Residents dealt with flooded basements and closed roads Saturday as rain continued to fall steadily in the region.
From the start of the rain Friday night until 8 p.m. Saturday, an estimated 5 to 6 inches of rain fell across Northwest Indiana and Chicago's south suburbs, said National Weather Service meteorologist Casey Sullivan.
Lake and Porter counties as well as southeastern Cook County remain under a flash flood warning this morning. Remnants of Hurricane Ike, which battered Texas, will move through the area this the afternoon, dumping another 2 to 3 inches of rain, Sullivan said.
Power outages were scattered across Lake and Porter counties, and most power had been restored by 5 p.m. Saturday, NIPSCO spokesman Larry Graham said.
No more than 2,500 customers were without power at any time, he said.
Roads were closed all over the region, with municipal crews pumping water when possible.
High water forced the closure of a portion of Interstate 94 for most of Saturday. The stretch of interstate between U.S. 421 and Ind. 49, between Chesterton and Michigan City, reopened about 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Indiana State Police said.
Police departments in the region reported no major accidents, but several said cars got stuck while trying to drive through flooded streets.
Valparaiso experienced what appears to be a record amount of rainfall, Mayor Jon Costas said.
North Township Trustee Frank Mrvan said about 75 percent of the Wicker Park golf course was flooded Saturday morning.
Hammond officials went door to door Saturday night in Hammond's Schleicher neighborhood, north of the Little Calumet River from Northcote Avenue westward, giving fliers to residents that explain what to do if the area needed to be evacuated, Hammond police Capt. Roger Cardwell said.
Officials shut down bridges at Northcote Avenue and at Columbia Avenue.
Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said Saturday night that, although he was worried about the river level, the city was prepared to have personnel respond in the case of a levee failure.
"This is really concerning," he said.
Heavy rains caused flooding on Taft Street in Merrillville between 93rd Avenue and U.S. 30. There also was flooding on U.S. 231 between Greenwood and 113th avenues.
In Hammond, standing water forced closures of 165th Street, between Columbia Avenue and Indianapolis Boulevard, and the intersection of 129th Street and Sheffield Avenue near Hammond's Robertsdale section.
According to National Weather Service data, the river level at the Munster-Hammond border increased from 6.5 feet at midnight Friday to more than 14 feet by 9 a.m. Saturday. By 8:15 p.m. Saturday, the level was 14.44 feet. Flood stage is 12 feet.
