The Kane County Board voted 18-4 Tuesday night to approve a $20 million stormwater infrastructure improvement plan targeting neighborhoods in Aurora and Elgin that have experienced repeated flooding over the past decade. The five-year capital program will replace aging culverts, expand detention basins, and install new pump stations along Indian Creek and Tyler Creek corridors.
County Engineer Priya Vasquez told the board that 14 residential areas across the two cities currently face what her office classifies as 'chronic inundation risk,' meaning homes are likely to take on water during any rainfall event exceeding two inches per hour. 'We've studied this for three years. The data is unambiguous — these systems were designed for a climate pattern that no longer exists,' Vasquez said.