Flood Watch for Jacksonville area until tomorrow morning as rain continues to fall

By Gary Scott on February 20, 2018 at 7:23am

Heavy rains continue to fall on most of the state, and particularly on communities in west central Illinois, the precipitation shows no signs of slowing up.

Here at WLDS/WEAI we received close to 1.2 inches of precipitation during yesterday’s reporting period, tripling the close to four-tenths of precipitation we had recorded so far this month, and coming about a half-inch shy of the 2018 total of close to 1.8 inches.

These heavy rains have cause certain areas of roadway to become slick, and area drivers should be wary of the road conditions, specifically the dangers of potential hydroplaning. Those driving their commute to work this morning should drive with caution in certain areas of west central Illinois that experienced more rainfall, as various puddles of standing water near the roadway could cause vehicles to hydroplane.

As for today’s forecast, the rains look to be sticking around for the time being. The National Weather Service is announcing a Flood Watch from now until 6 a.m. tomorrow. Today’s forecast shows for a 100 percent chance of heavy rain and breezy winds. Tonight, chances of precipitation slightly decrease, going from 100 percent to 70 percent overnight as temperatures drop and the rain likely to turn into a winter mix.

With this in mind, area drivers should be cautious when driving to and from work throughout the day today as well as into tomorrow morning as more rain is expected.