Town of Cicero, Illinois, launches flood relief funding program

The Town of Cicero in Chicago's western suburbs is taking a major step toward reducing flooding problems.

At the Cicero Community Center, 2250 S. 49th Ave., town officials on Monday morning kicked off a $96 million flood relief program and announced the first round of funding.

That first round will help pay for the installation and maintenance of backflow prevention valves, which are designed to keep floodwaters out of homes.

The town said the program is the result of quick actions by Cicero Town President Larry Dominick after flooding hit Cicero, as well as several other communities in other western suburbs and on Chicago's West Side, during storms in July 2023.

A record-setting rainfall of more than 8 inches was reported, with nearly 7,000 Cicero residents reporting property damage from the rain.

U.S. Rep. Jesús "Chuy" García (D-Illinois) called the funding effort "a good outcome after one of the most challenging periods in modern Cicero history."

García described his own experience driving in amid the heavy rains of July 2023.

"I remember driving down 26th Street, coming home from either Berwyn or LaGrange. It was late afternoon, and I started to worry when the rain accumulated and was rising along 26th Street, and I wondered whether I would get caught under one of the underpasses," he said. "I made it home, but continued to watch the news for reports, and then I called President Dominick to check on the extent of the flooding. It was bad. It was very, very bad."

Illinois state Rep. Lisa Hernandez (D-Cicero), a resident of Cicero, said she is a "victim of flooding all over."

"These funds will support critical flood mitigation and infrastructure improvements that will protect homes, businesses, and public spaces from damage and destruction that too many residents experience during severe weather events," she said.

Future grants will support stormwater infrastructure upgrades, sewer repairs, and other long-term prevention.