Lisle getting more money to combat flooding

Lisle will receive an extra $299,997 in federal grant money to buy and raze houses that regularly flood.

The village, which experienced widespread flooding in April 2013, already is in the process of buying 13 flood-prone parcels with the help of a $2.88 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

This week, FEMA officials announced that Lisle is going to get the additional grant to acquire and demolish two more residential structures in the DuPage River floodplain.

"We were given an opportunity to get some additional funds, so we applied for it," Marilyn Sucoe, Lisle's stormwater administrator, said.

Sucoe said the properties Lisle plans to buy are along the East Branch of the DuPage River.

Once the houses are demolished, the parcels will become green space that can flood without causing damage.

James K. Joseph, director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, said in a statement that the grant money is "great news" for Lisle homeowners "who have been hit by flooding many times in the past."

"The residents can now move to higher ground and avoid future heartache and property losses, and local response agencies will no longer need to wage costly flood fights," Joseph said.

In addition to acquiring houses, Lisle plans to help lift five other structures above the base flood elevation along the river, Sucoe said.

Federal officials said the grant money comes from FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which provides funding to state and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures.

As part of Lisle's latest grant, FEMA will pay 75 percent of the cost to buy and demolish two houses, which is estimated to cost $399,996. Lisle will pay $99,999.