info regarding flooding in suburbs (Chicago, Skokie: homeowners insurance, house, neighborhoods)

[johnvar]

i am planning to move in the next few months and was hoping for some info regarding areas that are a high flood risk. im am looking in skokie, morton grove, niles, glenview, wilmette. any specific info or areas in glenview that are prone?

any help is appreciated
thank you

[sgresident]

you should be able to check for the flood plains in whatever area you are interested in.

[gardener34]

Check the fema maps - fema.gov I think. Anywhere along the desplaines river is suspect.

[chet everett]

While it is true that the Desplaines is prone to seasonally running over its banks, there has been good cooperation between the various agencies to take MOST of the flood prone properties into the parks / forest preserves. Very few areas with any homes are routinely at risk.

It is also important to realize that in the towns the OP listed the system of reservoirs know as the "Skokie Lagoons" were / are part of large stormwater management system. This is mostly pretty effective, but there are still pockets of those towns that are at greater than average risk of seasonal storm water issues -- typically the tip off may be the lack of basements in homes. Of course the reality too is that with modern sewers separating stormwater from waste this risk of that type of flooding is much diminished. With adequate backflow protection, reliable sump pumps and proper grading the INDIVIDUAL home can be made to withstand any sort of storm event that would occur in our region, this ain't the hurricane belt...

[cubssoxfan]

Well said but................ I know it doesn't happen every year, but after last September's deluge I remember reading stories about flooding in some sections of Skokie. I remember reading about flooding near Lutheran General. Today in the neighborhood section of the Tribune was an article about flooding in Des Plaines 3 miles west of the river. But how do you find out if the specific neighborhood is prone to flooding besides talking to potential neighbors? Many of the homes that flood are due to storm sewers backing up, not because of a nearby stream or river over flowing its banks.

[chet everett]

Localized storm sewers that backup / get clogged with ice/snow/leaves/mud are impossible to avoid. That said, if the HOUSE you are looking at has proper grading and appropriate storm water management strategies these things should keep it dry no matter what happens in the street.

I have owned homes on streets that you could float a canoe down after a terrible storm and everything inside was dry. It is all about the foundation of the home and the maintenance of the individual elements that prevent storm water from effecting it, from clean, leaf-free gutters to elevation changes that keep water flowing away from the structure to watertight exterior siding / brick /sill blocks.

I understand your concern but you have to voice this sort of things to the home inspection service when you narrow down to a single home...

[cubssoxfan]

Chet, I disagree. There are still neighborhoods where the infra-structure needs to be improved:
Here is the Des Plaines story. Homeowners turn up the water pressure on Des Plaines -- chicagotribune.com
If you would like, I can try to dig for the Skokie story. I do believe these areas are the exception instead of the norm, but it is Buyer Beware.

[chet everett]

I am not sure we are disagreeing... the article makes it pretty clear what the problems are:

they've received word that the portion of their homeowners insurance that covers sewer and drain backup will be canceled next month.

...

"It became apparent that what was causing each of these claims was not being remedied," Rinock said.

...

That, he said, will help residents in raised-ranch-style homes with below-grade garages and family rooms that often flood.

[linicx]

I believe the Illinois flows into the Des Plaines. I seems when the IL floods the area from Alton to Chicago is affected. I don't know about the Des Plaines and around Chicago, but downstate the IL has been high for months due to the tri-weekly ground soaking rainfalls.