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It appears there's little city leaders can do in the short term to deal with how torrential downpours striking our area are overrunning the storm sewer systems and flooding area homes and streets.
On Wednesday, sections of Elm Grove sat under feet of water after several inches of rain fell in about a 75-minute span. Park View Lane at the intersection of National Road was a small lake; Cadillac Lane in Elm Grove was closed; and portions of Burkham Court were under water.
The question on Thursday, with cleanup underway, focused on what went wrong. This is the answer from Wheeling Public Works Director Russell Jebbia: "The storm drains are not designed for that amount of water. Typically they design a storm drain for a 25-year rain event -- and these rains that we've been having here for the last couple of years are way over a 25-year rain event."
That's a troubling reality, because as we're seeing not just locally but across the country, weather events are becoming more extreme.
What can be done? For one thing, as infrastructure is upgraded throughout the region, perhaps a storm sewer system to handle the rainfall we're seeing more frequently would be a wise investment. Also, residents need to ensure they're not dumping grass clippings or other debris into area creeks that can cause them to further back up. A plan to again start dredging creeks may also be wise, as creekbeds have built up with silt and other debris since it last took place. That's also leading to additional flooding of our neighborhoods.