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Community Corner

Sick And Tired: The Devastation Of Area Storms Pt. III

The conclusion of our three part series discussing the devastation of flooding to area residents.

As much water as we get in our basement, my new neighbors a few doors down got so much more. Their driveway is built on an angle and their garage is UNDER their house and connects to the bottom floor of their house. All of the water cascades like a waterfall and makes its way into the garage and all around the bottom floor of their home.  You could see by the watermark on the wall going down, they got about 4 feet of water.

Earlier: 

I saw first-hand all of the damage that had been done to their house.  They had to empty EVERYTHING they own out on their front lawn. It was a horrible sight. (Welcome to Des Plaines.) Their house has four sump pumps. They did not lose elecctric, but that still wasn’t enough to keep up with the water. Whoever the genius was that built the driveway on a slope should come check out their handywork. They were not warned about the extent of water we get on our street which is absurd!        

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I could go on and on about the stories we heard this time around about what happened to our neighbors (windows being blown out by the pressure of the water from the new retention pond, hip-deep water in basements, 6 inches of water). IT’S TOO MUCH!

Both my brother and sister sleep in our basement. It is unsafe because there is mold growing down there from the years and years of water. A few rains ago, my mom had someone come in and rip out 2 feet of drywall around the perimeter of our basement because the mold was spreading so badly. She thought by now, someone would be able to fix the problem, but no one has, so our basement remains ripped up. Life would be so much easier if someone would figure out the dang problem!

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We know nothing about water and house foundations. We no nothing about overhead sewers and drainage solutions, but there are people out there who do! So I just don’t understand why the street gets so much water and why they can't prevent it from coming into our house.

I am so sick of the water. I am sick of getting up in the middle of the night to clean up the water, spending hours trying to mop it up, and then still having to go to school in the morning. I am sick of seeing my mother upset because no one can figure out the problem. I am sick of having to make sure that everything is placed so the water cannot reach it. I am sick of the smell in what otherwise would be a beautiful home. And I am sick of our valuable items get ruined by the water.  Seriously, I am just so sick of it all.  

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