(Rochelle residents fill sandbags)
Area flooding problems have improved following heavy rains on Friday night and early Saturday morning.
Rochelle officials have announced that Kyte Creek is back within its banks, but there remains standing water on roads and grass areas.
Barricades remain on School Avenue, 7th Avenue, and Caron Road early this morning. They are expected to be removed some time today.
650 sandbags from 6 bucket loads were filled Saturday morning for local residents as they are located at 1st Avenue and Main Street in the parking lot of the former Lincoln School. Rochelle and Hillcrest Fire Departments, city staff, along with members from the Rochelle Rotary Club and local residents helped fill the sandbags.
Rochelle City Engineer Sam Tesreau said that the community had over 5 inches of rain from Thursday through Saturday. The majority of the flooing took place on the Northeast side of Rochelle in flood plain areas.
The Rochelle Fire Department helped several stranded residents who could not get out of their home or car was stopped in the water on the street.
Reports indicate over 8 inches of rain fell during a 2 day period in the Kings area, north of Rochelle.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has closed the Rock River in Ogle, Lee, Winnebago, and Whiteside counties for all boats. Rising flood waters and dangerous currents and debris has made the river unsafe for boaters.
No time table has been set on when the restrictions will be lifted for the Rock River.
The Kishwaukee River in DeKalb County is also closed until further notice due to high water levels and swift moving currents. This creates a hazard for boaters and other river users.
Officials in Rochelle plan to access the damage from the flooding to see if they can receive state or federal funding in the future.
The National Weather Service expects flooding to continue along with Rock, Kishwaukee, and Pecatonica Rivers throughout the week.
(Rochelle sandbags)
