Damaging storms rip through DuPage County
The thunderstorms that broke this week’s heat wave with a vengeance dumped more than two inches of rain in DuPage County as well as damaging winds and hail.
Here’s a quick look at some of what happened Thursday:
Riverwalk closed
Naperville officials closed the sidewalks along the downtown Riverwalk and urged residents to stay away from the rapidly moving and rising waters of the DuPage River. Crews also were sent to clear debris and monitor areas known for flooding.
Gas station damaged
The Shell station at Ogden and Yackley avenues in Lisle will be closed for up to three days after the canopy over its gas pumps collapsed in heavy winds.
District manager John Mannion said the “freak accident” happened at 7:50 a.m. when the canopy was sheared from its support beams. Mannion said no one was injured and no customers were in the lot at the time.
The gas station’s insurance company will assess the damage before the canopy is removed.
“Right now, our first priority is safety and keeping people away from the site,” Mannion said. “We’re very thankful no one was injured.”
Problem every year
For 16 years Debbie Sill has dealt with fast-moving floodwaters in her rear yard at 4S574 Fender Road in unincorporated DuPage County near Lisle.
Sill said she contacts the county and Lisle Township about once a year, hoping officials will help her find a solution to the flooding that has left her rear yard, basement and crawl space virtually unusable. But on Thursday, she said, her yard was under water again.
Streets flooded in Wheaton
Wheaton officials said the area outside the former Hubble Middle School site at Main Street and Roosevelt Road was flooded Thursday morning.
Crews traveled the city early Thursday clearing debris from storm sewer drains. City Manager Don Rose said the areas affected were typical of summer flooding in Wheaton.
Barricades were placed on South Main Street near Hubble as well as North Main Street, just outside of downtown, Rose said. Additionally, several intersections early in the day were blocked off temporarily. Rose said, barring any further rain, the most-affected areas could be flooded until early Friday morning.
Lake Ellyn overflows
In Glen Ellyn, Lake Ellyn was over its banks and encroaching on the nearby park and athletic track at Glenbard West High School.
The lake serves as a temporary holding point for stormwater, which is released to the north through underground piping, Village Engineer Bob Minix said.
He said the village and park district may conduct a study later this year that would analyze how the lake handles stormwater.
A notification system is in place to inform nearby residents when the lake level gets within 3 feet of overflowing, according to Dave Scarmardo, superintendent for parks for Glen Ellyn Park District. The automated system was put in place after some residents north of the lake raised concerns about flooding last summer.
Winfield house fire
An early morning lightning strike apparently sparked a house fire on the 400 block of Peter Road in Winfield.
No one was injured in the fire and Winfield Fire Protection District Chief Phil Dimenza said the fire caused little damage.
“It wasn’t that bad of a fire,” he said. “We got rid of it pretty quickly.”
Firefighters from five area departments helped and the homeowners returned to their home.
Village Manager Curt Barrett estimated the damage at between $10,000 and $15,000.
Ÿ Daily Herald staff writers Christopher Placek and Marco Santana contributed to this report.