La Grange Storms: 'Those Odds Are Something'

LA GRANGE, IL – La Grange was hit by two big rainstorms in a matter of days, prompting Village President Mark Kuchler to say Monday, "Those odds are something."

The first storm was on Aug. 17, with 1.8 inches of rain falling in an hour and a half, Kuchler said at Monday's Village Board meeting. A couple of days later, the village received 1.6 inches in half an hour.

Both were considered five-year storms, meaning the chance of getting one is about 20 percent a year. The fact that the village suffered through two within a week was unusual, Kuchler said.

In both storms, Ogden Avenue's underpass was closed because of flooding. The village is again working with officials from the state Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District to solve the Ogden problem, Kuchler said.

"Unfortunately, there were several basement backups, and street floodings were reported by residents," he said. "We understand street flooding is going to happen. The basement backups, we're really trying our best to solve those problems whenever possible," noting the village's sewer backup prevention grants.

Residents commented on the storms on the Facebook page for Dry Up La Grange, which was created after severe flooding four years ago.

Laura West, who has long called for action at Village Board meetings, posted a photo of the flooding in front of her house at Sunset and Elm avenues. She said it got even worse after the picture, calling it a "long, horrible night."

"When will this town do something?" she asked on Facebook.

At the meeting, Kuchler detailed the village's efforts in Laura West's area, where the village is working with Lyons Township High School for water storage under a nearby sports field.

In the areas south of 47th Street, the village has long planned a 50th Street storm sewer, which would empty into a McCook quarry. But that project remains tied up in litigation. The village said it is proceeding with engineering, so it is ready when the courts resolve the dispute.