Mt. Prospect works on disaster response

More communication and disaster preparedness is needed to reduce hardships like those Mount Prospect suffered during a severe August storm, according to a recently released village report.

The August 2007 Windstorm and Flooding Preliminary After Action Report is being developed to determine how the community could better prepare for disaster the next time it strikes.

On Aug. 23, more than 300 trees were felled and more than 5,000 basements flooded, and about 75 percent of the village was without electricity for 72 hours, said Fire Chief Michael Figolah, who prepared the report. More than 2,000 trees were damaged, blocking almost 20 percent of the streets, he said.

Mount Prospect and Des Plaines were hit the hardest locally, with Des Plaines suffering the double whammy of damage from the flooded Des Plaines River.

Des Plaines spent $2.4 million from its reserves on the storm cleanup, Mayor Tony Arredia said. That doesn't include losses suffered by residents and businesses. One grocery store in downtown Des Plaines reported losing $100,000 because of spoiled food and other losses.

Mount Prospect spent about $1 million, which is 75 percent reimbursable through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Figolah said.

The overarching lesson in Mount Prospect was "communication, communication, communication," Figolah said.

As a result, the village expects to implement new procedures.

Village employees will be given access to a recorded telephone line just for them and direct telephone access to the village's emergency center.

For residents, strategically placed news boxes filled with village reports will be put out. During the storm, almost every mode of communication -- TV, Internet and phone -- was knocked out, so the boxes will provide residents with up-to-date reports, Figolah said.

Another aspect the report highlighted was the need for residents to prepare themselves for a disaster.

"It was apparent from the calls that came into the emergency operations center that many residents had never given a thought as to how they would endure a power outage lasting for 72 hours or more," according to the report.

The village is going to more actively push resident disaster contingency plans and go out into the community talking about the topic, he said.

The report is 95 percent finished. It still needs a critique on how the village can more efficiently keep records and retrieve disaster relief money from government agencies, he said. The final report is expected to be finished in March, he said.