Waterlogged Northern Illinois Socked by Another Round of Storms

Thunderstorms raced through an already waterlogged northern Illinois, leaving people who live near swollen rivers and streams warily watching rising water levels on Thursday.

The storm, which included lightning and winds that reached more than 50 miles per hour in Chicago, began late Wednesday night and carried over early Thursday, officials said.

“There’s been quite a bit of lightning activity,” said Tim Seeley, meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “There was heavy rain that came through, but due to the fast movement of the storms it didn’t last for very long.”

At one point rain fell at a rate of more than two inches an hour, Seeley said.

“It was falling in a pretty good clip,” he said.

No injuries or problems related to the storm were reported early Thursday, said Chicago Police Department spokeswoman Amina Greer.

Kendall, Grundy and southern Cook counties bore the heaviest brunt of the storm, Seeley said.

Officials warned motorists to be careful of flooded streets and underpasses that run near creeks and streams. Flash flood warnings were in effect early Thursday for southern Cook County and Will County.