Heavy rains leave major flooding in south, west suburbs

FOX 32 NEWS - Heavy rains dumped a deluge of water in many places in the south and west suburbs, and made getting around very problematic Friday afternoon and evening.

One of the hardest hit areas was South Holland where many streets were flooded and many drivers found themselves stranded after underestimating the depth of the flood waters.

It kept tow truck drivers busy.

“We’ve been getting calls after calls about cars being stuck under viaducts, they’re trying, sending a unit right now to 159th right there where the South Holland Police Station is, there’s two vans stuck under there right now, flooded in water, like water up to the door of the vans. It’s ridiculous out right now,” said Brandon Johnson with E&R Towing.

Many drivers took one look at the situation and opted to try another way home.

“It’s too much water for my car to go through, that truck had a hard time and that’s an 18 wheeler. So I think I’m gonna turn around,” said Nicole Collins as she surveyed 168th street in South Holland.

The pounding rain also caused problems in the western suburbs. The parking lot behind Chuck’s Southern Comfort Cafe in Darien quickly filled with water after the storm raced through. And even though employees checked the drains and found they were clear, there was nowhere for the water to go.

“It’s created Lake Chuck as we call it and it’s been standing still now for about two to three hours,” said Tim Keenan, the café’s senior manager.

This was day two of heavy rains for the Darien area leaving the ground saturated and the sewers overloaded.
As tow truck drivers prepared for a long night, motorists reflected on the warning from police to avoid flooded roads because you can't always tell how deep the water might be.

We asked Nicole Collis is she thought the drivers who dared to go down the flooded street where she stopped were brave or foolish and she answered without hesitation: "Foolish."