More Rains Bring New Flooding Fears To Kankakee
Updated 06/25/15 - 11:12 a.m.
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Hundreds of homes in far south suburban Kankakee have been inundated with water this month, and the Kankakee River was continuing to rise, after another round of rain overnight.
Even before a large storm cell passed through overnight, Kankakee already had seen 15 inches of rain in June, so any more could be catastrophic for some residents and business owners.
Susan Faber walked through shin-deep floodwaters in front of her Kankakee home Thursday morning, but that was progress. Two days ago, the only way to get around was by boat.
To make matters worse she and her neighbors on Riverview Court have no drinking water.
"We had boats and canoes we went back and forth with to get water, and such forth, because everybody's water is out. You can't use your wells when they're underwater," she said. "It's been out for at least a week. … It's very hard; very difficult."
Faber has lived in Kankakee for 30 years. She said she has only seen the water levels this high one other time.
"My garage has been underwater for 10 days now, and it's finally starting to recede. Hopefully the severe weather is out of our area. That's a prayer that everybody wants answered," she said.
Officials have said 300 to 400 homes in Kankakee County have taken in water. Pierre Saxon had more than two feet of water in his basement Tuesday night.
"I'm pumping, and pumping, and it's steady coming, and I'm pumping. I can't get rid of it right now, and the rain is not making it no better," Saxon said. "It already tore the washing machine up. The dryer's messed up. The water heater's messed up. It's everything. It's terrible. It's terrible right now. That's why I'm out looking at it right now, because I've never seen it this bad in years."
Saxon estimated his repair bill would be in the thousands of dollars.
"It was terrible. I mean, water was everywhere. Stuff was floating around. I had to throw almost everything away," he said.
The Kankakee Valley Boat Club has been rendered inoperable, after water inundated the docks, and made its way into the clubhouse.
Boat club member Al LaFine said water was coming up through some of the drains. The rising water of the Kankakee River also left garbage cans nearly submerged. Boat docks -- once in storage -- floated nearly a block away from their original location. The same could be said for some boats, as tie-downs securing them became loose.
Area rugs, drying on a wooden fence, told part of the story of what happened inside the boat club.
"The water was all throughout our carpet and all through here," said boat club member Dennis Elston. "The sewage, the storm sewer, backed up of course, so water had no place to go but back up in through here."
He said they host parties at the club almost every weekend.
"Because of the water we're not able to host them this weekend so we're gonna lose a little bit of money over that," Elston said.
Faber was simply relieved to learn the Kankakee County Sheriff's Department was organizing volunteers to help her and other flood-ravaged residents clean up in the wake of the deluge.
"That's a prayer answered. That's such a blessing that people will help us under circumstances such as these," she said.
The Kanakaee County Sheriff's Department and the local YMCA also have set up a shelter for residents who have been forced out of their homes due to the flooding.
Flood stage for the river in Kankakee is 5 feet, and officials were expecting the river to crest at 7 feet by Thursday evening before water begins to recede.
A flood warning has been issued for the Kankakee River until Monday afternoon, due to all the recent rain.
