Heavy Downpours Bring Warning About Possible Flooding
CHICAGO (CBS) -- As a band of thunderstorms brought torrential rains to parts of the Chicago area early Tuesday afternoon, the National Weather Service cautioned about the potential for flooding along local streams, and on streets in urban areas.
The weather service issued an urban and small stream flood advisory for Cook County, and in Lake County, Indiana, until 4 p.m., expecting up to 1.5 inches of rain early Tuesday afternoon.
Extremely heavy downpours began drenching downtown Chicago around 1 p.m., but began easing up around 1:45 p.m. Doppler radar showed a long but narrow band of storms stretching from the northern coast of Michigan to St. Louis, moving northeast at about 40 mph.
The storms packed wind gusts of up to 50 mph, and quickly created ponding on many area roads.
Areas that could see flooding include Chicago, Cicero, Hammond, Gary, Evanston, Skokie, Orland Park, Tinley Park, Oak Lawn, Berwyn, Oak Park, Glenview, Park Ridge, Calumet City, Chicago Heights, East Chicago, Hobart, Lansing, Maywood, and Highland.
"Excessive runoff from heavy rainfall will cause ponding of water in urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses, as well as other poor drainage areas and low lying spots," the weather service said in its flood advisory.
The storms were expected to mostly clear out of northeastern Illinois by late Tuesday afternoon or early Tuesday evening, and linger in northwestern Indiana until Tuesday night.