CHICAGO (WLS) — As Chicagoans gear up for the weekend, they should brace for potentially severe weather conditions predicted for Friday evening, following a foggy morning start.
Meteorologist Tracy Butler from ABC7 Accuweather highlights that while the morning will remain dry, dense fog is causing poor visibility across the region. A Dense Fog Advisory remains active for much of the area until 10 a.m., urging caution for morning commuters.
The afternoon promises warmer temperatures without precipitation, offering a brief respite before the anticipated storms roll in later in the day.
Butler forecasts that a line of potentially severe storms is expected to make its way into the far western suburbs between 5 and 7 p.m., carrying with it heavy rain and strong gusts of wind. These storms are predicted to reach the city between 8 and 9 p.m.
The Storm Prediction Center places most of the Chicago area under a Level 3 Risk for severe weather. However, Northwest Indiana faces a slightly lower threat, categorized under a Level 2 Risk.
Residents brace for flooding
Residents in the northwest suburbs, already grappling with recent flooding, remain on high alert as they prepare for the incoming rain that could exacerbate current conditions.
Officials have fortified areas prone to flooding as the Des Plaines River continues to swell.
The fire department is monitoring the river’s levels which are now not expected to crest as high as they were originally, but below the major flood stage around 17 feet.
“We’re advising everyone to stay out of those flood waters,” Des Plaines Fire Battalion Chief Brian Hoffman said. “There can be currents underneath. They’ve gotta also be washed out manhole covers, which creates hazards of falling into one of those so if they’re any flood waters, we advise I’m going to stay out of them.”
People who live near the Fox River are also keeping watch. They’ve already had some flooding too.
Parts of Chicago weren’t spared either. The City said they’ve gotten hundreds of calls about waterlogged streets and flooded basements.
Forecasters say Illinois is experiencing a very active severe weather season.
“With all the events that we’ve been happening, people kind of see all this, and they’re hopefully not scared by it, but hopefully they’ll educate themselves,” Victor Gensini, NIU meteorology professor, said. “Hopefully they’ll tune in to ABC seven. Hopefully they’ll tune into the National Weather Service and get those official watches and warnings and understand when in the forecast this week, do I need to be paying attention? Because there’s a likelihood for severe weather, and then know what to do if the watches and warnings are actually issued.”
The city’s public works department is proving sandbags to anyone who wants them.
After losing a lot of personal items in the last big flood a few years ago, Des Plaines resident Ariana Gomez is keeping her eyes on the skies.
“Like any person whose apartment usually floods, they’re always concerned,” Gomez said. “We always tend to check in the laundry room because that’s where it usually, but everything’s been good there.”
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