County's behind-the-scenes flood work

Faced with rising water along two rivers and a forecast of more rain, Lake County officials in late August launched a new system to deal with potential disasters.

Anyone with water lapping at the door likely didn't know or care but the responsibility for coordinating various details had been switched from the sheriff's department to the county administrator's office.

At the helm was C. Kent McKenzie, who only a few weeks earlier had served as deputy emergency management director in Orange County, N.C., where hurricanes are the main force to be dealt with.

"I've been here two months as of today," he said Friday. "It has been quite a learning experience."

McKenzie explained the focus was on a team approach, working with designated officials in communities, townships and other entities, such as the American Red Cross.

"We coordinate the resources," he said.

In Gurnee, for example, every structure that could potentially be affected by a Des Plaines River flood had been sandbagged by mid-afternoon on Aug. 24, prior to the expected crest.

The village reported no flood-related damage, McKenzie said.

County officials appeared pleased with the effort, though input is still being sought from other entities involved.

"We worked as a team with the municipalities to provide a coordinated response," said County Administrator Barry Burton. "There were a number of things that were so much better coordinated."

County Board Chairwoman Suzi Schmidt cited an information hotline for residents and the media, and e-mail updates as successful tweaks to the system.

"This was one of those areas we knew we had a gap," she said.

Work continues to assess damages in hopes of securing a federal disaster designation for areas along the Fox and Des Plaines rivers.

McKenzie said 381 properties were affected in some way by flooding. Sixty-two of those had at least a foot of water in the structure. The majority of that was in the Fox Lake area, though damage also was reported in Russell near the Wisconsin border.

There are different types of damage to be considered for reimbursement, he explained.

The cost to various public agencies, including salaries and supplies such as sand and fuel, stands at $385,000, though neither Gurnee nor Avon Township is included as yet.

Damage to public facilities, such as roads or buildings, has amounted to $529,000.

McKenzie said federal authorities do not put a dollar amount on damage to private property when determining whether to declare an area a disaster area. Instead, the "loss of use" of a structure is gauged.

"Unfortunately, in this situation, there's been limited loss of use," according to McKenzie.

Federal authorities will be in Lake County to assess damage on Monday.