Recent heavy rainfall has been likened to a “200-year storm, and a 500-year storm” wreaking havoc on roads, farms, and local businesses.
Across Illinois and Indiana, the rare weather event dumped over 6 inches of rainfall in less than 3 hours, leading to many road closures and disruptions.
Multiple roads in Indiana are impassable, the Middle Fork Vermilion River is closed due to hazardous conditions, and more severe weather is on the way.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources said, “Effective 9 a.m. on Wednesday, the Middle Fork Vermilion River from the Illinois and Indiana State line to the Village of Oakwood is closed for recreation.
“(IDNR) has determined that current conditions on the Middle Fork Vermilion River present a significant hazard to public safety. Swift currents, floating debris, submerged structures, and elevated water levels have created dangerous navigation conditions for recreational boaters. These conditions also pose substantial risks to emergency personnel who may be called upon to conduct water rescue operations.”
This order will run until the agency deems it safe for recreation, but not for more than 90 days unless required by law. This means the area is restricted to boating for all vessels.
“The public is urged to stay off the river during this period and to respect all posted restrictions,” according to IDNR.
Multiple rescues have already been made in both states since the deluge of rain began on Saturday night.
The County Market in Danville closed on June 9 due to damage from the ‘extreme rainfall,’ causing the need for repairs, according to the store’s social media.
“During this time, we invite you to continue shopping with us at our Tilton County Market location, where many of our Danville associates will be ready to serve you,” the company shared. “We are working quickly to restore the Danville store and will reopen as soon as possible. We appreciate your patience and continued support during this time.”
In Indiana, not only are some roads impassable, but the Wabash River is also causing flooding issues.
The National Weather Service in Indianapolis, is currently under a flood warning near the Wabash River at the Hutsonville Legacy Power Plant Site, the Wabash River at Terre Haute, and the Wabash River at Riverton.
“Heavy rainfall of upwards of six inches since Saturday night in the Wabash basin is bringing minor flooding to portions of the Wabash River,” the NWS shared in its weather report on Wednesday, and stated there would be an update later. “Lowland minor flooding is expected from Montezuma through Riverton. The Wabash is expected to crest at Montezuma on Friday afternoon. Downstream at Riverton, minor flooding is expected to continue well into next week.”
The SouthFork Homestead, a 150-year-old farm in Paris was hit hard by flooding.
Owners say on their social media page that the water is about 200 yards wide near the creek, with 4-5 feet of water over the top of their front road extending into their general store and a house. Co-Owner Michael Wilson said a stream swelled next to the farm after it rained Tuesday night at first to around 100 feet wide at 10 p.m.
“Which is not unusual for a couple inches rain, but by 11:30 (Tuesday night), it got as wide as about three football fields,” Wilson said. “It came in really fast.. all the wooded area, all the pasture area, and it approached all the way our entire parking lot, which is 16 acres, was completely under water… and approached all the way to our general store. If it had been any further, it would have entered, entered all the commercial buildings.”
He described the flooded stream like a “raging river” and said the sounds were like “Niagara Falls” that evening as he tried to help his livestock during the rising tides.
“We were landlocked completely for the entire evening, and the water, when the water does that, it rages. The sound of its unbelievable. It really rages,” Wilson said.
”Some areas didn’t get very much, and other areas got, they call it a 50 year-rainfall,” Wilson said about Tuesday nights rainfall.
Wilson said the night became quite the adventure because the homestead houses a lot of livestock.
”We did get to see cattle swim,” Wilson said. “We were out all night long trying to round them up… We saw a young calf, not really about a year old, jump into the water and swim with the all saw his head.”
Wilson says he tried to get the calf, but he was still 40–50 yards from the baby cow.
”It went upstream, which it’s not even in the stream. It was actually on our property in the pasture. It looked like a river,” he said. “It swam quite a way distance before it got fully picked up and caught up with the rest of the herd, but we got llamas, we got alpacas, we got donkeys, we got sheep, you know, and all that stuff. So everything had to be pulled to high ground.”
Fortunately all of the animals are safe and accounted for he says. But, Wilson says this event is extremely unusual.
”We’ve, we have periodically had some floods, but nothing new this fast, this quick, and this much,” Wilson said. “We have a flood like when the creek rises, we mark where it goes, but it’s definitely bypassed that the highest mark that we’ve seen in the last 15 or 20 years.”
Wilson said the flooding receded by morning, gone almost as fast as it came in.
Many roads are completely impassable, as reported on Tuesday, and are subject to change with the incoming severe weather. Multiple officials have reiterated the ‘Turn around, Don’t Drown’ slogan in efforts to get drivers to be aware of how deceptive water can be when driving.
With more severe weather on the way for the area, experts say to pay attention to any barricades, weather reports, and road closures. You can follow any Illinois road updates at GettingAroundIllinois.com, and the Indiana by going to: https://www.in.gov/indot/travel-conditions/restrictionsclosings/