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CHICAGO — After a foggy morning, residents of Chicago are advised to brace for potentially severe weather as storms are forecasted to roll in by Friday evening.
The day started with a warm and dry afternoon, but conditions are expected to change as storms make their way into the region later in the day.
A Tornado Watch has been issued for several counties in Illinois, including Cook, DuPage, Ford, Grundy, Iroquois, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, Livingston, and Will. This watch is set to remain in effect until 11 p.m.
Meanwhile, DeKalb, LaSalle, and McHenry counties in Illinois, along with Racine, Walworth, and Kenosha counties in Wisconsin, are under a Tornado Watch until 8 p.m.
In areas just outside Chicago, a Tornado Warning has been announced for Boone and Winnebago counties in Illinois, which is valid until 7:45 p.m. Additionally, Walworth County in Wisconsin is under a Tornado Warning until 7:15 p.m., and a Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for Kenosha, Racine, and Walworth counties, extending until 8:15 p.m.
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ABC7 AccuWeather meteorologists said a line of potentially severe storms was expected to start moving into the far western suburbs between 5-7 p.m., bringing heavy rain and strong winds. It will then move into the city between 8-9 p.m.
The Storm Prediction Center has most of the Chicago area at a Level 3 Risk for severe weather except for northwest Indiana, which is under a Level 2 Risk.
The storms are causing delays at Chicago’s airports.
A Ground Delay for O’Hare airport is scheduled to go into effect at 8 p.m. and last until 2 a.m. Saturday, the FAA said. Average delays due to thunderstorms were about 3.5 hours as of 6 p.m.
Residents brace for flooding
A Flood Warning is in effect for Cook County until 5:15 a.m. Saturday.
A Flood Warning is in effect for Kane, Kendall, Lake and McHenry counties in Illinois until 5:30 a.m. Saturday.
A Flood Watch is in effect for the Chicago area until 5 a.m. Saturday.
A lot of people in the northwest suburbs have already been dealing with some flooding this week and are bracing for more with promised rain on the way.
Officials have fortified areas prone to flooding as the Des Plaines River continues to swell.
The fire department is monitoring the river’s levels, which are now not expected to crest as high as they were originally, but below the major flood stage around 17 feet.
“We’re advising everyone to stay out of those flood waters,” Des Plaines Fire Battalion Chief Brian Hoffman said. “There can be currents underneath. They’ve gotta also be washed out manhole covers, which creates hazards of falling into one of those so if they’re any flood waters, we advise I’m going to stay out of them.”
People who live near the Fox River are also keeping watch. They’ve already had some flooding, too.
Parts of Chicago weren’t spared either. The city said they’ve gotten hundreds of calls about waterlogged streets and flooded basements.
Forecasters say Illinois is experiencing a very active severe weather season.
“With all the events that we’ve been happening, people kind of see all this, and they’re hopefully not scared by it, but hopefully they’ll educate themselves,” said Victor Gensini, a meteorology professor at Northern Illinois University. “Hopefully they’ll tune in to ABC 7. Hopefully they’ll tune into the National Weather Service and get those official watches and warnings and understand when in the forecast this week, do I need to be paying attention? Because there’s a likelihood for severe weather, and then know what to do if the watches and warnings are actually issued.”
The city’s public works department is providing sandbags to anyone who wants them.
After losing a lot of personal items in the last big flood a few years ago, Des Plaines resident Ariana Gomez is keeping her eyes on the skies.
“Like any person whose apartment usually floods, they’re always concerned,” Gomez said. “We always tend to check in the laundry room because that’s where it usually, but everything’s been good there.”
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