'Chicago area residents asked to skip showers amid ‘torrential' rainfall, risk of flash flooding,' NBC 5 Chicago

NBC 5 Chicago: "Torrential" downpours and a high flash flooding risk Wednesday led Chicago officials to issue an "overflow action alert," advising residents to reduce their water use, including delaying showers and using the washing machine in order to help guard against sewer backup.

"With heavy rain expected in the Chicago area today, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago encourages area residents and business owners to reduce water use during and after the storm to help prevent flooding and protect water quality," the alert said.

In addition to skipping showers and laundry, officials advised people in the Chicago area to flush less frequently and wait to use the dishwasher.

"In most of the Chicago area, rainwater goes through the same set of pipes as the water that goes down the drain in your home," the district said. "When too much water enters sewers too quickly, the sewers can back up into streets and basements."

The district manages billions of gallons of water at seven water reclamation plants in the Chicago area through a tunnel and reservoir plan meant to protect water environment and mitigate flooding.

"We encourage everyone to conserve water when possible to create more capacity in our systems," MWRD President Kari K. Steele said in the alert.

The alert comes as the entire Chicago area is under a level three of four flooding risk Wednesday, with widespreadrainfall expected most of the day. There could be heavy downpours at times, the NBC 5 Storm Team said, with as much as two or more inches of rain in a short amount of time.

"All areas of northern Illinois and northwest Indiana are at risk for torrential rain rates, which can lead to flash flooding today," the National Weather Service warned. According to the city of Chicago, soil moisture was already "quite high."

"Heavy rainfall could quickly result in flash flooding of streams, creeks, low lying, and flood prone areas," the Office of Emergency Management and Communications said.

Wednesday morning, moderate rain was already falling across northeast Illinois. By about 2 p.m., a second round of storms was set to move in, which could be strong to severe with "all weather hazards" possible.

The second round, lasting into the evening, could contain "clusters of supercells," the NBC 5 Storm Team said.

By about 5 p.m., storms were expected to stay to the south and in northwest Indiana.

Severe weather threat

The Storm Prediction Center has placed the entire Chicago area under some threat of severe weather Wednesday, with counties to the south, central Illinois and parts of northwest Indiana at the highest risk of the most destructive storms with potentially intense tornadoes.

"Gusty, damaging, maybe even destructive winds of up to 75-80 mph, large golf ball sized hail, strong tornadoes" Roman said.

According to the SPC, parts of Will, Kankakee, LaSalle, Grundy and Kendall Counties in Illinois; and parts of Newton, Jasper, Lake and Porter Counties in Indiana were under at an "enhanced" risk of severe weather, which ranks as level four.

Chicago and much of Cook County will be at a "moderate" risk of severe weather, which ranks as level three of five. Counties to the north will see a "slight" risk, or level two.

Tornado risk

The ingredients for "significant tornadoes" are most likely to be in place south of I-80 between about 2 p.m. and 9 p.m., NBC 5 Meteorologist Kevin Jeanes explained. "Unfortunately, EF-3 tornadoes are again on the table of hazards, following destructive storms that hit several parts of the Chicago area last week. Jeanes said the risk area could shift slightly to the north or south depending on how far north the warm front makes it after first round of storms.

"Places south of the warm front will have a greater risk of individual supercell thunderstorms that, along with strong tornadoes, could produce tennis ball-sized hail," Jeanes said.

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