Flooding

[billyjean]

Well, I went down to look earlier and water was coming up from the drain.  First time since '69.  Anyway, my basement is a little bit like a funnel ... high on each end of the drain, so I started picking stuff up and blocking with towels progress going toward washing machine and dryer.  Then I went up stairs and doorbell rang.  It was next door neighbor.  She asked if I was flooded, I said yeah, it's comin up.  She said they already had 2 ft of water.  I mulled around for a bout 10 min, checked the basement, and water had stopped coming up ... just sitting.  I put on rubber boots, and begin to throw some water in the sink and when I did that, the water at the drain started going down.  All gone now.  Deepest was about 5 inches at the drain, then fanned out to maybe an inch everywhere else.  I was lucky.  But this has never happened before.  I went to check on neighbors and most everyone of them down from me and across the street reported 2ft of water.  Crazy weather.  Don't like it, and we are supposed to get more rain tonight.  I hope the worst is over.  You couldn't get through to PD or FD, or 911 which is understandable, but I thought what if you got hurt ... there would be no one you could call.

[chandasz]

We got a little trickle. The rest of the block got it BAD. The street was a RIVER. Storm drains were blocked. It all went down quickly though....

Water was up to my car trunk...

[jake]

First time since '69.  

I remember getting it once back in the very late 70s or early 80s in South Berwyn.

[Bonster]

No "flooding," per se, but we did get water it the basement due to the Polish configuration of our basement door and the rain blowing sideways.

[The Jackal]

Riverside got shellacked.

There was a massive tree uprooted at its base and lying diagonally all the way across Quincy about two hours ago.

[Robert Pauly]

5 inches wall to wall in the basement - was like Buckingham Fountain coming out of my floor drains.  Never happened before - always dry as a bone - the whole side of my block got it.  Tree limbs everywhere - the outfield at Proksa like a lake - I don't ever remember seeing rain like that.

[Ted]

Well, I went down to look earlier and water was coming up from the drain.  First time since '69. 

Same with me... first time in my 25 years of owning my house did I get water coming up through the drain pipes.  My electricity has been out for 12 hours so the sump pumps are not going and the water has reached almost floor level in the holes where the sump pumps are.

[jake]

Ted,

Don't you have a battery backup system with the sump pump, or have the batteries already drained?  Either way, good luck to you. 

Have you tried a manual bilge pump or water transfer pump power off an alternative source like a generator or power inverter plugged into your car (though I am not sure of the grounding issues with that option)?

My electricity has been out for 12 hours so the sump pumps are not going and the water has reached almost floor level in the holes where the sump pumps are.

[Guy_on_Clinton]

i got a little water...  but not as bad as my neighbors....   

Is there a conspiracy theory here? Kenilworth didn't get it... but Clinton did... the way my son explained, the water was comming up from the 4 drains that run thru the  middle of my bsmt... and then all of a sudden... like someone flushed the toilet (or opened the sewers) the water went down the drains...  whats up with that?

BTW.... what do we do with the tree branches?

[Jo]

Yeah, we had it bad, too. But things are looking a little less dire this morning. We lost some irreplaceable memories, but it could have been worse.

Question though - we have a lot of stuff we have to toss. Will we get a ticket for putting all that trash out back? There's no way it's going to fit in our one trash can...

[Robert Pauly]

Where do you live, Jo?

Guy - same thing happened in my basement - one minute the drains were gushing, the next minute, draining.  Berwyn supposedly got 2 1/2 inches of rain - probably the sewers were overloaded and needed a chance to catch-up.

How does a sump pump help with water coming up from the drains?  A sump pump evacuates a high water level surrounding the foundation, no?

The only thing that would have helped me last night was a huge , portable pump that was able to pump out onto my driveway as fast as the drains were gushing.  We hosed and vacuumed the hell out of the basement carpet - I'm wondering how bad it's going to smell - the water gushing up looked pretty clean - definitely not sewage.

[OakParkSpartan]

i got a little water...  but not as bad as my neighbors....   

Is there a conspiracy theory here? Kenilworth didn't get it... but Clinton did... the way my son explained, the water was comming up from the 4 drains that run thru the  middle of my bsmt... and then all of a sudden... like someone flushed the toilet (or opened the sewers) the water went down the drains...  whats up with that?

BTW.... what do we do with the tree branches?

We got water, not a lot, but enough to make a bit of a mess.

I think tree branches go near the side of the street for PW to pick up.

[billyjean]

I remarked to someone "well, I guess these new sewers that were put in" what? back in 2000? or so ... couldn't handle the storm.  I was then told that new sewers were not put in.  That the sewers only were lined with material that would prevent water from seeping from the sewer to the ground from the original brick sewer.  Hmmm. 

Guy On Clinton, states that it was as if someone flushed the toilet and then the drains opened up.  I was told that due to operating rooms and pathology rooms in basement of MacNeal, that MacNeal stands 1st in line to be drained out.  That they can direct who gets drained out first and MacNeal gets done first.  Once MacNeal is done, that then causes the "flush the toilet effect" when it is then OUR turn for water to begin draining out.  Can anyone talk about this?  Is that true?

