Keeping your head above water: Expo offers advice on avoiding flooding

The Lake County agency charged with coordinating ways to reduce flood damage is hosting an expo Thursday to help residents stay above water when the inevitable next big storm hits.

The Lake County Stormwater Management Commission's Floodproofing Expo and Workshop will take place from 3 to 8 p.m. at the Libertyville Sports Complex, 1950 N. Route 45 in Libertyville.

"We felt this was a perfect opportunity to get residents and citizens to a workshop like this so they could understand how they can protect themselves from flooding," said Kurt Woolford, chief engineer for the stormwater commission.

An estimated 3,500 Lake County homes were damaged by record flooding that followed heavy storms July 12.

Woolford and experts from state and local agencies such as the Illinois Department of Natural Resources will provide information and answer questions on various topics, including common misunderstandings about flood insurance. A sandbag filling and stacking demonstration also is planned.

The expo will feature about 20 vendors who will offer advice and information about products that prevent or reduce flooding.

"We're not endorsing any of these vendors but want it to be a resource," Woolford said.

The July flooding affected Lake, McHenry, Kane and Cook counties, but damages fell short of the $18.2 million statewide threshold needed for federal assistance to reimburse local governments for losses or expenses, such as overtime. Woolford said Lake County agencies spent $8 million to $10 million to deal with flooding.

Communities also waived permit fees for flood-related repairs, but some hard hit areas such as Libertyville - where an estimated 400 homes were damaged - took added measures. To give officials more time to examine flooding issues, village officials there imposed a 60-day moratorium on permits for building projects that increase the amount of impervious surface.

Libertyville also set aside $200,000 to provide reimbursements of up to $5,000 each to homeowners who install certain flood control measures. As of Tuesday afternoon, 11 applications have been submitted, according to Village Administrator Chris Clark.

Woolford said measures like regrading or extending downspouts to divert water from a home can be the answer in some cases, but each property is different and pinpointing the reason for flooding is key.

Meanwhile, the commission is preparing an application for federal funds to buy 15 flood-prone homes throughout the county. About 200 homes have been purchased in recent years as part of the commission's mission to improve water quality, reduce flood damages, and restore and enhance the natural drainage system.