Chicago Weather: Villa Park motel rooms flood due to strong storms

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Remnants of Subtropical Storm Alberto caused flash-flooding across the Chicago area Wednesday night. Guests at a motel in west suburban Villa Park lost some of their belongings due to high-standing water.

Billy Courtney, a guest at the Brer Rabbit Motel, took photos of the flooded rooms. One photo shows a mini-fridge floating with a microwave on top. Another showed the water came as high as the air-conditioning unit.

PHOTOS: Villa Park motel floods

"The water started building up out here and then it worked its way to the threshold by the door. Within a matter of minutes, the room was flooding," Courtney said.

Toney Hale, who has been staying in one of the rooms for several months, had to wade out of the flooding with his feet covered in plastic bags. He lost many of his personal belongings.

"A lot of my clothes, important papers, pictures, cell phones, ear phones, my vacuum cleaner, all that stuff," Hale said.

The storms hit the Chicago area hard, breaking the city's all-time record for rainfall in May, according to the National Weather Service. The rain also prompted area flood warnings.

During the downpour in northwest suburban Hoffman Estates at Roselle and Higgins roads, knee-deep water caused chaos.

"Mostly down Higgins, a lot of backed-up people getting stuck, actually in the middle of the intersection," said Christopher Hernandez, a driver.

The parking lot of a condo building in northwest suburban Schaumburg filled with water.

Cars were submerged up to the doors. But by early Thursday morning, the water had receded. Keith Wiener's car is OK, but his neighbors have damage.

"Terrible, terrible. Luckily they're not on the street somewhere stranded, they're in the parking lot," Wiener said.

Water overtook streets in northwest suburban Elgin and in west suburban near Lombard. In north suburban Barrington, boats had to come to the rescue, transporting people from flooded cars to dry ground.

Dark clouds rolled in over southwest suburban Plano, signaling a storm was coming. In southwest suburban Minooka, the aftermath of the storms became problematic, with water overwhelming drains.

With the floodwater receding, cleanup follows. Unfortunately, people will also be dealing with the heat Thursday. Weather conditions will be dry, but hot and humid, with highs near 90.