Record flood levels along the Fox River in Algonquin have prevented cursory damage assessments being made until Aug. 1, by village inspectors. (Photo by Gregory Harutunian/for Chronicle Media)

As communities surrounding the Chain O’ Lakes and Upper Fox River waterway systems prepare to clean up and assess floodwater damage, the village of Algonquin will not have inspectors from its Building and Zoning Department making the rounds to hard-hit residential neighborhoods until Aug. 1.

Fox River waters remain high, and have delayed any cursory evaluations that will drive state and federal assistance.

Fox Waterway Agency indicated that the rainstorm that passed over the Algonquin area July 25 was a “lucky break” in not adding to the water levels. “The Chain O’ Lakes system dropped a couple of inches on that date, but it’s an inverse effect,” said Joe Keller, the agency’s executive director. “When it goes down in the Chain, it goes up along the Fox River, before emptying into the Illinois River downstream.”

A prime example of the impact was the forced cancellation of the Algonquin “Founder’s Days” festival that was slated for July 27-30. The annual downtown event, a summer staple held consecutively since 1961, was halted last week despite discussions to move the event site. A statement from the organizing committee said, “The village entities and their resources have been overextended … we all need to concentrate our efforts on the residents that are in most need of help.”

Assistant Village Administrator Michael Kumbera noted that the initial July 12 torrential rainstorms bringing record flood levels to the river running through the municipality had created unparalleled hardships on residents and businesses in the historic downtown area. Sandbag blockades, water pumps, volunteer efforts in constructing walls, and vigilance were the only weapons against the inundation of floodwaters.

“We had about 40,000 sandbags distributed throughout the neighborhoods, and more ready to go,” said Kumbera. “The river finally crested at 13.65 feet above flood stage, and as of July 25, it was still at 13.01 feet. In 2013, the rain event set a record of 12.7 feet above flood stage for the river. This time, it was almost a foot more. Maybe for the next couple of weeks, we are looking forward to drier weather.”

He also said local inspectors from the village’s Building and Zoning Department will make the initial damage assessments for the residential areas. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency will come to the sites, at a later date. The village has been working with the McHenry County Emergency Management Agency in receiving assistance and resources.

A project involving infrastructure improvements on Main Street in Algonquin’s historic downtown district was also affected. Slated to begin Aug. 1, nearly $6.3 million was set aside from the village’s Fiscal Year 2018 budget, last April, encompassing replacement of the current water main and sanitary service lines. The work was a precursor to an overall $30 million renovation of the commercial areas. It coincided with an ordinance passed four years earlier.

At that time, the Village Board unanimously accepted a concept submission, from Chicago-based Land Visions, Inc., for the best use possibilities of downtown redevelopment. The ordinance also directed those designs to be incorporated into the village’s 5-Year Capital Improvements Program, aided by a tax-increment financing district, created in 2014.

“We were just going out for bids on the infrastructure work, but it’s hard to tell what there is for a damage assessment from the flood,” said Algonquin Community Development Director Russ Farnum. “There’s just no strong number on the impact. We have to wait until the water drops, and the village is intent on the clean-up.

“We have to get public input. Presently, Town Park, Cornish Park, and Riverside Park are all under water,” he said. “There’s another focus, rather than structures.”

La Fox River Drive, an area of historic homes in proximity to the Algonquin River Bridge, is one of many residential streets lined with sandbags and makeshift dams. Impacted by severe flooding, standing water pools continue to dot the landscape amid homeowners working to protect their properties.

A public health notice was also issued by the McHenry County Health Department, which revealed that testing of mosquitoes in the Lake In The Hills has revealed the presence of West Nile Virus. The municipality is adjacent to Algonquin. Two crops of mosquitoes are expected in the next few weeks, with subsequent flood-period batches potentially carrying the virus.

–Algonquin Flood Levels Delay Damage Assessments–