Record-breaking rain floods basements across Chicago
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Heavy rain and flooding was not just dangerous for drivers Sunday. Homeowners around the Chicago area are cleaning up a big mess -- flooded basements.
CBS 2's Shardaa Gray spoke with a frustrated neighbor in Jefferson Park.
Frustrated and helpless is how Elizabeth Bylenga feels after her basement flooded with sewage water.
"You're totally panicked. You don't know what to do and there's nothing you can do," she said.
Bylenga said she feels powerless after seeing her basement flooded. She found out when her dryer was going off, but she wasn't doing laundry.
"The alarm was going off, and then I smelled smoke," she said. "So of course I was really stupid, and I jumped down in the water. I was trying to wheel myself in the little chair."
She says this is the second time her basement flooded. The first time was in May of 2020.
"We had the same kind of situation happen where the sewer backed up," she said. "We were sleeping though. So we didn't see quite the damage we're seeing now, and I'm not sure if it's the same. I kind of feel like it's worse this time."
Bylenga says she and other neighbors had flooded basements. A viewer sent CBS 2 video of her walking through the flooded floors.
"It's still flooding in the basement," she said.
Parts of the Stevenson Expressway were closed due to earlier flooding. Illinois State Police say I-55 was shut down in both directions near Pulaski Road.
Video seen only on 2 shows several cars at a standstill. Troopers say at least 10 cars were trapped in the flood waters.
It was an unwelcoming, wet Sunday around the Chicagoland area as buckets of rain poured into the area.
"I don't really know what to do other than to spend a bunch of money," said Bylenga. "That's going to be super fun to look into and have them dig up our basement."
Bylenga says the next step for her is to clean the mess in her basement.