[billyjean]

Here is some information that I received this morning from Robert Schiller, Public Works Director. Please pass it along to your neighbors who may not have power or phone service. Thanks, Marge

E-mail received from PW Director Robert Schiller
June 24, 2010
Re: Storm Damage of June 23, 2010 and City Assistance
All,
The City of Berwyn has been hit with a second destructive summer storm in less than a week.  PW, PD & FD staff has been working since Friday June 18th cleaning up storm damage. The first storm knocked out power to 554,000 homes in the Chicagland area.  The last of these homes had power restored Tuesday. This evening Public Works staff was called in to address flooding and clear trees from roadways (while their own basements were flooded) from this second wave of destruction.  There appears to be as many or more Berwyn residents without power from the latest round of storms than the first.  PW, FD & PD combined efforts to open roadways and clear hazards. 

The City has been experiencing higher than average rainfall which saturates the soil.  Today's rainfall was approximately 2 inches in a very short time so the combination of the already saturated soil and rapid influx of rainwater into the MWRDGC sewer system created a substantial amount of flooded basements, roads, etc.  There were sewer covers that were "blown off" of their castings due to the amount of pressure in the system.  As the rains let up, the flooding subsided but the clean up remains. 

City Staff will continue to offer assistance as manpower and equipment allow, understanding the equipment used in Public Works is for construction purposes.  The Police Department Dispatchers were great under pressure (as always) and have prepared a list of homes that experienced flooded basements.  PW and Emergency Service staff will contact the homes on the list Thursday morning to identify if assistance is still needed and if so what type of assistance.   We understand that some residents are without power for the second time in less than a week and will try to be understanding and compassionate while answering residents concerns.

Pumps owned by the Public Works Department and Emergency Services are heavy duty construction pumps.  They remove water quickly but will leave six inches of water when completed.  Smaller pumps, referred to as "puddle pumps" or "pool Pumps" can then be used to remove most of the water. 

I will make myself available to speak with residents to offer options for clean up methods.  In closing, we will work tirelessly to clean up the streets of Berwyn with as little inconvenience to our residents as possible.

Ok, only one thing.  The storm just happened yesterday.  When it happened you could not reach the Police, Fire, or anyone else.  911 did not answer either.  So here we are the next day, and PW already has a list of homes that flooded !!!!  come on.  Am I on that list?  Is Ted, Pauley? all my neighbors?  I don't think so.  How did they compile this list so fast, how were they notified that homes were flooded when all communication was out either do to homes losing power, or could not get through to any city services?  I hate when they put out these PR notices.

[jake]

Where do you live, Jo?

Guy - same thing happened in my basement - one minute the drains were gushing, the next minute, draining.  Berwyn supposedly got 2 1/2 inches of rain - probably the sewers were overloaded and needed a chance to catch-up.

How does a sump pump help with water coming up from the drains?  A sump pump evacuates a high water level surrounding the foundation, no?

The only thing that would have helped me last night was a huge , portable pump that was able to pump out onto my driveway as fast as the drains were gushing.  We hosed and vacuumed the hell out of the basement carpet - I'm wondering how bad it's going to smell - the water gushing up looked pretty clean - definitely not sewage.

Learn from my mistakes- toss the carpet.  Unless it is an indoor/outdoor design the smell gets worse by the day, especially if you have a pad below it.
The portable pump does not need to be that huge.  The little 1/2 HP water transfer pumps can do a tremendous job (almost 1,500 gallons per hour depending on the height you are pumping).  Just make sure to have a noncollapsable hose (it will suck a garden hose closed).

[Regularguy]

Those ComEds people are funny guy. I got a recording call right
during the storm telling all about the Smarts Meter they put in house.
Cheers,
Stanislov

[EC]

Operating rooms at MacNeal are on the second floor. Only medical things in the basement are physical therapy and the morgue.

[OakParkSpartan]

FYI, I pinned Marge's post at the top.

[buzz]

I had 2-3" water in the basement.  Not too bad considering some of my neighbors.
The water/storm surge blew the heavy metal sewer cover off at 34th & East.  It was laying at least 10 feet from the sewer !
All of the 3400 block of East got water, both sides of the street.
All of the 6500 block of 34th St. on the South side had flooding.
Most everyone I spoke to (6 people) on the East side of 3400 block of Clarence had water.  Bummer.
Power went off last night 6:15 pm went on today at  9:15 a.m.
Can't believe everything in the freezer was still frozen solid !!!

[billyjean]

Operating rooms at MacNeal are on the second floor. Only medical things in the basement are physical therapy and the morgue.

well, i was told there are a few operating rooms and pathology.  Just say you are right ... whatever is down there, I just want to know if it is true that MacNeal gets drained first and the rest of us wait for our turn.  That's all I really want to know.  If that is a truth, and could be responsible as to why ppl who never or hardly get flooded, all of a sudden were flooded, I'd like to know.  Just want some understanding of how our sewer system works in a situation like this, and if someone does make a decision on how water is diverted and drained.  Or is there no such thing.  Anyone?