Animal Shelter Evacuates; State Police Shut Down Frontage Road

Late Thursday, when the rain had mostly subsided, Illinois State Police shut down NW Frontage Road, off Black Road in Joliet and HART Animal Shelter had to find emergency foster homes for their animals.

As of 8 p.m., Thursday night, the Facebook status of HART Animal Shelter, at 18644 NW Frontage Road in Joliet, said the following,

"All animals and volunteers are safe! Thanks for everyone's help!" it stated.

The shelter is located along NW Frontage Road off Black Road in Joliet, a road that Illinois State Police confirmed was shut down Thursday night.

The closure of NW Frontage Road came at the end of a long day of road closures due to flooding from the torrential rain the Joliet area saw overnight April 17 into April 18. Rainfall totals in the suburbs varied from 1.1 inches to nearly 7 inches.

Initially, there was some confusion over which animal shelter needed help, in part because Facebook posts lacked specifics, but eventually it was clarified that HART was the one in trouble. At least one person messaged the Will County Humane Society via its Facebook page, to make sure it was not their location that had to be evacuated. The Will County Humane Society replied to the concerned reader.

"The pets are on higher ground, but our property is a bit drenched," the Will County Humane Society Facebook page stated. "The good news is that we added drainage tiles to the property a few years ago, so it won't be there long..."

The National Weather Service forecast predicted scattered showers overnight Thursday, mostly east of Interstate 57, but predicted a 40 percent chance of rain Friday.