Champaign County under threat of flash floods

By Susan Kantor

Champaign County was among the central Illinois areas under a flash flood watch through Wednesday morning.

Though Tuesday morning’s storms have moved to the east leaving behind more than two inches of rain, new storms were predicted to produce another two to three inches of precipitation in short periods of time.

Police departments were prepared to monitor potential flooding and contact the city’s public works department, Tom Schuh, operations manager for the city of Champaign’s public works department, said Tuesday afternoon.

Residents should be conscious of high water levels in streets and avoid areas where they are not sure of depth or risk their car engine becoming flooded. Viaducts are typically dangerous areas during heavy rain, he said.

People who live near storm sewers can help the department by moving debris from yards and driveways clear of the drains.

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“Making sure those are clear is a big help in a heavy rain,” Schuh said.