'Nightmare' Flooding For Elmhurst Neighborhood, Family Displaced For Days

ELMHURST, IL – A dozen years ago, Elmhurst aldermen faced rooms full of residents upset over flooding.

Tens of millions of dollars later, that's not the case.

But pockets of Elmhurst still suffer.

Over the summer, residents southeast of St. Charles Road and West Avenue reported severe flooding twice in less than a month.

At Monday's City Council meeting, Bill Fergus, who lives on Rex Boulevard, said families rushed from Fourth of July events to haul out belongings as their homes quickly filled up with water.

"Neighbors stood in the rain pleading with drivers to stay off flooded streets so wakes wouldn't crash into already vulnerable homes," Fergus said. "Basements took up to 5 feet of water, even homes that never flooded before. Two nightmare scenarios in less than four weeks' time for our part of Elmhurst."

Stormwater work in the neighborhood, Fergus said, is five years off. Now, he said officials are considering redirecting some of the money generated by a stormwater sales tax to other purposes. The city is facing budget struggles.

"Those dollars were collected from sales in our town for one specific purpose: flood protection," Fergus said. "Diverting them breaks faith with residents and voters. With surplus funds available, the city should be accelerating relief, not siphoning money away."

Under their policy, aldermen do not respond to residents' public comments during meetings.

Maria Hernandez, another resident in Fergus' neighborhood, submitted a written comment to the council, urging sped-up schedules for the hardest-hit areas.

Hernandez, who lives on Sunnyside Avenue, said her home took 4½ feet of water on July 3 and 4 feet on July 27.

"These floods forced us to evacuate our home with our two young children, leaving us displaced for days," Hernandez said. "We still await insurance payment for more than $54,000 in damages."

She also said stormwater money must be spent for only that purpose.