Lake Zurich Takes Inventory of Flood Damage

Lake Zurich Building and Zoning Manager Daniel Peterson went door to door Thursday in the Braemar subdivision talking to families, who had flood damage, providing resources and tips for the cleanup efforts.

“We are trying to get a handle of how bad the damage is,” Peterson said.

More than 6 inches of rain that fell within a few hours caused flooding all over Lake Zurich, with the Braemar subdivision and the Cedar Creek neighborhood getting hit badly. Some residents were still pumping water out of basements at 10 p.m. Wednesday.

Village officials didn’t have access to the areas until Thursday when the floodwaters finally receded.

Peterson visited homes trying to provide residents with information and resources. It’s important for people to clean up properly, he said, adding the Lake County Health Department has tips to safely clean up floodwaters. One tip area health departments make is wear rubber boots, rubber gloves and goggles when cleaning up to protect yourself.

He was also advising residents to have any appliances, like refrigerators, furnaces and hot water heaters, inspected and cleaned by professionals. It’s important to have the items checked to avoid electrical fires or having contaminated water seep into appliances, he said.

Lake Zurich’s websitehttp://vernonhills.patch.com/groups/editors-picks/p/health-dept-tips-for-flood-situations has a list of registered contractors residents can contact, Peterson said.

Meeting with families who’ve experienced damage to their homes requires respect and understanding, he said. He tried to provide assistance as much as he could, he said.

Lake Zurich families were coping very well following the flooding, Peterson said.

“They have a ‘get to it’ attitude and spirit,” he said.

Lake Zurich Village President Tom Poynton was also on hand Thursday morning, talking with residents and meeting with Ela Township officials.

“It could’ve been worse, we’ll deal with it,” Poynton said.