Editorial: Flood of 2017 can't dampen suburbs' heart, volunteer spirit

We often see the full measure of what community means when things seem at their worst.

It's neighbor helping neighbor. It's residents and businesses giving their time and treasure to help those who have been knocked down and are struggling to get to their feet. It's making sure someone has their backs.

That scenario has played out many times during the last two weeks as waves of torrential rains left much of the suburban region under water. Downpours have swollen area lakes and rivers that swamped riverfront neighborhoods, and triggered flooding that overwhelmed subdivision storm sewers. Regardless of the location, the result has been much the same - flooded streets, yards and basements. It's hard to ignore the extent of damage and suffering in Gurnee, Algonquin, Fox Lake and elsewhere because it is there for all to see in walls of sandbags and piles of sodden carpeting and furniture at curbs.

Fortunately, it hasn't been ignored. While the scenes are heartbreaking, the volunteer response has been heartwarming.

In Algonquin, when flooding forced cancellation of this week's Founders' Day festival for the first time in its 57-year history, organizers shifted focus to raising money for flood victims. They launched the "Fight the Flood" fundraiser.

"We're a bunch of community people, and we care a lot about Algonquin," Founders' Days President Dan Barton told the Daily Herald's Lauren Rohr. "We feel really bad for all those people down there. It's the right thing to do."

An online Crowdrise page asks community members to contribute money they likely would've spent at the fest, with the goal of raising $100,000. Village officials are expected to provide a list of affected residents to whom the money would be distributed. Property owners on the Fox River, who have been hardest hit, will get most of those funds.

But it's not the only example.

Hundreds of suburbanites have handed out cleaning supplies and filled and stacked sandbags. Volunteers who've helped friends and strangers alike included a U.S. Postal worker who said she delivers mail to many of the Algonquin victims and wanted to pitch in.

Residents have donated thousands of new and slightly used books to replace those damaged by floodwater at two Round Lake-area schools.

Neighbors helped neighbors move furniture and appliances to dry ground. Suburbs not affected by flooding contributed pumps, manpower and trucks to those that are. Volunteers from a national disaster response nonprofit led by veterans arrived to help with flood relief.

What does community mean? It means not even record flooding can dampened the suburbs' heart and human spirit.