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Cicero residents help shape plan to prevent future flooding
Cicero is using more than $96 million in federal funding to tackle ongoing flooding problems caused by major storms.
CICERO, Ill. - Stormwater management construction will happen in Cicero. The town has suffered from rainwater flooding since 2023. Cicero received a federal grant to build new infrastructure.
They've got four different methods to prevent water from getting into basements, ruining homes.
Residents got to tell Cicero officials directly what they have been going through.
The heavy rain of July 2023 caused basement flooding, sewer backups, street and alley flooding throughout Cicero.
The backstory:
The town received more than $96 million in community development block grant disaster recovery funding from the federal government.
The town plans to use it on increasing underground stormwater storage, making sewer pipes bigger to carry more water, installing permeable alleys that keep rainwater out of pipes and residential check valves that keep water from backing up into basements.
Residents got to talk one-on-one with Cicero managers, who are compiling the information with the proposed plan to fix flooding.
Tom Tomschin, Executive Director for the Town of Cicero’s Housing Department said, "I'm a lifelong Cicero resident here as well, so I know all too well all the memories that get lost. The constant worry every time it rains. Because this is an ongoing issue. I mean, storms are getting more devastating. This past Monday, we got three inches of rain in about an hour and a half, you know, so it's not if, it's when it's going to happen again.
"So really our investments are looking for long-term resiliency and to get water out of the sort of sewer system to prevent this devastation again."
With residents’ input, they were able to pinpoint trouble spots in the town. One is right by the Water Reclamation District.
They hope to start working on the projects next year and are required to complete them by 2030.
The Source: The information in this report came from the Town of Cicero and a Wednesday meeting.