Flood Hazard Areas

Portions of the Old Town area are comprised of 100-year floodplain. Carpenter Creek, Four Winds Way Creek and some of the property surrounding the Fox River are all part of this floodplain.

Flash-flooding is the general type of flooding caused by Carpenter Creek and Four Winds Way Creek. During a normal flood event, several inches of rain in a few hour time period flows jeopardizes the Creek’s banks and overflows generally in Carpenter Park and also in the Lincolnwood Manor subdivision.

Flooding on the Fox River is normally a much slower event, and can be better predicted in advance due to the river level gages located upriver in Algonquin and further north. Since the Fox River begins near Waukesha, Wisconsin, heavy rains in southern Wisconsin can significantly raise the river level here, even with minimal rainfall in the area.

Flood elevations reached the elevation of 718.3 at the Main Street Bridge, just inches above the 10-year event level in August 2007. In a 100-year event storm, the Fox River would be at elevation 721.0 at this same location, nearly three feet higher, with much more wide-reaching flooding impacts if that should occur.

Information on whether your property is in the 100-year floodplain can be obtained by coming into Village Hall. Maps are available to look at as well as other flood-related information. The Village also has Elevation Certificates for new development available back to 2006. Contact the Engineering Department at 847-551-3480 for further assistance.