Community Corner
All Time Record Rainfall Closes Edens, Floods Northbrook Homes
More than five inches of rain taxes village flood control systems.
Thunderstorms raged through Northern Illinois again early Saturday, dumping unsurpassed accumulations of rain, flooding Northbrook streets and stranding motorists.
”At storm’s peak, the village had as many as 23 streets and or intersections closed including the Cherry Lane underpass,” village communications manager Cheryl Fayne-dePersio reported in a press release. “Meanwhile, Northbrook Police and Fire Departments worked to rescue four motorists from vehicles that had become stranded on flooded streets. As of 12:45 p.m. Saturday, storm water was drained from roadways and all roads were re-opened.”
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Regionally, flooding was so severe that even portions of the Edens Expressway were temporarily closed.
“We had some flooding during the overnight hours around Willow Road,” said Guy Tridgell, communications manager for the Illinois Department of Transportation. “That was this morning. Everything’s been cleared. It is completely open now.”
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Beyond roadways, rain flooded yards, basements and parks, leaving pond-sized accumulations of water. Major portions of Anthony Trail and Techny Park and Prairie were flooded as well, including the parking lot at Techny Road and Anets Drive. Storm runoff also filled the basin at Techny to maximum capacity, a sight seldom seen, by noon Saturday.
“The storm brought with it heavy rains, with the strongest of the rains coming between 12:30 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. when 2 inches of rain fell over that one-hour period,” Fayne-dePersio said. “With the rainfall we received last night and the previous morning, we have had 5.33 inches of rains within a 24 hour period.”
By about 2 p.m. Saturday, the Police Department had received 250 storm-related calls and the Public Works Department had received 110 storm-related calls, according to Fayne-dePersio.
Up to 2,800 ComEd customers lost power in Northbrook at the peak of the storm, according to Fayne-dePersio. By 12:45 p.m., the utility had restored electrical service to 2,200.
More thunderstorms and rainfall is forecast Saturday evening, according to the National Weather Service, and the agency has issued a flood warning for Cook County through 9 p.m.
CONTACTS FOR RESIDENTS:
Urgent flooding issues – Police Department, 847-564-2060
Disposal of flood-damaged materials – Veolia, 847-272-4145
