Lake Zurich’s village hall and other parts of town had localized flooding when 6.63 inches of rain fell Wednesday morning, leading to a state of emergency declaration.
Flooding was reported throughout town particularly in the Bristol Trails and Braemar neighborhoods, according a village press release. The flooding in the Braemar subdivision caused a sanitary life station to fail, affecting residents’ sanitary sewer service and causing backups, the release stated.
The Lake Zurich Fire Department reported numerous evacuations throughout the day, but no one was injured.
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Village hall’s lower level was also flooded, causing officials to move the July 1 board of trustees meeting to police department headquarters at 200 Mohawk Trail.
Mayor Thomas M. Poynton signed a Declaration of Local Emergency. Residents are encouraged to help the village’s flood assessment by completing the form and returning it to the village.
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“It is important that our residents report any flood damage to us in the event they may become eligible for reimbursement if the appropriate disaster declarations are made,” Poynton said in the release.
Lake Zurich’s website has a Data Collection Questionnaire to fill out. Copies of the form are also available at Village Hall, 70 E. Main Street. The completed copy should be returned to Village Hall or emailed to flood@lakezurich.org.
The National Weather Service reported Lake Zurich had 6.63 inches or rain. The rain total made Lake Zurich one of the hardest hit communities in the northwest suburbs.
Dennis Abbott , owner of Bill’s Boats, Bait & Marina, woke up around 2:45 a.m. in a panic due to the heavy rains and winds, which he estimated at 50 miles per hour. The electricity went out and he worried there was a tornado outside his window.
“It looked like Niagara Falls the way the rain was falling, then the winds kicked in,” said Abbott, a lifelong Lake Zurich resident. Bill’s Boats, Bait & Marina has been in business for 183 years, he said.
The promenade near his business flooded and so did his piers. He estimates the lake is 10 to 12 inches higher and will remain high for a while.
“It’s pretty high, it is up on all my piers. Last year, it was the opposite. It was really low,” said Abbott, adding he hopes the village opens an outlet to let water flow into a nearby swamp.
Lake Zurich officials continue to encourage residents not drive through flooded streets and intersections or wade or swim through floodwaters since it poses a significant health and safety risk.
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