UPDATE: Elmhurst Schools Closed Thursday; Two Park District Buildings Remain Open as Shelters

Elmhurst Unit District 205 notified parents early Thursday morning that school is canceled "due to flooding all over Elmhurst." Students who are bused to outside programs by District 205, including Technology Center of DuPage and special education programs, will not be transported.

All afternoon and evening activities also have been canceled.

Immaculate Conception schools and Elmhurst College also are closed until further notice due to the storm.

All Elmhurst Park District public buildings are closed for programs, lessons and events. The Wagner Community Center, 615 N West Ave., and The Abbey, 407 W St. Charles Road, are open today and will serve as shelters for any area residents. Courts Plus is inaccessible and will remain closed until further notice. The district phone system is down so please direct any calls to the following alternate phone numbers: Courts Plus (630) 832-6413 or (630) 782-4957 Wagner Community Center (630) 675-4957 The Abbey (630) 993-8993.

RELATED: Angry Elmhurst Residents Under Water

Flooding caused Elmhurst officials to close the Robert Palmer Drive underpass, and police received several calls about areas of severe localized flooding Wednesday and Thursday. Vehicles have been stranded all over town since 5 a.m. Thursday. A three-car crash at Roosevelt and York was one of many reported beginning early Thursday morning due to flooding, and police are receiving multiple calls for natural gas leaks.

And, it's a long way from over.

In addition to continued rain, meteorologists are warning Illinois residents that there is a significant chance for severe weather Thursday, with storms possibly bringing damaging winds, large hail and isolated tornadoes.

According to the National Weather Service's hazardous weather outlook for Thursday, severe weather will be possible during the day and into the evening. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Storm Prediction Center has placed half of Illinois in the "slight risk" category for severe weather, while parts of eastern and southern Illinois, including along and east of the I-55 corridor, are in the "moderate risk" category. That latter area is where the greatest risk for severe weather will be, according to the National Weather Service.   

"The storms will organize along an advancing cold front pushing eastward from the Plains and swinging into the Mississippi and Ohio valleys to near the upper Gulf Coast," Alex Sosnowski, senior meteorologist for Accuweather.com, wrote in his forecast summary Wednesday. He noted that a squall line, or a line of active thunderstorms, is anticipated, and that communities could see downed trees and power outages. Ahead of the storms, temperatures are expected to reach into the 70s.

DuPage County Stormwater Management announced Wednesday the Elmhurst Quarry would begin taking on stormwater overnight Wednesday into Thursday.

DuPage County released the following statement at about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday:

"Based on current forecast models, DuPage County Stormwater Management is anticipating operation of its flood control facilities beginning late Wednesday evening between 9 p.m. and midnight.

The National Weather Service estimates rainfall totals could reach up to 3 inches through Thursday, in addition to the 1 inch of rain received Wednesday. This precipitation could raise elevations in Salt Creek and the West Branch DuPage River enough to warrant operation of the County’s mechanically operated flood control facilities, including Fawell Dam (Naperville), Spring Creek Reservoir (Bloomingdale), Elmhurst Quarry and Wood Dale-Itasca Reservoir. Smaller, gravity operated facilities could operate as well."

Elmhurst Quarry protects the surrounding areas from flooding without human intervention, using fixed weirs and natural drainage systems. The flood forecaster on the DuPage County website is predicting the operation of the Elmhurst Quarry in the very early morning hours Thursday.

The 15 flood control facilities DuPage County have a floodwater storage capacity of nearly four billion gallons.

The National Weather Service in Chicago is predicting an addition 1 to 2 inches on Thursday, and another inch or more is expected between Thursday night and Friday morning.

The weather service issued a flood watch in effect through Friday morning for most of northern Illinois and northwest Indiana, including DuPage County.

"An extended period of heavy rainfall from thunderstorms will produce widespread storm total rainfall amounts approaching 4 inches over Northern Illinois and Northwestern Indiana," according to the NWS. "Area streams and rivers that are currently near or at flood stage will likely rise to moderate or major flood stage. Heavy rainfall will likely lead to flooding of low-lying urban areas. Rainfall rates and amounts may exceed the capacity of storm drains, drainage ponds and drainage ditches along roadways leading to flooding in suburban areas as well as urban areas."

For real-time updates and rain gage information related to Salt Creek, visit the county website.