Flooded

[Guest guest]

Greetings from a suburb of Chicago, where we got 7 inches of rain in

36 hours and 3 to 4 more inches are on the way. This is the biggest

rain in recorded history in the Chicagoland area.

I woke up this morning to water in my basement...only a quarter inch

or so. But the guy down the street had to have his pumped.

Meanwhile, less than a mile away, the houses are under one to two

feet of water which is merely standing water trying to drain. It is

NOT from the adjacent river which is just about to crest. The river,

once crested, will gain about four feet in height and probably flood

out half the town, including this house.

Right now, I am contemplating sandbagging.

There are dead rats on my front lawn and in the street that drowned

and got belched up out of the sewer system.

Here is an article describing what is going on around here:

Administrator

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-flood-

mainsep14,0,4712025.story

Deluge not quite done

Record rains drench Chicagoland; Ike sending more

By Tara Malone and Gerry | Chicago Tribune reporters

10:42 PM CDT, September 13, 2008

After the rainiest day in recorded Chicago history, residents across

the area faced more storms, closed roads and flooded basements Sunday

as the remnants of Hurricane Ike were expected to arrive.

Saturday's rainfall, as measured at O'Hare International Airport, was

at least 6.63 inches, breaking the city calendar-day record of 6.49

on Aug. 14, 1987. Records have been kept since 1871.

The storm, which was blamed for at least one death, also clogged

dozens of roads and stranded motorists from ton to Schaumburg to

Naperville. The Edens Expressway was closed for hours, and access to

O'Hare blocked by both road and train.

An additional 2 to 4 inches of rain are forecast, compounding the

damage to a waterlogged region where record flood levels are expected

along the Des Plaines River. Prospect Heights officials declared a

state of emergency, and Riverside residents were put on alert for

possible evacuation as the river rose. Water also edged higher on the

Chicago and Fox Rivers.

For the first time in six years, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation

District opened the sluice gates and locks near Navy Pier to flush

storm water and sewage from the Chicago River system into Lake

Michigan. The Wilmette gate of the North Shore Channel also opened,

as it last did to accommodate severe flooding in August 2007.

District officials late Saturday afternoon opened the O'Brien gate

near 130th Street and Torrence Avenue for the first time in six

years. Together the three gates released an estimated 4 billion

gallons of water an hour, the district said.

Lake Michigan is cold enough that most bacterial and viral critters

that swam out with the storm won't survive for long. Dilution also

helps reduce health threats.

" All our systems are open and operating. . . . It's just a lot, a lot

of water, " said agency spokeswoman Jill Horist. The storms claimed at

least one victim. Divers recovered the body of Alan Byrd, 28, of

Rolling Meadows, who tried to swim with a friend across a flooded

retention pond near Kirchoff and South New Wilke Roads in Arlington

Heights. The normally shallow pond had swelled with up to 20 feet of

water, said Fire Chief Glenn ksen.

" The retention pond is normally empty, but with all the rain, it's a

new lake and it's fairly inviting, " he said.

Tom Barnicle, 54, said his son-in-law Byrd, a painter, had been on a

lunch break with two friends when they began to swim. Byrd had been

married for five years and has two young children.

" I don't know if it was a bet or a dare, " Barnicle said. " I'm

surprised he would do it. "

The specter of storm damage and flooded rivers continued Sunday with

more rain expected throughout the day. The National Weather Service

expects the remnants of Hurricane Ike will hit hardest in northwest

Indiana and southern Cook County.

" Any additional rain now just doesn't help, based on what we've had, "

said National Weather Service meteorologist Marsili.

Between 4 and nearly 8 inches of rain drenched the Chicago area

Saturday. In St. , 7.5 inches of rainfall were reported.

Emergency operation centers sprang into action Saturday to distribute

sandbags and field calls from resident with flooded basements or

alleyways. The annual Wilmette block party was canceled, and Six

Flags Great America in Gurnee closed for the day.

The Interstate Highway 190 ramp into O'Hare flooded, and inbound

traffic was temporarily closed Saturday, along with CTA Blue Line

service between Rosemont and the airport station. Flights were

delayed at O'Hare and Midway. There were at least 50 cancellations at

O'Hare.

In Rock Island, eastbound lanes along Interstate Highway 280 remained

closed because of flooding, said Illinois Department of

Transportation spokesman Mike Claffey. Scores of minor road closings

in low-lying areas remained in effect.

The Edens was blocked near Pratt Avenue, leaving some motorists

stranded for hours.

Matt and Hinklin of Skokie bundled up their 20-month-old twins

for a family breakfast in Chicago just before 9:30 a.m. The Ford

Excursion they were driving along the Edens stalled shortly after

they slowed to navigate a deep expanse of rainwater. They returned

home nearly three hours later, their brunch canceled and SUV towed to

a dealership.

" It got bad really quickly, " Hinklin said. " It was scary when

we were still stuck in the water, because of the kids. "

In St. , the Fox River climbed a foot above flood level and

was expected to rise through Sunday, officials said. Salt Creek

spilled onto Algonquin Road, forcing the evacuation of 40 families in

Rolling Meadows.

Mindful of the Des Plaines River's rising edge, officials in Prospect

Heights declared a state of emergency, authorizing money to combat

the flooding and stack sandbags, said Mayor Ludvigsen.

" We're going hour by hour right now, " Ludvigsen said. " A record high

along the Des Plaines River, if it happens, is a very scary thought.

In 1986, the last time there was a record flood, the damage was

unbelievable. "

Pumping stations from Wilmette to west suburban Westmont struggled to

keep pace with the surge of storm water and runoff.

The St. ph Creek that winds through Westmont overflowed into

roads and yards. Officials placed a sign along 61st Street cautioning

motorists.

" There's nothing we can do now. The drainage pipes and sewers are at

their maximum capacity, " said Kulas, Westmont's equipment

operator.

In downtown Naperville, Ann Latham snapped photos of the swollen

DuPage River. The current looked angry and swift as it rushed through.

" I was so busy following everything going on with [Hurricane] Ike and

it never crossed my mind that we'd be dealing with weather issues

today, " she said.

Weslie and Joe Bellini of Des Plaines watched the water rise in their

backyard. By midday, the nearby creek bed was overflowing and nearly

4 feet of water stood in their yard along the 2400 block of Seminary

Avenue. They had hoped a new levee and flood-control system might

minimize the damage.

" I now have lakefront property, " Weslie Bellini quipped. " It could be

worse. We could be in Galveston. "

Tribune reporters St. Clair and Jon Hilkevitch and freelance

reporter ph Ruzich contributed to this report.

tmalone@...