Answers to Some of Your Most Pressing Flood-related Questions

Elmhurst residents have been asking numerous questions since the city was deluged with water April 17 and 18: Is the quarry full? How do we get FEMA relief? What roads are still closed?

The city of Elmhurst on Friday afternoon released information designed to answer many of those most pressing concerns.

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What's Happening with the Quarry?

It's not full. The quarry is half-full, which means about 1.35 million gallons of water was diverted there and kept out of the streets of Elmhurst and neighboring communities. The quarry began taking water at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 17, and has been fully operational ever since. According to the city, Salt Creek crested Friday at about 6 a.m. and has begun to go down.

Relief Aid from FEMA

It's still too early for residents and businesses to apply for relief from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. On Thursday, Acting Mayor Scott Levin took the first step by signing a Declaration of Disaster for Elmhurst.  Gov. Pat Quinn followed, by declaring several counties in Illinois, including DuPage, as disaster areas. In order to be eligible for relief aid, President Barack Obama must now declare the areas affected by this week’s storm a federal disaster.

City Manager Jim Grabowski said Friday that FEMA information is expected early next week. 

"Our staff has been meeting with DuPage County officials to start the process of determining the reimbursement threshold for the public side," Grabowski said by email. "Personally, Acting Mayor Levin and Mayor-elect Morley have spoken with Congressmen (Mike) Quigley and (Tammy) Duckworth, Gov. Quinn, and all of our state senators and representatives to encourage expeditious response on the reimbursements and infrastructure help."

In the meantime, residents and businesses are encouraged to take photos, keep all receipts associated with storm clean-up, document any damage and contact their insurance company, Quinn said when he visited Elmhurst on Thursday.

Road Closures Update

As of Friday afternoon, North Avenue is still closed to eastbound traffic east of York Street due to the flooded viaduct under the I-290 and I-294 expressways. The Illinois Department of Transportation remains on the scene and is aggressively working to relieve the situation. Only local traffic is currently allowed between York and Berteau.

Refuse Pickup Information

No stickers will be required for storm damaged items placed out on the curb for pick-up, but it will take up to several weeks for all of it to be hauled away. The city is asking for patience and understanding during this time.

Spring Clean-up

The annual Spring Clean-up, originally scheduled for April 24-26, will be postponed. New dates for the event will be announced as soon as it is rescheduled.

Yard Waste Pickup

Due to storm clean-up, the start of yard-waste pick-up will be delayed two weeks.