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Suburbs regrouping from onslaught of recent storms

Residents of a Mount Prospect condo building where a microburst sheared off a portion of its roof Saturday afternoon are still awaiting news of the building's fate, as the village and the Red Cross provide assistance.

Meanwhile, recovery efforts are ongoing throughout the suburbs following severe storms that brought devastating winds, flooding and property damage over the weekend and again Monday night.

Saturday, a microburst left a trail of devastation at 701 Huntington Commons Road shortly after 4:45 p.m., tearing off parts of the roof of the four-story building and sending debris flying into a nearby parking lot, damaging several cars.

Robert Harms, a second-floor resident, who has lived in the building since 1998, said, “I was just laying down in bed, and the rain was coming down, and then there was a big gust of wind.”

He didn’t realize the extent of the damage until he went outside and saw the roof, the parking lot and the debris that had been carried as far as 400 yards away.

Residents of the 75-unit building have been unable to enter the structure except for brief, fire department-escorted retrievals of essential items like medication.

Harms said firefighters were able to recover animals, including a cat and birds.

Displaced residents found shelter at the Mount Prospect Park District’s RecPlex. However, Julie Kane, director of the village’s human services department, said the Red Cross moved shelter operations to Redemption Bible Church, 505 W. Golf Road.

As of Tuesday, only one individual remained overnight at the shelter, though it remains open for day services and meals, Kane said.

Kane said the human services department is helping with everything from claims to providing basic necessities.

Property Partners 365, which manages the building, has secured a structural engineer to assess it, Bill Schroeder, village director of building and inspection services, said.

Other parts of the suburbs are grappling with weather-related issues as well.

In Wheeling, the Des Plaines River remained more than a foot above normal Tuesday morning, but was receding, according to Village Manager Jon Sfondilis.

Despite receiving about 1.5 inches of rain overnight, flooding from the river is not expected. Water levels in Buffalo Creek and Lake Heritage both were high Tuesday morning, Sfondilis said. Crews were using two pumps to remove water from the lake to make room for flowing water.

“We will continue to monitor the weather and respond where necessary,” Sfondilis said.

The water levels crept up along the banks of the Fox River in East Dundee and West Dundee Tuesday following recent storms.

The Fox River is now below flood stage and dropping at monitoring stations in Algonquin, Elgin, South Elgin and Montgomery.

Similarly, the DuPage River in DuPage and Will counties, and Salt Creek in DuPage County have receded below flood stage.

In Cary, Mayor Mark Kownick declared a state of emergency due to widespread flooding.

Emergency management agencies in Cook and McHenry counties are collecting damage assessments.

Cook County residents affected by the storms have until 5 p.m. Friday to submit initial damage assessments through the Cook County Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security. The county is partnering with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency to compile information for potential disaster relief options.

The McHenry County Emergency Management Agency is conducting a similar effort through an online Residential Self-Assessment Survey, available in English and Spanish. The survey helps emergency management officials understand the scope of damages but does not guarantee financial assistance.

Daily Herald staff writers Russell Lissau and Susan Sarkauskas contributed to this report.

Mount Prospect fire Chief John Dolan recovers birds from 701 Huntington Commons Road. Courtesy of Robert Harms
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