Lee County Sheriff John Simonton, Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle, Winnebago County Sheriff Gary Caruana and Whiteside County Sheriff Kelly Wilhelmi have enacted the “no wake” ordinances for the Rock River in their respective counties, effective immediately.
The river is expected to rise well above action levels this weekend. The forecast from the National Weather Service indicates that major flooding could occur in our areas as early as Saturday evening or Sunday morning . The National Weather Service predicts flooding to reach 20-22 feet above normal levels, which is 4 feet higher than the flooding in 2013. Sheriff Simonton has also been in contact with Illinois Department of Natural Resources regarding the potential of closing the river. The closure will be determined by safety factors, such as treacherous river travel, floating debris, docks, etc.
All four Sheriffs, along with Dixon Police Department Chief Dan Langloss, are asking residents who live along the river to remove all docks, campers, trailers, etc. and vacate any residents, due to the impending flooding. Each county has activated their respective Emergency Management Agencies and are working jointly to notify residents of the hazardous conditions of the river, due to flooding.
The “no wake” ordinances will be in effect until the water recedes below the actionable stages.
The Sheriffs would like to thank the public for their understanding and cooperation.
