La Grange Dries Out after Flooding Closes Roads, Drenches Basements

Business was pretty much back to normal in La Grange by late afternoon Thursday after a downpour flooded streets and basements throughout the village—though plenty of residents, including myself, are still pumping out their basements.

Rushing waters closed both the intersection at 47th Street and East Avenue as well as the underpass at Ogden and the BNSF Metra tracks for a period during the morning. 

All village crews were on deck clearing sewer grates and helping to alleviate flooding, Assistant Village Manager Andrianna Peterson said. The flood waters receded from the streets as the rain tapered off Thursday afternoon, though some local roads remained submerged.

"We seem to be in a much better shape," Peterson said. 

Though residents dealing with flooded basements might tell you otherwise, La Grange escaped the worst of the weather. Nearby communities, including Elmhurst, Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills and Woodridge all declared a state of emergency. 

Garbage pickup was delayed when the Allied Waste trucks couldn't get out of their lot Thursday due to flooding at Mannheim and Lake, she said. Residents who live south of 47th Street will get their trash removed on Friday instead.

The village reminds residents to be very careful when dealing with flooded basements because of the risk of electric shock. Here are a few tips by way of ComEd:

• Call ComEd at 1-800-EDISON-1 (1-800-334-7661) to get your power shut off before stepping into water in the basement. 
• Don't wade into the water if your power is off due to an outage. If it comes back on while you're in the water, you could get shocked.
• Don't turn off power yourself at the breaker box if you have to stand in water to do so.
• Don't use any electrical devices or flip any switches if you're wet or standing in water.
• Be careful around appliances that are energized and in contact with water.
• And finally, steer clear of downed power lines on your property.

Share your flood stories in the comments and upload your pictures to this story.

More storm coverage:

• Rainfall Totals in Chicago Suburbs
• Lightning Strike Ignites Stone Avenue Home

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