A river runs through it

For the last week or so, I had been hoping to put up some really fun pictures from the previous weekend -- a wonderful 3-days of enjoyment spent on and off at our Winfield Good Old Days festival. Celebrating 40 years since the first festival ("1968" was the theme), it was a splendid time for the three of us -- and especially so considering that we have just returned to the neighborhood we love and it just seemed even more special.

But before I could get around to uploading the pictures, something completely unexpected occurred. Not just unexpected, but unprecedented: Hurricane Ike. Now one might normally think that, being in the more northern part of Illinois, how can we possibly be subjected to the nightmare of Ike? That's all the way down in Texas, right? What's the worst thing that can happen? A little rain?


Yes, a little rain. Followed by a lot of rain. And even more rain. For days. It just kept coming. Sometimes hard. Always steady.

Time to back up for a moment: When we bought our place in Winfield, we knew that the area was subject to a little water once in a while. It is lower-lying area and there is the west branch of the DuPage River to consider. But we didn't back up near the river. And we were houses away from any danger spots. And we were not in a flood plain. Plus, we were in a house that only taken on water twice in 31 years -- both times due to power loss.

So we felt pretty confident that we could handle a bit of rain. Until Saturday morning. Anita woke me up at 6:00 a.m. to say that there was water in the basement. Shocked, I went down and took a look. The sump pit was completely full, with water coming over. And the pump wasn't running. Hmmm... the floater was stuck. Problem solved, right? Turns out that one pump wasn't nearly enough to combat the incoming waters. And we found out the hard way that our backup pump wasn't working.

And it continued to rain.


My brother-in-law Gene stopped by and applied his extensive plumbing knowledge to our problem, quickly installed a 2nd pump and the 2-pump system kept the waters at bay in the basement. But the waters continued to build up outside. By Saturday night, our roads were flooded and we barely made it back to the house following a birthday party we attended. All night we watched the waters edge up the driveway and yard. We watched it creep in over the backyard as well. I kept marking the progress with sticks in the yard.

By morning, our place looked like a house-boat. Water was up to nearly 12' from the front of the house. And maybe about the same from the backyard. And what used to be our roadway now was a fast-moving river. Over 2' of water rushed down the block. Houses east of us completely consumed by water, some basements taking on 7' feet of water. Houses at the other end of the block also entirely surrounded, with water going up and over the foundations.

And we were pretty much stranded. No vehicles coming in or out. Nothing to do but nervously wait it out. Stocked with food and water, we just hung on for the rain to end.

By the time the rains ended -- about 4:00 p.m. on Sunday -- the area was a disaster. But our home, along with about 3 others, were spared the flooding nightmare. Somehow, we were just high enough in elevation to hold off the water. Instead, the current continued on down the road, leaving us stunned and in utter disbelief.

Along with a neighbor, I waded from house to house checking to see who might be in need of a hand. Pumps were emptying out basements. Cars abandoned at roadsides and filled with water. But all were doing pretty well. Most had managed to move furniture to higher ground and had 2 to 3 pumps working overtime to solve the water problems.


We didn't come out entirely unscathed, though. The event pointed out some problems. For example, we didn't have a pump strong enough to push out the water. And our backup never worked. It had been improperly installed and seized up. And worse, we don't have a functioning drain tile. Whether it be collapsed or deteriorated, it was useless. Water came in (and continues to do so) through walls and floor. While the pumps held, the water found other areas to enter.

So we are still a couple of days from possible cleanup. Two attempts to try to suck up water have resulted in more water entering in from the walls to fill back up again. So we wait until the ground is dry. Then we evaluate the damage. The basement studio is now in the dining room and living room. I am reluctant to place items back down there again until we can feel confident about the water flow. And if work is required to jack-hammer the concrete to add a new drain tile system, that would certainly ensure that nothing is placed down there for awhile.

It wasn't all humorless. While stranded at home on Monday, myself and a neighbor tried chasing down some stray carp swimming down our street. Yep, fish were all over. Some snakes, too. All probably lost and trying to find their way back to the river. Actually, they probably assumed they were IN the river.

And as the waters recede, more and more fish are left beached in yards and on driveways. Small-mouth bass. Large carp. Hoses. Debris. Wood from the neighbor's woodpile. You name it. If it was not bolted down, it floated downstream.

We're pretty much fine. Some major expense coming, but it could have been a lot worse. Su didn't miss any school. I missed one day of work. And we have quite a tale to tell for years to come.

Later, I do promise to put some pictures from Good Old Days. Thanks for reading.