8 people rescued from vehicles submerged in Lake Forest floodwater

Fire crews rescued eight people from vehicles that were trapped in floodwater Saturday night in north suburban Lake Forest.

Beginning about 7:30 p.m., fire crews began responding to calls of people stuck in stalled cars in the floodwater, according to the Lake Forest Fire Department. All told, eight people and two dogs were rescued from flooded vehicles.

The fire department utilized the Code Red System to notify residents of the unsafe road conditions. Residents were advised to avoid travel if possible, as many roads were impassable, the fire department said. Resients were also advised to immediately abandon vehicles that stalled in flooded and rising waters.

On Saturday, heavy rains and thunderstorms triggered a flash flood warning that affected the Chicago area, as well as Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, Boone, DeKalb, La Salle, Ogle and Winnebago counties, according to the National Weather Service.

The showers Saturday poured 4.19 inches of rain on O’Hare International Airport, marking the wettest October day in Chicago in recorded history, forecasters said.