Quarry May Collect Flood Water Tonight; Up to 5 Inches Expected in Some DuPage Areas

DuPage County Stormwater Management is anticipating activation of some or all of its flood control facilities Wednesday evening, depending on precipitation. The Elmhurst Quarry operates automatically, without human intervention, using weirs.

DuPage County released the following statement Wednesday at 5:15 p.m., as the storm clouds roll in:

Forecasts indicate widespread rainfall totals between 2 to 3 inches Wednesday into early Thursday with some areas potentially receiving up to 5 inches. With the majority of the rainfall forecasted between 6 and 10 p.m., 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.

Based on rainfall amounts in the lower range of the forecast, the county anticipates a minor level of operation with only a few of the facilities activated. However, with the potential for greater amounts of rainfall of up to 4 to 5 inches in certain areas, the County anticipates moderate operation of all of the flood control facilities if rainfall amounts enter into this range.

Of the 15 flood control facilities DuPage County operates, four larger facilities have mechanical equipment allowing staff to control them according to a predetermined operating plan. The remaining facilities protect the surrounding areas from flooding without human intervention using fixed weirs and natural drainage systems. In total, the facilities have a floodwater storage capacity of nearly four billion gallons and are fully drained from the April flood event.

While overbank flooding is expected to be minimal, localized flooding could occur with the intensity of the forecasted precipitation potentially overwhelming storm sewers and drainage infrastructure. In addition, the National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for DuPage County throughout the evening.

DuPage County Stormwater Management will monitor stream elevations throughout the evening and provide updates as they become available. For real-time stream and rain gage information, please visit ec.dupageco.org/dec/stormwater/watershed/index.html.