'It's Horrible': Chicago Residents Want City's Help To Prevent Flooding
CHICAGO (CBS) -- All of the rain from the past week has left some Chicago communities with an enormous cleanup.
CBS 2's Jim Williams reports from Humboldt Park where neighbors said flooding is a persistent problem there.
One homeowner had her entire new basement ruined by floodwater. It was misery shared by many throughout the area. They're demanding help from the city.
Not much is left of dry wall, carpeting and insulation from Katie Eisenhuth's basement.
"Big mess, yes. And expensive," said Eisenhuth. "Not sure what's going to be covered."
Insurance concerns come a mere year after Katie's boyfriend built their Logan Square home.
"So it's brand new. There shouldn't be any problems," Eisenhuth said.
Big problems up and down the block and in neighboring Humboldt Park.
Massive flooding in backyards, in basements and in garages after days of rain.
"It's horrible."
Horrible for Sherrie Liberatori and Brian England.
"We spent the whole day when the rain was coming down, trying to clean the floods out. We were getting flooding in our garage and in our basement," they said.
"It was horrible."
Horrible for Ira Myerson.
"Water just kept coming in. Coming in from the showers, from the toilets, from everywhere."
Myerson is a longtime resident of Humboldt Park and a former contractor.
Every few years, he says, his property floods, despite his efforts to prevent it.
The city, Myerson insists, has to do more.
"I'm old. And it costs me money," Myerson said who added that he's a veteran.
"Veteran vet. Two Purple Hearts and Bronze Star."
This week, the city distributed a flier touting its private drain program, which it said could save homeowners thousands of dollars.
The final price tag would be determined after a sewer inspection.
"Their building flooded as well, the whole basement."
But Liberatori and Brian England said city workers tell them something else in response to their many complaints.
"They come out and they check and they say there's not a problem but obviously there's a problem," the couple said.
The city of Chicago sent CBS 2 a statement on the flooding issue:
Chicago Department of Water Management works very closely with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District to expand our capacity for managing stormwater, particularly in flood prone areas.
Decisions around sewer replacement sizes, tunnels and reservoirs are prioritized to pull storm water away from areas that tend to flood.
For tips on how to prevent water from collecting in basements during storms, visit www.chicago.gov/water
According to the city, sewer upgrades are being performed in both areas and more planned for next year.
