-COOK-LA SALLE-KENDALL-GRUNDY-
WILL-KANKAKEE-LIVINGSTON-IROQUOIS-FORD-LAKE IN-PORTER-NEWTON-
JASPER-BENTON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WOODSTOCK...WAUKEGAN...DEKALB...
AURORA...CHICAGO...OTTAWA...OSWEGO...MORRIS...JOLIET...KANKAKEE...
PONTIAC...WATSEKA...PAXTON...GARY...VALPARAISO...MOROCCO...
RENSSELAER...FOWLER

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE FRIDAY NIGHT
THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING...

THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR

* PORTIONS OF ILLINOIS AND INDIANA...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING
AREAS...IN ILLINOIS...COOK...DE KALB...DUPAGE...FORD...
GRUNDY...IROQUOIS...KANE...KANKAKEE...KENDALL...LA SALLE...
LAKE IL...LIVINGSTON...MCHENRY AND WILL. IN INDIANA...BENTON...
JASPER...LAKE IN...NEWTON AND PORTER.

* FROM LATE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING

* WIDESPREAD...AND POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT FLOODING IS EXPECTED
TO DEVELOP FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. RAIN AND EMBEDDED
THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE WIDESPREAD RAINFALL TOTALS OF ONE
AND A HALF TO THREE INCHES FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY
NIGHT...WITH LOCALIZED RAINFALL TOTALS IN EXCESS OF THREE
INCHES POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION TO THE HEAVY RAIN...TEMPERATURES
WARMING WELL ABOVE FREEZING WILL CAUSE EXISTING SNOW AND ICE
COVER TO RAPIDLY MELT INCREASING RUN OFF...WHICH WILL ALREADY
BE VERY HIGH DUE TO THE FROZEN GROUND. FINALLY...THE BITTER
COLD TEMPERATURES OF THE PAST WEEK HAVE CAUSED ICE TO FORM ON
MANY RIVERS...THIS ICE WILL LIKELY BECOME DISLODGED AS
TEMPERATURES RISE ABOVE FREEZING AND STREAM FLOW INCREASES.
THIS WILL RESULT IN A HIGHER CHANCE OF LOCALIZED FLOODING DUE
TO ICE JAMS.

* IF CURRENT FORECAST RAINFALL AMOUNTS OCCUR AS EXPECTED THEN
WIDESPREAD AND SIGNIFICANT FLOODING OF STREETS...CREEKS...
STREAMS...AND LOW LYING AREAS WILL OCCUR. IN ADDITION...MANY OF
THE LARGER MAIN STEM RIVERS WILL GO INTO FLOOD. GIVEN THE
FORECAST MAGNITUDE OF THE UPCOMING SNOW MELT AND HEAVY RAINFALL
EVENT...MAJOR FLOODING AND NEAR RECORD CRESTS MAY OCCUR ON SOME
OF THE LARGER MAIN STEM RIVERS...INCLUDING THE DES PLAINES...
KANKAKEE...VERMILLION...LITTLE CALUMET...IROQUOIS...AND
ILLINOIS.

THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR VERY SERIOUS AND POTENTIALLY LIFE
THREATENING FLOODING TO DEVELOP THIS WEEKEND...WITH SOME AREAS
THAT TYPICALLY DO NOT FLOOD POSSIBLY EVEN BECOMING INUNDATED WITH
WATER. PEOPLE LIVING IN FLOOD PRONE AND LOW LYING AREAS SHOULD PAY
VERY CLOSE ATTENTION TO LATER FORECASTS AND WARNINGS FROM THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND BE PREPARED TO EVACUATE TO HIGHER
GROUND ON SHORT NOTICE. EVERYONE IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA SHOULD
BE PREPARED TO TAKE QUICK ACTION SHOULD FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.

PEOPLE PLANNING TO TRAVEL THIS WEEKEND SHOULD ALSO MONITOR
FORECASTS CLOSELY...AS FLOODING COULD POTENTIALLY IMPACT ROADS
MAKING TRAVEL DIFFICULT.



17 comments:

Anonymous said...

I wonder what kind of ice jams we will have! The wabash is nearly all frozen here in Fountain County, hopefully the rain will melt the ice as well as the temps are on the rise.

Anonymous said...

Just after 6am in Brookston, and there have been several flashes of lightning up in the sky...not hearing any thunder though. It's dry and breezy---no rain or snowflakes at this time.

Anonymous said...

Here in Rochester, there has been freezing rain, sleet, thunder, and lightning within the last thirty minutes. The temp. is 29.5 degress.

Anonymous said...

Hey Mike. I like the football dip dish. We are getting thunder and lightning in Camden!!The temp is 31 Deg.

Anonymous said...

Here in Remington had thunder and a little lighting around 6:00 am.

Anonymous said...

Its pouring in Laf..heavy rain..We had just wind very early this morning.....

Teri in Laf.

Anonymous said...

everyone have a nice Xmas? Oh the morning after, much clean up to do!

Looks like a good day to stay in, order pizza for dinner, we didnt have any leftovers:( And I dont want to cool LOL!

Anonymous said...

Even if the roads seem to be clear, please slow down. 4 people in Tippecanoe County have died today due to ice-covered roads.

Anonymous said...

Hope things clear up soon all this rain and ice is scary and depressing. I would so much rather have alot of snow!!!!
Amy in Brookston

Anonymous said...

Hey! Thunder woke me up at 5:54 a.m. but who is keeping track, LOL? My head told me it was the t-storms coming in early, so I hopped (well okay it was not really a hop!) out of bed and came to my trusty radar only to see the temp was at 29* so I am thinking, "THUNDERSLEET!". Looking on radar there was a yellow glob to my NW.

I am scared to pieces about the threat of flooding. It is so reminiscent of Jan 8th. Snow/ice on the ground which will melt quickly and a frozen/saturated ground that will not hold water = ONE NASTY SITUATION shaping up. Not one thing we can do to change things except PRAY!

I am spreading the word to neighbors and friends to be on guard.

Mary Anne in Remington

Anonymous said...

Yes Mary Anne looks like a scary set up...glad you are on top of things.....And how tragic how about the accidents in the southern part of Tipp. Co....OH PLease, all stay safe..My heart is braking for those folks...

A friend of mine who lives on the river is debating wheather to stay or go.....

Teri

Anonymous said...

breaking....

Anonymous said...

Yes Mary Anne please stay safe! I think I heard you say you lived by a river? We all know you will watch yourself! ;-)

The good thing is still as of now these storms are not expected to be severe but as with any thunderstorm Lightning is something to keep watch on! And this time High winds are likely!

Everybody stay safe!

Justin in Lafayette

Anonymous said...

Yeah glad to see that we are pretty much out of the severe weather slot. Like you said Justin, we still have to watch out for the lightning though.

I think that I will take advantage of the warmer temps and yank all my xmas stuff down outside.

Anonymous said...

good idea brow! and yes lightnig is very scary as well as the flooding! When temps are to reach the upper to 50 to 60 degree mark in Dec....there is a chance of very bad wx.

Anonymous said...

still cold out its only 35, i bet we are going to be hit with wind and storms.......

Anonymous said...

Hey Just seen there is a Dense Fog Advisory out for most of the State of Indiana! ANd That Tippecanoe has just been added to the list of Flood warnings!

Justin