Villa Park and the surrounding area received a one-two punch from Mother Nature last week. Severe storms blew through the village during the afternoon of Monday, July 27. Those storms knocked out power, damaged trees, and caused flooding in many areas.
The July 27 storms caused power outages at several village locations, including Village Hall. Power at Village Hall was restored in time for that night’s Village Board meeting, which began at 7 p.m.
Villa Park Village President Kevin Patrick spoke about the storms at the end of the meeting. He said the storms caused “quite a bit of damage” throughout Villa Park. He praised the village’s police, fire and public works departments for helping to clear tree debris from roads. He also commended village residents for their contributions.
“When emergencies hit, we all look out for each other, and we all step up to the plate,” said Patrick.
A few days later, on Friday, July 31, and Saturday, Aug. 1, more than 3 inches of rain fell in Villa Park.
According to the Village of Villa Park’s statement on the afternoon of Aug. 1, between 3 and 3½ inches of rain fell during the previous 24 hours.
“Our crews are actively monitoring conditions throughout the community,” stated the village, which noted that the Elmhurst Quarry Flood Control Facility was in full operation. The village’s statement also noted that Villa Park’s Wet Weather Flow Treatment Facility was fully operational and handling the increased flow as designed.
“We understand the concerns that come with heavy rainfall, and we want residents to know that every available resource is being used to help mitigate flooding and manage stormwater as efficiently as possible,” added the village in its Aug. 1 statement.
On Tuesday, July 28, the village noted that its Public Works Department would collect storm-damaged trees from parkway trees only, throughout the village. According to the village, in accordance with Village Board policy, the Public Works Department would not collect debris from privately owned trees, as wind speeds in Villa Park did not exceed 55 mph, which is the threshold for private tree debris collection. The village advised residents with smaller branches and sticks (less than 4 feet in length) to place them out for their regularly scheduled weekly yard waste collection.
