Lisle's Flood History

1. Why the Water Keeps Coming

Lisle, Illinois, sits in a low bowl where the East Branch of the DuPage River meets a web of creeks. Rain racing off nearby suburbs funnels straight toward town. In the 1960s the state built an earthen levee to hold the river back, but that fix came with a catch: when flap gates close during a storm, rain that falls inside the levee must be pumped back out. If the pumps fail—or a storm drops more water than they can handle—streets turn to streams. Here is a quick dive into Lisle's flood history.

Check out Lisles flood map HERE

2. Lisle's Flood History

Year	What Unleashed the Flood	High‑Water Highlights	Lasting Effects
1972	Days of spring rain overflowed creeks.	First serious test of the new levee.	Prompted routine levee inspections.
1987	A single August cloudburst dumped 9 inches in 18 hours.	Salt Creek and the DuPage River spilled everywhere.	Regionwide review of emergency warning systems. ABC7 Chicago
1996	A stalled July thunderstorm poured 16–17 inches of rain across the western suburbs.	River crested ~14.7 ft; 400+ Lisle homes flooded.	49 repetitively flooded Valley View homes bought out and turned into open space.
2008 (Sept.)	Remnants of Hurricane Ike delivered 7 inches on soaked ground.	Four Lakes residents evacuated by boat.	Village began fast‑tracking downtown storm‑sewer upgrades.
2008 (Dec.)	Warm rain on deep snowpack right after Christmas.	Rare winter flood; clogged drains added to misery.	Triggered push for better culvert maintenance.
2013	Two‑day April storm dropped 7 inches on saturated soils.	Record crest ~17.5 ft; levee overtopped, 300+ buildings hit, 100+ evacuations.	Federal disaster aid, new FEMA maps, and a full levee‑rehab plan with the U.S. Army Corps. Village of LisleVillage of Lisle

A Closer Look at the 2013 Deluge

• Pumps inside the levee were swamped, letting stormwater rise until it spilled over the embankment.

• Downtown streets—from Ogden Avenue to Main—became rivers within hours.

• Thanks to swift CodeRED alerts and practiced responders, no serious injuries were reported.

3. Turning Disaster into Progress

1. Buying Out Trouble Spots

   • After 1996 and again after 2013, Lisle used FEMA grants to buy and demolish roughly 80 high‑risk houses. Those lots now soak up floodwater instead of needing rescue crews. Village of Lisle

2. PrairieWalk Pond—Storage That Looks Like a Park

   • Opened in 2010‑11, this two‑acre basin in downtown Lisle can hold nine acre‑feet of overflow from St. Joseph Creek while providing trails, native plants, and a splash of scenery. In 2013 it shaved critical inches off downtown flooding. Village of Lisleillinoisfloods.org

     
     

     

     
     

3. Levee Rehab and River Room to Roam

   • A 2021 Project Partnership Agreement with the Army Corps will raise and armor 5,600 feet of levee, add erosion control, and secure easements for long‑term upkeep—65 % of the cost is federal. Village of Lisle

4. Better Maps, Stricter Rules

   • Updated FEMA flood maps (2019) use modern LiDAR elevations. New homes in any mapped zone must build at least two feet above the expected high‑water mark.

5. Insurance Discounts that Reward Preparation

   • Lisle’s hard work earned a Class 5 rating in FEMA’s Community Rating System. Owners in the floodplain get a 25 % break on National Flood Insurance Program premiums, saving hundreds of dollars a year. Village of LisleHome

6. Flood‑Ready Culture

   • Annual mailers, library displays, school talks, and social‑media pushes remind residents how to elevate furnaces, install back‑flow valves, and evacuate safely. The motto: “Anywhere it can rain, it can flood—be ready.”

4. Life in Lisle Today—Safer but Still Vigilant

With Lisles flood history, Smaller scares in 2020 and 2023 proved the new systems work: pumps held, PrairieWalk Pond captured runoff, and only a handful of basements needed cleanup. Still, officials urge homeowners—even those outside the high‑risk zone—to carry flood insurance and keep an eye on CodeRED alerts. Projects on the horizon include:

• Final levee construction phases (target completion 2026)

• Possible upstream storage ponds in partnership with DuPage County

• Ongoing buyouts where elevation isn’t practical

The village that once dreaded every dark cloud now showcases restored wetlands, scenic walking paths, and a well‑drilled emergency team. By mixing smart engineering with public outreach, Lisle shows how a community can live with water—rather than fight it—while keeping families, businesses, and its “Arboretum Village” charm safe for the next generation.