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2017 Storm Update

July 12, 2017: National Weather Service Issues Flash Flood Watch 
Communities throughout Lake County were hit with significant rainfall in a short period time. The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch from 9 PM tonight until 9 AM tomorrow morning. Five to eight inches of rain has fallen and additional amounts are expected through the day. City staff will be working throughout the night to address any urgent matters. Motorists are urged to drive with caution. 
 
Roads in the Danny Cunniff Park neighborhood area including Trail Way from Half Day Rd to Parkside Ave are impassable. Do not drive or attempt to transit this area. Other significant street closures are listed to the right. Public Works vehicles are being used as barricades. 

If your street is flooded, please contact Public Works at 847.432.0807 or report it through the City's non-emergency request tracker, which will allow residents to see if their street has already been reported and allow residents to see the status of the work. If you have an emergency, call 911.

For regular updates, please monitor the city website at www.cityhpil.com.

Major Street Closures Update

Lake Cook Road at Red Oak
Ramp from North Bound 41 to East Bound and West Bound Central
Central just east of Fredrickson East Bound closed, 1 lane West Bound
Park Avenue West east of 41 and at the Target signal light
Half Day at Summit remains open but traffic is slow due to standing water
Trail Way North of Half Day up to Parkside all side streets impassable
Tanglewood Court impassable
Most of the streets West of Summit
Taylor Avenue impassable

The Following Streets Have Been Cleared...
University Avenue South of Apple Tree
Beverly between Central and Harvard
Summit between Marl Oak and Half Day
Additional closures can be viewed at www.lakecountypassage.com

ComEd Outages
As of 4:00 PM, ComEd reported there are approximately 299 customers without power in Highland Park. Report outages to ComEd at 800.334.7661. To view current ComEd outage information, please visit ComEd's Outage Map at https://outagemap.comed.com/.

Lakeshore Recycling Systems
Lakeshore Recycling is continuing to operate regular trash and recycling collection today for properties and roads which are accessible. Should you need to schedule a special pick up, please contact Lakeshore Recycling at 773.685.8811. When you call, please indicate what type of materials need to be picked up. Materials need to be moved to the curb for collection.  

Lake County Health Department advises residents to be careful during flooding
Heavy rains in Lake County have brought about incidents of flooding and possible sewer back-ups in a number of areas. The Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center recommends the following steps to minimize health hazards due to flooding.

  • Do not attempt to enter or cross flooded streams or rivers. Floodwaters can be very powerful. Even streams, rivers, and areas of standing water that appear to be calm or shallow can be very dangerous.
  • Avoid contact with floodwater if possible. Flood water can contain organisms that may cause disease. Prevent children and pets from playing in or drinking water left in puddles or flooded areas.
  • Wash hands and scrub fingernails thoroughly with soap and safe water, especially before eating or drinking.
  • Do not eat food that has been exposed to floodwaters. Thoroughly wash off sealed cans in good condition. Immerse the cans in a bleach disinfecting solution made by mixing two teaspoons of household bleach per gallon of water for at least five minutes. All spoiled foods and leaky or bulged cans should be discarded.
  • Consult a physician about obtaining a tetanus booster if you work in or walk through floodwaters. People with open cuts or other wounds should take extreme care when walking through floodwaters due to the possibility of contracting tetanus. In general, flood workers who have had a tetanus shot within the past 10 years will not need to be revaccinated. However, workers who acquire a wound and who have not had a tetanus shot within 5 to 10 years may need a tetanus booster.
  • If you have a private well, check its condition. If the well casing is submerged, surface water may have entered the well and contaminated the drinking water. In these cases, you should not drink the water until the flood waters have receded and the water from the well is tested and shown to meet drinking water standards. Contact Environmental Health Services at 847.377.8020 for well-testing information.
  • Check for safety hazards before entering a flooded home or basement. Make sure that no electrical or other safety hazards, such as leaking gas exist.
  • Scrub basement and other areas that have been flooded with a household detergent solution. Use a solution of one-quarter cup of household bleach in a gallon of water, then flush the washed areas with safe water.
  • Scrub furniture, walls, fixtures, and appliances with soap and safe water.
  • Machine wash affected clothing, bedding, and cloth toys.
  • Sanitize non-porous children’s toys by first washing them with soap and safe water, then soaking them for at least one minute in a solution of one tablespoon of bleach to a gallon of water. Do not rinse objects after soaking; allow to air dry.

Do not hesitate to ask any questions if you have any doubts about the safety of any food, water or conditions around your home. Call Environmental Health Services of the Lake County Health Department at 847.377.8020. You can access an interactive map of current road closures and traffic information on the Lake County PASSAGE website, www.lakecountypassage.com/ and on Twitter by following @LCPASSAGE.

North Shore Gas
North Shore Gas advises homeowners that as a safety precaution, they should replace any appliance which has been under water. When appliances have been submerged, it may damage electronic components. Since many homeowners don't want to replace their appliances, North Shore Gas' policy is to not relight the pilot. Homeowners should have their contractor or plumber on call to do so.