Residents near the corner of Middaugh Road and Walnut Street in Clarendon Hills couldn't get to their own front doors after the Aug. 1 downpour overwhelmed the village's drainage system. On Monday, Aug. 17, trustees will vote on whether to spend $25,000 to figure out why the flooding was so severe and what it will take to prevent a repeat.
Public Works Director Brendan McLaughlin laid out the problem in a memo to the Village Board the week of Aug. 11: floodwaters "made streets impassable and blocked entry to some homes" at the Middaugh-Walnut intersection, the hardest-hit spot in the village during the storm.
McLaughlin recommended hiring Rosemont-based Christopher Burke Engineering, the village's contracted engineering firm, to conduct the study. The scope would include collecting data from affected residents, reviewing water elevations, confirming all storm pipes are flowing properly and delivering short- and long-term fix recommendations.
The study wouldn't stop at Middaugh and Walnut.
McLaughlin's memo noted the review would also cover other low-lying areas in Clarendon Hills where private property absorbs regional stormwater runoff. He pointed to a pattern: the area has experienced more frequent, high-intensity storms in recent years. That trend, he wrote, is driving the need for engineering analysis now rather than after the next flood.
Neighboring Darien hired the same firm for $20,000 to perform a similar analysis after recent flooding in some of its neighborhoods, according to Patch. Christopher Burke Engineering serves as stormwater consultant for multiple DuPage County suburbs.
The vote is one piece of a broader summer of flood response across the area. As we reported July 31, the July 28 storm flooded Hinsdale's Village Hall and police station, and DuPage County has separately proposed detention pond dredging to address flooding in Hinsdale proper.
No timeline for the study's completion has been announced. The Monday board meeting agenda has not been independently confirmed beyond McLaughlin's memo.
Clarendon Hills government week ahead
- Monday, Aug. 17: Village Board meeting. Key item: vote on $25,000 Christopher Burke Engineering stormwater study contract. Check the village website for public comment sign-up details.
