East, West Dundee neighborly spirit multiplies in storm aftermath

After the electricity was cut to fallen lines and trees were taken off houses and out of streets, East and West Dundee residents were counting their blessings: that they and their loved ones weren't hurt in last week's wind- and rainstorms.

With the strength and speed of the 60-mph wind and the destruction left in its wake, they very well could have been. But they weren't.

On Friday, a day later, they were sharing their blessings -- and in some cases, electricity and pumps -- with their neighbors.

"That's the cool thing about this area; people will help each other out," said T.J. Moore, East Dundee public works director.

"I see extension cords go from one house to the next. That tells me someone is without electricity and the other person is sharing theirs."

Neighborhoods near the Fox River were hit the hardest. The wind blew down trees that fell on electrical lines. Because of the grid system, sections of neighborhoods were without electricity.

Homeowners like Liz Gade, who had electricity, were thankful. They used power pumps that siphoned water from basements. Gade was grateful her neighbors were around Friday to help her move the pump from one place to the next.

"In 18 hours, we had four inches of rain fall on the area," Moore said.

"At one point, we received one inch in a half-hour. People can get swept away in a couple of inches of flash-flood water."

But nobody did.

Gade is the Dundee Township clerk and clerk of the township cemetery board, said 20 trees blew down in Dundee Township Cemetery West, along Route 31. Some of them were planted 100 years ago, when the cemetery was young and did not hold as many graves. Through the years, the trees grew and graves were dug around them.

"As far as I can tell, none of the graves were disturbed," she said. "That's a good thing. I don't know what we're going to find once we start removing the trees."

The trees that fell didn't have a chance.

The spruce tree West Dundee officials use as their community Christmas tree broke and hit the village hall, but no building damage was reported.

Other trees fell in the neighborhoods near Cal Grafelman Park, along Route 72. Homeowners were told to drag the trees to the curb and public works crews would put them through a grinder.

When one homeowner needed help cutting up a tree and dragging it, a neighbor would help

One of those trees was in front of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in West Dundee. It was probably as old as the 100-year-old building.

"People are sick about it," said Sandra Krebs, church secretary. "But thankfully no one was injured."

It will take about a week to clean up the debris, said Steve Mespor, West Dundee public works employee. He and his co-workers will drive their trucks through neighborhoods so homeowners have a chance to cut up and rake up what has fallen.

But the story about the weather and good deeds is not over yet.

More rain is predicted for Northern Kane County. The water that flows into the river will cause it to inch closer to streets and homes.

If it spills over the banks, flooding will be the next story, Moore said.