River Flooding Continues, But may fall short of Predictions

LASALLE COUNTY – A flood warning continues for Area Rivers, However officials are optimistic that the flooding won’t reach earlier predicted record levels.  The Illinois River at LaSalle is now expected to crest near 31.7 feet by Thursday afternoon. The Illinois River at Ottawa was expected to be near 471 feet early Thursday before falling, The Fox River at Dayton at nearly 15 feet was expected to fall below flood levels by Saturday. The Vermillion River at Leonore was at 16.7 feet and should fall below flood stage Thursday morning. The National Weather Service had predicted flooding that could have reached near the record levels of April of 2013.
Despite the good news, Officials aren’t letting their guard down. A mandatory evacuation remains in place for Marseilles residents south of the I & M Canal and East of Main Street including Mill Streets. A voluntary evacuation remains in effect for the Village of Utica.
Over the past 24 hours, officials have sandbagged flood prone areas, canceled schools and evacuated the La Salle County Nursing Home.  Streets and roads that remain closed include all side streets south of Washington Street in Utica. Chicago Road along with Green, Champlain and Superior Streets in Ottawa. Dee Bennet road from route 178 to the nursing home, Ben Samek Road from Route 251 to North 2550th Road South of Peru and DuPont Road 1/4 mile east of Route 170; Ottawa High School and Marseilles Elementary will be closed for a second day Thursday.
Officials encourage residents to remain alert to changing conditions. Never go around a barricade and should you encounter a flooded roadway, turn around, don’t drown.