DuPage Co. steps up to stop Carol Stream flooding

An appeal to the DuPage County Board may bring action for Carol Stream residents frustrated by flooding.

At a village board meeting Tuesday, more than 50 residents turned out to hear the plans to curb flooding along Klein Creek. DuPage County is planning a survey of the creek and its flooding that could take anywhere from nine to 12 months.

The county encouraged residents to work with the village to create a task force that would get periodic updates on the survey.

Residents along the creek experienced intense flooding after storms in September and December. Many had water in their basements and up to the first floor of their homes, which some have been able to return to only recently.

The residents appealed to the village board earlier in the month, but officials said much of the flooding work has to be done through DuPage County, since it is a regional problem.

Those residents went to the county, which responded with several representatives turning out to village hall Tuesday.

Justin Moran, whose home on Hiawatha Drive experienced floodwaters, said residents now have to wait and see what the county comes back with.

"We're not impressed with the village's response, but we are impressed with the county's response," he said.

The other issue, of course, is who would pay for improvements once the county comes back with engineering results, Moran said.

Richard Borkowski, another resident on Hiawatha, said the neighborhood will keep track of the progress by the county until some resolution to the problem is found.

Village President Frank Saverino said he was happy residents came out to talk about the flooding issues, although some were still wary that the process would take so long and foresaw more flooding occurring before the problem was fixed.

"We have to let them do their job in the right way," Saverino said of the engineers who will be doing the survey. "There's no quick fix to this problem."