Midwest deals with flooding

Nation & World News

Jessica Duhoski, 4, sleeps Thursday in the basement of the Trinity Church after her family was evacuated from their home because of rising flood water on Wednesday, in Watseka, Ill.

An oily film rises in the waters of a flooded residential area of Watseka, Ill. on Friday.

Phil Dexter wrings his hands as he comes to the waters edge to look for his mobile home on Thursday at Tecumseh Bend along the Tippecanoe River north of Battle Ground, Ind. Some residents in the area were able to get into their homes, but for most the water is still to high. Dexter's mobile home is also underwater. He said he hopes to be able to get inside the trailer by Monday.

Homes in Watseka, Ill., sit in flood water from Sugar Creek and the Iroquois River on Friday morning. Hundreds were forced to evacuate in east-central Illinois after days of heavy rainfall and melting snow caused severe flooding. More than 430 homes, including 235 in Watseka, were evacuated.

The Kankakee River flows under a narrow gap at the Washington Street bridge in Kankakee on Thursday. Later Thursday evening the City of Kankakee asked Illinois Department of Transportation to close the bridge when the water reached the bottom of the bridge.

A water treatment plant under water in Watseka on Friday. Days of heavy rainfall and melting snow has caused severe flooding.

Nick Dinardi rode his bike through his flooded Pontiac, Ill., neighborhood on Thursday. Pontiac residents could do little to begin repairing the damage from the flood until the water goes down.

Homes along the Tippecanoe River in Buffalo, Ind., are seen in flood water, Wednesday. Flooded rivers of northern Indiana causes three deaths and hundreds of homes were damaged as melting snow and heavy rain swelled rivers during an unusual January warm streak.

A man is rescued from his home along the Vermilion River as officials use school buses to evacuate residents, Wednesday in Pontiac, Ill.

Jeff Seramur celebrated his 48th birthday by salvaging an outboard motor from his home (background) on Thursday, at Tecumseh Bend along the Tippecanoe River north of Battle Ground, Ind. Some residents in the area were able to get into their homes, but for most the water is still to high.

Authorities wait in a boat in the background on Third Street in Watseka, Ill., after checking the identifications of Roy Tykol, his son, and a family friend as they row to Tykol's home to retrieve food on Thursday. Officials started checking IDs to prevent looting from empty homes as hundreds were forced to evacuate in east-central Illinois after days of heavy rainfall and melting snow caused severe flooding.

Tedd Bennett (left) Rob Shores and Bob Conkle (foregound) used canoes to check on stranded residents in their Pontiac, Ill., neighborhood, on Thursday. Despite city evacuation efforts, some people decided to stay out the flood and continued to live in their homes surrounded by water.

A large shed that washed away from the owner's yard, further upstream, is lodged in trees at Tecumseh Bend along the Tippecanoe River north of Battle Ground, Ind.

1/13

Jessica Duhoski, 4, sleeps Thursday in the basement of the Trinity Church after her family was evacuated from their home because of rising flood water on Wednesday, in Watseka, Ill.

Today's Gallery Headlines

AJC photos of the month -- January 2026

35m ago

PHOTOS: Braves settle into day 2 of spring training

PHOTOS: Braves arrive for spring training

Kennesaw State University new baseball facility

Alerts

AJC photos of the month -- January 2026

PHOTOS: Braves settle into day 2 of spring training

PHOTOS: Braves arrive for spring training

PHOTOS: A look at Kennesaw State baseball's new home