Lord Willing and the Creek Don't Rise

After a spring and summer of heavy rains, village officials in Niles and Maine Township are thinking about floods. The village of Niles has been working on the issue, and a consultant will make a presentation at Tuesday's village board meeting.

It's a pertinent issue for many residents. On July 23, caused widepread flooding, and 777 Niles residents repairing flood damage to their homes.

But the issue goes back, in recent memory, to 2008, when a "hundred-year" deluge dropped 6.6 inches of rain in 24 hours, causing the Des Plaines River to swell beyond its banks.

Earlier:

Water cascaded down streets and filled up basements. 

"There was so much water that people's sump pumps weren't large enough or were overwhelmed because the water was so high," said Steve Vinezeano, assistant village manager for

The damages were so extensive that it was declared a disaster area, and newly elected (at that time) Niles Mayor Robert Callero established a Stormwater Commission for two reasons. First, he wanted to provide aid and research for residents who were affected by the aberration of a hundred year flood, but he also wanted to address those homes that were flooding at lesser rainfalls. The commission immediately set about studying what needed to be done to improve the village's response to a high amount of precipitation. 

Village officials started by identifying at-risk flooding spots in town, such as Monroe Street. Then they created a map of potential areas and began small projects to try to prevent persistent flooding—things like working with cemeteries to retain water, and the creation of the Stormwater Management Ordinance.

"We saw what we had, and we changed the policy," Vinezeano said.

Around the area, others are taking note as well. Robert Cohen, director of the Office of Emergency Management for Maine Township, said he's keeping a close eye on water levels.

"The area around Des Plaines, especially to the east side of the river, was nothing but farmland," Cohen said. "Over the years, it was all built over with very little regard for where water used to run." 

Cohen said there used to be 15 different tributaries, but because of construction and developing communities, there are only three visible now. Because water tries to seek its own level, a few inches of rain in as many hours can really overwhelm the village, especially in places were old creek beds were built over.

"If you look at the history of flooding and where it has occurred, and you overlay that on where these creek beds were, you'll find a match," Cohen said. "And concrete doesn't soak water up like farmland."

To that end, the township has built flood gates so that if the river comes out of its banks, those gates can be closed and water can be channeled back into the river instead of going overland.

Cohen suggested that residents outfit themselves with water alarm devices—some of which are so sensitive that  just wetting two fingers and touching the end will set them off. He also advised people to go online to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's website to find maps of flood-prone areas. Cook County's records would also be helpful in that regard.

Yet many residents are simply in the dark about how to prepare for flooding.

Before the creation of Niles' Stormwater Commission, Vinezeano said the majority of residents didn't know whether they were connected to a combined sewer and had their downspouts and sump pumps connected to the sewer system, which can cause major problems.

"When the sewer backs up, it backs up right into the sump pump and into your basement," he said. "They didn't realize it should be shooting into the grass."

Vinezeano recommended five simple things for residents to prevent flooding in their basements:

• Make sure the basement is sealed
• Make sure neither your downspouts or sump pump are connected to the sewer system
• Make sure your sump pump is big enough to handle an increased load
• Make sure there's a back-up battery system in case the power goes out
• Have maintenance done annually by a professional

Find additional flood prevention tips here.

Get more information. Like Niles Patch on Facebook