Many of those who are new to the Chicago area are surprised to hear people talking about flood control in Skokie. On the surface, it may seem like the region is not naturally prone to such a problem, even though it is in close proximity to Lake Michigan. However, the true source of the issue is not nature, but the outdated sewer system that often get backed up. Area homeowners who want to protect their property from the high probability of flooding should take precautionary methods.
The Main Cause of Flooding in Skokie
As a Chicago suburb, Skokie operates on the same old water sewer system as the rest of the city. The system simply is not advanced enough to handle the torrential rainfall that sometimes happens in the area. Although the system is supposed to collect the rain water from the streets and transport it away so that there is no flood, the system overflows, and the excess water makes its way into basements throughout the region. Any home or building connected to this system will be affected with the overflow, if the owner has not taken the appropriate preventative action. For this reason, flooding control in Skokie should be considered a serious concern to all residents.
Prevention Strategy for Home and Basement Flooding
Even though you might not have much control over the condition of the city’s sewer system, as a property owner you do have control over how much the overflow is allowed to impact your property. Simply by having a flood control system installed, or making sure that the one you already have is in good condition, you can significantly reduce the chances that the flood waters will fill your basement and cause damage to your property. Some of the available methods of residential flood control in Skokie include sump pumps and exterior catch basins. The sump pump prevents basement flooding by pumping out any intruding storm water, and the exterior catch basin prevents yard flooding by catching storm water and transferring it away.
There are a lot of good things about Skokie, but this suburb is unfortunately not exempt from the periodic flooding that happens thanks to Chicago’s outdated and inefficient sewer system. This leaves property owners at a significant risk of loss should they fail to take the proper precautions. However, the good news is that there are highly effective methods for flood control in Skokie for the area’s property owners.
All property owners should be concerned about flood control in Skokie because taking action is the only way to protect their buildings from the damaged area flooding can cause. The installation and proper maintenance of sump pumps and exterior catch basins are the main methods available for flood control in Skokie.
