Suburbs begin flood cleanup as governor declares disaster area

Swollen waterways across the suburbs began retreating to their banks Monday as officials tallied the number of destroyed homes, soaked basements and washed out roads left in the wake of this weekend's record flooding.

Scores of displaced residents, though, have yet to return to their inundated homes and pick through their waterlogged possessions.

Instead, they stayed at hotels or with family members Monday night while still a few dozen had to curl up on green cots with Red Cross blankets at schools and community centers.

Some may not be able to return home until Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday. But the worst of the floods appear to be over as weather forecasters predict a dry week ahead for the challenging cleanup to come.

"Mother Nature has yet again reminded us that she is in charge," said Gov. Rod Blagojevich in declaring seven Illinois counties "disaster areas" at a Monday news conference.

Affected residents in Cook, DuPage, Will, Kane, DeKalb, Grundy and LaSalle counties may receive federal and state benefits in the form of grants or low-interest loans down the road.

Blagojevich declared those counties disaster areas to help them qualify for such aid, but it is a process that could take as long as a year.

For now, state officials are encouraging flood victims to report the damage to city, township and village officials.

"At that point in time, they just have to be patient," said Illinois Emergency Management Agency Director Andrew Velasquez.

Officials don't yet have a solid grasp on the extent of damage, though Cook County Board President Todd Stroger said about 3,600 people in his county were displaced over the weekend.

The rain that started late Friday and lasted until late Sunday dropped more than 10 inches of water in some parts of the region - some 90 billion gallons, a historic record.

The deluge led to flash floods from the Northwest suburbs to Southern Illinois. The DuPage and Des Plaines and Little Calumet rivers flooded, in addition to Salt Creek in DuPage County.

At least four deaths have been attributed to the flooding.

Scores of roads were closed over the weekend and into late Monday.

The Edens Expressway, I-94, and Bishop Ford Freeway, 1-94, were closed, cars submerged at some viaducts.

Schools across the Northwest suburbs shuttered as many children roamed their neighborhoods wide-eyed at the aftermath.

One of the hardest hit regions ran along the Des Plaines River in Cook County.

The river, long plagued by floods and the target of long-delayed levee protection, crested just 8 inches shy of the record flood in 1986.

It hit more than 4 feet above flood stage Sunday night and it began slowly - very slowly - retreating Monday afternoon.

The National Weather Service projects the river will be down to about three feet above flood stage Tuesday. It is not expected to return to normal levels until late Wednesday.

Lake County residents along the Des Plaines River were largely spared the worst of the flooding. In Gurnee, the river hit its highest point there on Sunday at about 6 inches below flood stage.

Meanwhile, Salt Creek and DuPage River both breached their banks.

The DuPage River's east branch in Bolingbrook recorded a crest of 24 feet, more than four feet above flood stage. That shattered the record 23.75 feet set in 1996.

The Fox River, however, was much tamer despite its repeated history of summer floods. In Algonquin, the river hit 2.27 feet Monday afternoon, just shy of the 3 foot flood stage.

During the flooding, signs of compassion were abundant. Neighbors helped bail out basements, volunteers operated sandbagging stations and businesses chipped in coffee and meals for the displaced.

But there is also anger in the aftermath.

Residents in Des Plaines blame some levee work across the river for worse flooding on their own side. Politicians are arguing over unfunded flood control projects that never seem to get started. And many officials are batting away questions that they could have acted sooner to sandbag and warn residents of the pending floods.

"I don't know that there is anything more that could have been done," Blagojevich said in Des Plaines at a community center converted into a Red Cross shelter.

Wet enough?

Here's a list of how much rain various towns throughout the region received between 7 a.m. Friday and 7 a.m. Monday.

Elburn: 10.51

Bartlett: 9.78

Des Plaines: 9.36

St. Charles: 9.05

West Chicago: 9.02

Elk Grove Village: 8.85

Geneva: 8.76

Roselle: 8.61

Wheaton: 8.53

Carol Stream: 8.48

North Aurora: 8.27

Batavia: 7.82

Addison: 7.62

Elgin: 7.59

Glen Ellyn: 7.54

Sugar Grove: 7.37

Streamwood: 7.03

Hoffman Estates: 6.66

Aurora: 6.60

Lisle: 6.39

Naperville: 6.33

Carpentersville: 5.88

Buffalo Grove: 5.68

Oak Brook: 5.46

Lake Villa: 3.88

Winthrop Harbor: 3.73

Regional average: 8.45

Source: National Weather Service

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