Mount Prospect deals with storm aftermath

Some of Mount Prospect's first streets -- Elm, Maple, Pine -- were named after trees.

But one day after Thursday's severe storm, Mount Prospect residents had little need to be reminded of the presence of trees.

Piles of broken branches lined village streets Friday, a reminder of the carnage from the previous day, when fallen trees created instant cul-de-sacs.

"There were more branches down than I have seen in 16 years here," said Emerson Street resident Brenda Smith.

The village's forestry division said it was the most damage to trees from a storm in at least 30 years.

The devastation created by downed trees and power lines, as well as flooding, led Mayor Irvana Wilks to submit a disaster declaration to Cook County.

Crews hired by the village were busy on Friday, and residents were also doing their bit. On Emerson Street, Robert Ipsen was busy clearing away a tree that had fallen into his garden.

There were signs of progress. A tree that had blocked Emerson Street near Lincoln Street Thursday had been removed.

On Thursday, some residents formed a makeshift public works crew on Louis Street to remove a tree blocking the street. They sawed it into sections and even tried using a chainsaw.

"The whole town has got trees down," explained Donald Kreski, a member of the group. "We called the village two and a half hours ago. They got their hands full."

A day later, those who weren't removing trees were bailing water from their basements.

Main Street resident Reid Smith, who lost power to his home, even went to Chicago to get a generator to boot up his sump pump.

The odor from the gas generator permeated the household, but Pamela Smith said, "I don't even smell it any more. I'm just thankful that the water is out of the basement."

Lincoln Street resident Jim Sherwood "won" the Triple Crown on Thursday: he lost a tree, lost power and had his basement flood.

The tree fell on a friend's car, cracking its front windshield and shattering its back window. The friend was actually about to take Jim's wife Lisa to retrieve her car from the body repair shop.

By Friday morning, though, his power had returned. "I'll take it," he said. "I thought we were doomed until at least tomorrow."

Mrs. P & Me restaurant wasn't so lucky. It was among many businesses in Mount Prospect's downtown still without power.

One of the owners, Chris Figaro said the restaurant had to throw out $6,000 worth of food and $2,000 worth of liquor.

"It's pretty much a total loss," co-owner Pat McLean said.

Both village hall and the public safety facility were hit by power outages, but were running on battery backup.

Village officials were busy at the emergency operations center downtown. Human Services Director Nancy Morgan was arranging shelters for residents.

The village is allowing residents to put storm-related brush on the parkways for pickup, which will not begin until at least 7 a.m. Monday.

River Road was closed due to flooding. The Des Plaines River was expected to crest at 1 a.m. today at 4.6 feet above flood level. The village was building a temporary levee wall on River Road between Camp McDonald and Milwaukee Avenue.