News Local/State

Urban Flooding A Big Problem In Illinois

 
Flooding in Des Plaines

Flooding in Des Plaines (Photo: Illinois Department of Natural Resources)

A new report details urban flooding problems in Illinois.  The report from the Department of Natural Resources says damage from urban flooding (flooding on higher ground outside a flood plain) cause more than $2 billion worth of damage between 2007-2014 in Illinois.

The report offers 33 recommendations to address the problems including more awareness, more local government oversight and a tax on homeowners insurance to help fix problems.

Urban flooding is most notable for flooded streets and flooded basements, especially due to storm sewer backups.   This type of flooding occurs in all of the counties in Illinois and usually happens in older sections of town where the infrastructure is old and also in subdivisions that were built in the 1950's and 1960's.

Bill Wheelhouse talks with the authors of the report.