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WNIJ's summary of news items around our state.

Storm Potential For Midwest After Tropical Depression Bill

The Weather Channel

Heavy rainfall and flash flood warningscame across northern Illinois this past week. 

With tropical depression Bill landing in Texas Friday, severe storms may hit Illinoisagain this weekend, according to The Weather Channel

Alaena Ensey is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood area engineer for the Rockford area. She says there is not a whole lot that residents who live along the Illinois, Rock and Fox and similar rivers can do to alleviate damage from flash floods, other than obtaining sandbags and other protective materials from community officials.  

"If your ground is saturated from one previous rain event into this constant, it just takes a long time for the ground to naturally absorb that,” Ensey said.

Ensey says preventative measures residents near rising water can take are to include regularly checking websites that monitor weather patterns. 

Jim Stiman, chief hydraulic engineer for the Corps of Engineers, says road and other closings are up to the discretion of the community, and the corps only gets involved in flood relief when the communities need an extra hand. 

Stiman says to heed warnings released by weather services. 

"Once there's a warning, there's an imminent danger involved," Stiman said. 

Stiman says one way for residents to protect themselves is to drive carefully on roads by rivers, since a lot of deaths occur when cars are swept away and drivers drown as a result. 

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