Falling Leaves, Clogged Inlets and a 24-hour Rain: Grab Your Rakes

The sound of rain on the roof—all night long—has made Halloween a bit scarier for Elmhurst residents in the flood-prone areas. Wednesday night was probably a long one for residents who have said they panic every time it rains or won't leave their homes for any length of time for fear of flooding. And the rain is expected to continue well into Thursday night.

The last brief but heavy downpour in Elmhurst was on Oct. 5, and residents were out clearing leaves from the storm drains around their homes. The City of Elmhurst is grateful for the assistance and is asking residents to continue that process near their homes during this Halloween soaker. 

City crews, in preparation for the rain, have been sweeping all the streets that have had flooding issues in the past, and a crew has been assigned to clean inlets during the rain.

"Although the City of Elmhurst has been using three street sweepers constantly since the leaves began falling, heavy rain causes additional leaf drop and washes the leaves into the street drains," according to a message on the city's website. "City crews are unable to clear all of the 7,000 street inlets during storm events, so help from residents can be very beneficial."

To clear a blocked inlet, stand on the curb and use a rake or pitchfork to remove leaves and debris from the top of the grate. Residents should not remove the grate. The debris should be moved or bagged so it will not wash back into the street.

The National Weather Service is still calling for a 100 percent chance of rain on Thursday, and it has increased the chance of precipitation Thursday night from 50 percent to 80 percent. A gusty wind as high as 25 miles per hour, along with between 1 and 1.5 inches of rainfall, is expected over the 24-hour period.

Residential Sewer Inspection Update

With the goal of reducing flooding over the long term, the city announced earlier this month that staff from RJN Group will be performing residential sewer inspections in early November. Residents in the inspection area received a notice by mail with directions on how to make an appointment for an inspection. RJN engineers will make a few cold calls at some homes in the area. Should they need to make an appointment at the door with the homeowner, they will clearly identify themselves as working with the city on this project, according to another announcement by the city on Wednesday.

But in a new wrinkle, an outside vendor seeking to capitalize on these flood-prone residences, has been canvassing the same neighborhoods where RJN is doing the inspections.

According to the city, representatives from Ever Dry Waterproofing are telling residents that they need to schedule inspections to have their basements checked. 

From the city:

"Please be aware that Ever Dry is not working with the City of Elmhurst. They are a for-profit business, soliciting their weather-proofing system to homeowners without proper authorization and licensing from the city."

Residents should be mindful of this ploy and carefully check credentials of anyone who comes to their home.