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Fox River flooding impacting Port Barrington: 'We might get to 2017'
Parts of Port Barrington are underwater after days of heavy rain. Multiple roads are closed in Lake and McHenry Counties.
PORT BARRINGTON - Parts of Port Barrington are underwater after days of heavy rain. Multiple roads are closed in Lake and McHenry Counties.
What we know:
The National Weather Service data shows the Barrington area received 7.07 feet of rain, which is a new record. Normal precipitation levels for April 21st is 2.58 feet.
"We might get to 2017, not like it's a competition though, though I don't want to get there," said Keith Vogeler, a Port Barrington village president.
On Tuesday afternoon, Vogeler pulled a Fox Chicago crew along Eastwood Avenue, which is closed to traffic due to the high flood water. Some residents in the area park their cars on a side street, and either walk to their homes wearing waders, or travel in a canoe.
Several homes are surrounded by sandbags and cement blocks along this stretch of road along the Fox River. We spoke with Keith Becker, who moved into his home 36 days before the flood in 2017.
"Right now, I'm pretty confident we can get through this," said Becker.
He told Fox Chicago, over the weekend, several friends and volunteers filled about 1,500 sandbags along his property. Right now, he doesn't have any water in his home and his pump is working overtime.
"You have to help yourself first, and at this point, I've helped myself," said Becker. "I'm trying to help my neighbor out as much as I can, but at this moment, I'm exhausted. I have 18-hour days. Now I'm to the point of just, breathe."
What's next:
As of Tuesday night, the NWS is forecasting the Fox River to crest at McHenry around 8:00 p.m. Wednesday at 7.48 feet – that's almost two inches below the level at the peak in 2017 during historic flooding.
The Source: The information in this article was reported by FOX Chicago's Bret Buganski.