Flood, Will
- When
- January 15, 6:00 AM CST to January 27, 8:00 AM CST
- Where
- Will County, 2.5 mi SSW of Channahon to 2.2 mi S of Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie
- Cause
- Ice Jam
- Reported by
- Emergency Manager
- Coordinates
- 41.397, -88.250
Ice jam flooding began during the morning of January 15th along the Kankakee River between Wilmington and the Grundy County line. Minor flooding occurred in low lying areas in Phelan Acres and the Kankakee Cutoff. By afternoon, low lying flooding began in yards along Cottage Road with one structure surrounded by water. Kelly Road and Phillips Road were impassable due to flooding. Minor flooding was reported on Blodgett Road, just east of Kelly Road. A resident was evacuated from an elevated home that became surrounded by water on Muskie Lane.
On the morning of January 16th, a vehicle became stuck in flood waters along Cottage Road and two occupants needed to be rescued. Blodgett Road became impassable due to flooding and solid ice cover as temperatures remained bitterly cold. During the afternoon, multiple houses were surrounded by water on Readman Lane. River Road became impassable due to flooding north of Interstate 55 and the entrance road to the Kankakee Conservation Area from North River Road became impassable due to flooding.
On the morning of January 17th, the ice jam reached the Wilmington Dam. Roads in Island Park became impassable due to flooding. Multiple homes remained surrounded by water on Readman Lane. Little change to the flooding occurred for nearly a week as temperatures remained bitterly cold.
As temperatures began to warm the following week combined with melting snow and heavy rain, the ice began to move and shift, resulting in new flooding. Multiple cars and structures were surrounded by water and ice near Kelly Road and Phillips Road on the morning of January 24th. Eventually the ice jam broke and caused flash flooding late on January 25th into the 26th. The river gauge on the Kankakee River near Wilmington was reading near or above major flood stage until the ice jam broke.