Schneider Tours Flood Areas, Pitches In

Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Deerfield) may have been in Washington when heavy rain brought severe floods to parts of the 10th Congressional District, but he became immersed in it before he could get home.

Schneider planned to return to his Deerfield residence Thursday night but weather delays kept him away until late Friday morning. After returning, he went to see the flood damage along the Des Plaines River in Des Plaines, Mount Prospect and Wheeling.

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By Saturday morning he became a volunteer, bringing friends and staff members with him to help with sandbagging efforts in Lincolnshire and Fox Lake. There was plenty of company. “I’m really impressed by the community people volunteering,” he said.

Schneider and the rest of the Illinois Congressional delegation is ready to do its part offering assistance as soon as Gov. Patrick Quinn makes a formal request. A complete assessment of damage must come first.

“We will work with county and local government to deal with the immediate emergency,” Schneider said. “They are on top of it and doing a great job. The firefighters, police and public service workers have all come together and are working long hours.”

In some communities, the first responders are working from 7 a.m. to midnight. “They’re doing it with confidence and making (the situation) as best as possible,” Schneider said.

Schneider recognizes there will be short-term efforts like keeping the water back as he did Saturday with sandbags, intermediate efforts like cleaning the residue once the water recedes and the long-range remedies where the consequences have been severe.

“They’re talking about buying some of the house in Des Plaines,” Schneider said referring to those close to the river with significant damage. “You can’t even see most of the debris now because it’s under water.”

After seeing a person rescued from a flooded home, he urged people to take precautions for their safety. “They couldn’t get out (of their home) without help from a boat or canoe,” he said of the family saved.