The Melrose Park neighborhood has experienced three extreme rain events (>10 inches) in the last three years, two of which involved historic levels of rainfall resulting in days of flooded streets and water in private homes. At the May 25 Melrose Park Homeowner’s Association meeting, many questions were raised about the April 12-13 Flash Flood event and why the neighborhood flooded.

The City hosted a one-hour webinar on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, that included a presentation and question-and-answer session to help Melrose Park neighbors understand how their drainage system works and recent improvements to the drainage ditch.

While no drainage system in the City is capable of preventing impacts from a 26-inch rain event, the goal of this presentation was to set expectations on the level of flood protection the system is designed to provide, describe the City’s maintenance activities related to the Melrose Park system, and provide actions residents can take to help reduce the potential for flooding in the Melrose Park neighborhood.

Resources

• Watch a Recording of the Webinar
• View a PDF of the Presentation
• December 2022 Melrose Park Drainage Ditch Maintenance Update