Rising River Adds Threat to Suburbs; O’Hare Back to Normal : Flooded Homes Keep Hundreds Away in Chicago Area

Hundreds of people were unable to return to flooded homes Saturday in Chicago, and rising water in the Des Plaines River threatened the western suburbs after the city’s heaviest 24-hour rainfall on record.

But water receded in many areas, and O’Hare International Airport was back to normal after flooded roads forced hundreds of travelers to stay in the terminals until expressways were reopened Saturday morning, officials said.

Four storm-related deaths were reported, authorities said.

Light rain fell Saturday elsewhere in northern Illinois, a marked change from Friday’s 9.35 inches, the heaviest recorded rainfall in the century, Tom Dietrich of the National Weather Service said.

3,000 Homes Damages

By early Saturday, Red Cross officials estimated that 3,000 homes had been damaged, and hundreds of people were evacuated. They were not able to provide any damage cost estimates.

Evacuations continued in Riverside and Elmhurst, and about 65 people were evacuated early Saturday from Lawrence House, a residence for senior citizens on Chicago’s North Side.

The Des Plaines River rose to nearly four feet above the six-foot flood stage overnight at Riverside and was expected to rise an additional six inches, Dietrich said.

Farther west, Salt Creek in eastern Du Page County was 3 1/2 feet above its nine-foot flood stage, causing flooding in the suburbs of Bensenville, Oak Brook and Elmhurst. The river, about 60 feet wide at its broadest points, had forced an estimated 250 to 500 people from their homes in those three towns, a spokesman said.

Many Stay in Shelters

Many northern Illinois residents spent the night in relief shelters or with relatives, while others stayed up all night cleaning their homes.

Gov. James R. Thompson toured the flood-stricken areas by helicopter and in a National Guard truck Saturday after declaring Cook and Du Page counties state disaster areas on Friday. Thompson said he will ask for federal aid, largely in the form of low-interest loans for home repairs.

The governor also ordered about 300 guardsmen to help residents pile about 400,000 sandbags in communities along the Des Plaines River, Greg Durham of the state Emergency Services Disaster Agency said.

Commonwealth Edison Co. reported about 5,000 customers without electricity Saturday, down from 42,000 late Friday.

Phone Service Disrupted

About 30,000 customers were without telephone service after water drenched a switching center, Illinois Bell spokesman Dick Hill said. He said it could be Monday before service is restored.

In Minnesota, meanwhile, a tornado touched down Saturday night at a resort near Battle Lake, killing one man and injuring seven other people, authorities said.

The man killed was at Faith Haven Resort or at a cabin nearby when the tornado hit, Fergus Falls Police Sgt. Pete Johnson said. He said he did not know the victim’s name or other details.

Seven people, some with serious injuries, were treated at Lake Region Hospital in Fergus Falls, nursing director Annette McBeth said. The injuries included cuts and broken bones.