Community Corner
Major Flood Hits Plainfield — But Worst Is Over, Officials Say
A flood warning remains in effect until 7:30 a.m. Saturday, but officials said the river had crested.
Updated at 11:28 a.m.:
Route 59 is OPEN, according to Plainfield Deputy Fire Chief Jon Stratton.
Original story:
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Village officials and the Illinois Department of Transportation were monitoring flooding at the Route 59 viaduct Friday morning — and were just as eager as residents to reopen the roadway, Plainfield Deputy Fire Chief Jon Stratton said.
Around 1 a.m. Friday, flooding prompted officials to shut down the road from Lockport Street to 143rd Street.
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“It kind of separates our town,” Stratton said. “It splits our town in half, plus the congestion — it’s crazy. [Plainfield Police Chief John Konopek] wants to open that as soon as possible.” Stratton said officials are keeping an eye on the road and will open it as soon as it's safe.
Flooding on Thursday forced 18 residents in the Marybrook subdivision and several River Road homeowners to evacuate, Stratton said, but by 5 a.m. Friday, the river had begun to recede.
Friday morning, Plainfield Patch Facebook fan Carol Palac posted photos of the situation off Caton Farm Road and the I-55 Frontage Road, saying the flooded roadways had stranded residents in the Riverside Townes subdivision.
“Our pumps are holding up,” she wrote. “We at Riverside Townes are totally surrounded by the DuPage!”
According to the National Weather Service, the flood stage for the DuPage River is 12 feet. On Thursday, the river was well over 16 feet.
“It is starting to drop a little bit,” Plainfield Township Supervisor John Argoudelis said. The township’s gauge along the DuPage showed the water level had fallen from 16.55 to 16.47 feet. “It’s a slight drop, but it is dropping,” Argoudelis noted.
“Obviously, that doesn’t comfort people that have damage, but it appears that it won’t get worse.”
Plainfield is no stranger to flooding, having seen extensive damage along the DuPage in 1996 and more recently in 2008. This time around, the river rose even more quickly than it did in those two events, Argoudelis said.
“At the same time, it seems like we have fewer people flooded,” he said. Most homeowners who were affected saw their basements take on water, but for the most part, the first floor of their homes remained dry, Argoudelis said.
Storms late Wednesday and early Thursday brought more than six inches of rain to the area. According to Argoudelis, the village got more than 4.65 inches in 24 hours — the record for Will County.
Updated road closures
The village issued this list of updated road closings around 10 a.m. Friday:
- Main Street at Lockport to Des Plaines
- 127th Street, west of Route 59
- 135th Street, east of Route 59
- 135th Street at Wood Duck
- Route 126 at Prairie Crossing, westbound
- I-55 Off ramp at 126
- River Road, south of Fort Beggs to Renwick
- Rolf Road, Route 59 to Lily Cache
- Naperville Road from 135th to Marina
- Book Road, north to 127th
- Fraser and River
A list of road closings from IDOT is also available here.
Stratton stressed that drivers should stay off flooded roadways.
“If there’s water on the roadway, stay off it,” he said. “We’ve had numerous people stranded in cars.” On Friday morning alone, five drivers who attempted to make it down 135th Street east of Route 59 wound up getting their cars stuck in the water, Stratton said.
He also said people should stay off the river in kayaks and canoes, since the high water level is limiting access to bridges.
Read:
- After the Storms: Flood Risk Continues; No School for Plainfield
- Gallery: Share Your Plainfield Storm Photos and Videos
- Flooding Shuts Down I-55 at Channahon; Traffic Rerouted to I-80
- Gov. Quinn Declares State of Emergency
- Walker's Grove 20th Anniversary Carnival Postponed
- Rainfall Totals in Chicago Suburbs
Emergency shelter closes
On Friday, the village closed an emergency shelter at Plainfield Central High School and ceased sandbagging operations. Anyone who still needs sandbags can pick them up at the Plainfield Public Works Department, 14400 Coil Plus Dr.
Hundreds of volunteers spent hours Thursday filling sandbags at the public works building. Argoudelis said a group of Plainfield Central football players were en route Friday morning to the township highway department to finish the job there.
Although no additional help is needed filling bags, Argoudelis said the township could use someone to help distribute them — but only if they’ve got the right vehicle for the job.
“If anybody has a large pickup that could get through some water, that would be great,” he said, since the highway department is not delivering sandbags to residents.
Residents who need sandbags can also pick them up at the Plainfield Township building, 22525 W. Lockport St.
Argoudelis said he’ll also be available this weekend to residents who have any questions while the township building is closed. He can be reached at 630-327-9303.
Animals OK
While flooding at the viaduct made Route 59 impassable near the Animal Care Center of Plainfield, 14411 S. Route 59, staffer Jamie Tracey quashed a rumor that pets had been evacuated.
Related: Local Animal Shelter Evacuates; Illinois State Police Shut Down Frontage Road
“Animal Care Center is OK,” she said in a message to Patch. “We have flooding in the parking lot but the animals are just fine. The animals are not exposed at all to the flooding and if anyone needs to evacuate their home they are more than welcome to bring in their pets for boarding. We are still offering 24-hour services.”
How is your neighborhood doing? Let us know in the comments.
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