Flooding on Fox only going to get worse
More than 10,000 sandbags have been distributed to Kane County homeowners bracing for some of the worst flooding the area has experienced in recent memory.
"Outside of the floods of '96, this is probably the worst I've seen so far along the Fox River," said Don Bryant, director of the Kane County Office of Emergency Management.
The three areas hit the hardest are the Algonquin Shores area in Dundee Township, the Richardson subdivision in East Dundee and the Valley View neighborhood in unincorporated St. Charles Township. In Valley View, which sits on the east bank of the Fox River, "some of the homes are surrounded by the water at this point," Bryant said. Elgin and South Elgin reported flooded homes and streets.
The Fox River was 715 feet above sea level, according to measurements taken Thursday morning. It is considered to be at flood stage at 713 feet, said Kane County Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay.
"Some folks in low-lying neighborhoods are used to flooding, but when you have this kind of sustained rainfall for this period of time it may create an impact on homeowners who have not experienced these problems before," she said.
The record flooding in July 1996 hit southern Kane County the hardest, with 16.9 inches of rain falling in Aurora in one 24-hour period. Fox River flooding exceeded the 100-year stage and Blackberry Creek exceeded the 500-year stage.
The area remains under a flash flood warning until late tonight. Two to 4 inches of rain -- and up to six inches in some spots -- are expected by Saturday morning, said Northern Illinois University staff meteorologist Gilbert Sebenste.
"There will be significant flooding concerns," Sebenste said. "And the already flooded Fox River will likely go higher."
This month is one of the wettest Augusts in local history, he said. Elgin is experiencing one of its wettest Augusts ever, with six inches of rain recorded as of Thursday.
"I can't remember the last time it was flooding this high, but it has been several years because we've been in a drought the last three years," Sebenste said.
Sandbags, sump pumps:
•For more information on sandbags, call the Office of Emergency Management 24 hours a day at (630) 208-8911. Empty sandbags are available to homeowners in multiples of 50, up to a maximum of 200 per household.
"The main thing people need to remember is if their living area is threatened by floodwaters, before the water has reached the home they need to move valuable items like records and other documents to an area above water," Bryant said. "Make sure sump pumps are working."
Sump pumps keep seepage from accumulating and flooding basements, pumping the water outside. But they don't last forever, and they won't do you any good if the electricity that powers them goes out.
Unless you have a battery-operated backup sump pump.
So how are sump pump sales going?
"Quite well," said Ian Fiedler, a supervisor at the Ace Hardware on State Street in Geneva. "We're selling a lot of battery backups, and a lot of Shop-Vacs."
A backup sump pump at his store can cost up to $150. The 12-volt batteries that power them, similar to an automotive battery, cost $70 to $90. (You can also buy things that monitor the health of the battery.) The secondary pump is usually placed at the same level in the sump pit as the main pump. If the main sump pump fails or loses power, the battery-operated one will kick in. The pumps can operate from six to 18 hours on that battery.
Well and septic assistance:
• The Kane County Health Department mailed drinking water test kits to about a dozen homeowners who live along the Fox River in the Valley View neighborhood of unincorporated St. Charles Township, said Julie Wiegel, the department's well and septic program manager. Homeowners can use the kits to determine if floodwaters have contaminated their wells. The free kits are available at the health department's office at 1240 N. Highland Ave, suite 5, Aurora, and 115 S. Grove Ave., suite 209, Elgin. For more information, call (847) 608-2850.
If the safety of your water supply is in doubt, health officials advise using bottled water for drinking, preparing food, making ice, washing hands and dishes, brushing teeth and preparing baby formula. Do not eat any food that has come in contact with the potentially contaminated water.
If there is standing sewage in your yard, rope off the area for a least a week after the water has receded and keep children and pets away from that area. Household water use should be minimized if your septic system is flooded. All non-biodegradable items should be collected with rubber gloves and disposed of.
Red Cross ready to help
• The St. Charles-based Fox River chapter of the American Red Cross has two different kinds of cleanup kits available for residents dealing with water in their homes. One kit contains brooms, mops and squeegees and another contains a pail, bleach, fungicide, degreasing agent, scrub brush, sponge, rubber gloves, and big garbage bags, said Kay Catlin, chapter spokeswoman.
"We have several dozen here for use," she said. "And we have ordered some more."
Recreation affected:
• All boat launches along the Fox River were closed this week following a boating restriction issued by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Boating is prohibited indefinitely between Algonquin and Montgomery due to extremely hazardous river conditions as a result of the heavy rains. The unusually high water flows have produced strong, swift currents in the Fox River, especially near bridges and dams. Saturday's fifth annual "What Floats Your Cardboard Boat Race," organized by the Fox Valley United Way, was moved from the river to Mastodon Lake at Phillips Park in Aurora.