Highland Park Mayor Holds Flood Mitigation Meeting

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — Highland Park's mayor and city staff met Tuesday with representatives from several area agencies and organizations, as well as officials from neighboring municipalities, to consider ways to reduce the amount of devastation caused by future flooding. Mayor Nancy R. Rotering was joined by representatives from the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission (LCSMC), the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC), the Village of Northbrook, the Village of Deerfield, and the Chicago Botanic Garden (CBG) to consider and move forward with several flood mitigation solutions following the July 11-12 storm that swamped portions of Highland Park and dozens of communities throughout Lake County.

The group reviewed and exhausted several possible solutions including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Mitigation Assistance program (home buyouts), localized storage reservoir solution efforts in cooperation with Lake County and the North Branch Chicago River Watershed group, and dredging the Skokie River. The Chicago Botanic Garden (CBG) confirmed that even though the property stores over 100 million gallons of floodwater during storm events, no further flood mitigation is available and there is no mechanism in place to assist with flood mitigation efforts during storm events.

The IEMA Floodway Buyout Program is administered by Lake County as agent for IEMA and would require a 25% contribution by the City of Highland Park. Homeowners that meet specific flood-related criteria may apply for a buy-out under the FEMA program. LCSMC will issue information about the program via postal mail to affected homes within the next few weeks. The deadline to apply for this voluntary home purchasing program is November 1, 2017.

At the time of the recovery efforts, Rotering issued a formal request to federal, state, and county officials for recovery and future remediation assistance. US Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, Congressman Brad Schneider, and Lake County President Aaron Lawlor have responded. The City provided requested data and continues to work with them regarding possible assistance.

“All flood mitigation options will be explored and evaluated. This is long overdue and must be a priority for the region,” said Rotering. “The increased frequency, intensity, and impact of flood events prove that it is critical that we must work together and take action.”

A portion of Highland Park falls into the floodplain. Residents living within the floodplain are susceptible to flooding. By their very definition, these areas require special care and attention. The floodplain map can also be viewed on the City’s website under Interactive Maps (click Floodplain Layer on the right).

Flooding results from the two forks of the North Branch of the Chicago River that run through Highland Park. The flooding greatly impacts residential properties located near the Skokie River and the Middle Fork as water flows from north (Old Elm Road) to the south (Lake Cook Road). The Skokie River discharges into the CBG, whereas the Middle Fork drains into the Northbrook Court pond.

» via the City of Highland Park

_{Top photo: Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering meetings with officials from neighboring communities and area agencies | Courtesy City of Highland Park}