Heavy rainfall hit the Chicago area overnight, snarling road conditions ahead of the morning commute early Tuesday.
A Flood Warning remained in effect through 10:45 a.m., with the National Weather Service warning that several inches of rain combined with higher temperatures - accelerating snow melt - could lead to flooding of streams and rivers. The entire area was also under a Flood Watch, expiring at 6 p.m. Tuesday for far northern counties and lasting through 6 a.m. for the rest of the metro area.
With the ground still frozen, officials fear that water will not absorb but instead run off, exacerbating flooding conditions, particularly along the Little Calumet River and the Kankakee River.
The rainfall made for difficult and even dangerous road conditions Tuesday morning. On I-57 near Sibley, multiple cars could be seen hydroplaning through standing water in at least two lanes, losing control and spinning out.
Illinois State Police responded to I-57 just before 5 a.m., shutting down two outbound lanes as Illinois Department of Transportation plows pushed water off the road to mitigate the dangerous conditions.
In south suburban Richton Park, fire officials confirmed that the area surrounding Sauk Trail and Governor's Highway was closed due to high water Tuesday morning. Richton Park Fire officials said a woman was stranded in her car at that intersection around 1:30 a.m. Authorities rescued the woman from her car and closed the area, officials said.
Orland Park Police noted roads shut down in that region as well, on Southwest Highway between 131st and 135th streets, plus a closure at 143rd Street between Creek Crossing and Wolf Road. In Matteson, Governor's Highway was shut down from 212th to 219th streets, officials said.
Local
Radar showed continued areas of moderate to heavy rain, moving across the area from southwest to northeast. High temperatures could reach the 50s and 60s before quickly dropping in the afternoon and evening.
