Mayor Lorraine Morton signed a disaster declaration on Monday, proclaiming a state of emergency in the City of Evanston after heavy rainfall produced flooding conditions over the weekend. The declaration will help the City and county receive any assistance or funding that becomes available.
The Evanston Water Plant recorded 7.21 inches of rainfall during the 24-hour period of Sept. 13, which City officials said is about a 100-year rain event level. The RoundTable‘s unofficial rain gauge measured 11.625 inches of rain over the entire weekend.
Over the weekend, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Deep Tunnel System was filled to capacity, and when MWRD opened the Wilmette locks into Lake Michigan, sewers were already filled to capacity, or surcharged, and there was no where else for water to go until the system stabilized, according to a report from the City.
Between 6:30 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Saturday, the Public Works Department and its Water and Sewer Division logged more than 140 calls.
“In many cases of basement flooding, seepage of water into the basement, not sewer-line backups, was the cause of the flooding,” said John Burke, director of Public Works.
Water and Sewer Superintendent Dave Stoneback said “The low number of resident calls in Evanston and flooding impacts – given the size and intensity of this rain event – when compared to neighboring communities is in large part due to the City’s investment in its Long-Range Sewer Plan.”
To help residents in their flood relief efforts, the City’s Streets and Sanitation Division will collect flood debris this Friday, Saturday and Sunday to help residents clean up after the recent heavy rainfall.
Residents who normally have their trash collected on Thursdays will have their scheduled bulk trash, as well as flood refuse, collected this Friday, Sept. 19. Refuse must be out by 7 a.m. Friday morning.
Residents who normally have their trash collected on Mondays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays will have their flood refuse collected this Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 20 and 21.
All materials to be picked up must be out at the curb or alleys by 7 a.m. on Saturday. Crews that cannot finish their routes on Saturday will return on Sunday to complete their collections.
Flood debris will not be collected after this weekend. For more information on the collection of flood debris, contact Streets and Sanitation, 847-866-2940. General information and tips about cleaning up after a flood are available on the City’s Web site, www.cityofevanston.org.