ALBANY PARK FLOOD OF SEPTEMBER 13, 2008
The following are messages I sent to concerned
relatives and friends:
Hello everyone!!! This is Auntie Lily. It's noon,
September 16, I'm back now in my house and the cleanup begins.
Let me give you a recap of what happened....
When I woke up early morning of September 13, the streets
around me had some water of at least a few inches covering the
pavement. Tom went out to clean the catch basins but he noticed
that the water was full. He went back in and then my neighbors
tried to clean the catch basins, too. The water drained on the
street but the river was slowly rising. The current was strong
going east. During this time rain was pouring relentlessly but
not that heavy. Around noon, I noticed that my Ford Windstar's
wheels were halfway underwater. I hurriedly moved it to higher
ground. Tom moved our other 2 white vans to Argyle Street and
to Pulaski. On his way back, Tom had to walk through the
slowly disappearing sidewalk. Everyone was in and out of their
front porches watching the water rise. City of Chicago tow
trucks started towing cars to higher ground. Semis started
coming in with tons of sand bags. Tom and I decided that there
was nothing else we could do but watch the water rise. That's
not what other people did that night. On 4 feet deep water,
people came in groups. Two men holding a plastic toy pool to
fill with sand bags. 2 women trying to carry 2 bags each.
Children playing in the water and sometimes helping but those
effort were deemed futile because the current was getting
stronger. We decided to just sleep through the flood and maybe
the water will recede the following day.
Sometime 2 AM, Sunday, September 14, Chicago police was
ringing the door bell. We were told to evacuate because the
river might rise further and we'll be stranded. We were going
to be arrested if we don't leave. I was able to gather
underwear and clothes for 2 days. Tom was able to prepare for
extra day change. I was going to take my 2 cellular phone,
charger and beadwork projects but I had to leave. They were
ringing the door bell constantly and 5 minutes is all we had.
City of Chicago workers sand bagged along the sidewalk. We
had to walk through the sides of the houses and through the
bushes. 7 residents (some of them still in PJ's) were with us
when we were transported to North Park Nature Center. Red
Cross, Salvation Army and Chicago Human Services were waiting
for us. We were provided with cots, care packages, blankets,
food, pop and water. There was nothing to do at the shelter but
to sleep, eat, tell jokes, exercise, do crossword puzzles and
talk. I met neighbors that were living in Albany park for
years. I thought 25 years of residence is too long but Marilyn
had been living by me for 40 years and I just met her at the
shelter.
Marilyn had been calling her children. She told me that I
should call my daughter because she might have seen the news and
worry about me. I told Marilyn that my daughter is pretty smart
and she will check the internet and call places till she find
me. I didn't want to impose on people using the cellular which
I should have.
Before midnight, Sunday, September 14, 2008, someone is waking me up from my deep
sleep. I was mad but when I looked up it was Lorrina. I know
she'll find me. I and Tom stayed at Lorrina's house in Elgin.
It was such a relief to sleep on a nice bed and not a cot. My
back and neck hurt.
1:29 PM, September 16, our basement
still have some puddle of water. We plan to dispose our washer
and dryer and most items. We need to disenfect because Chicago
has combined line for sewer and drain.
I'm lucky I live in the US as Cel describe. Red Cross,
Salvation Army, the city and the federal government rush to my
aid. They were like relatives at the time of need.
