Know How to Limit Your Flood Damage? - Chicago Alderman Newsletter Tracker

Email from Alderman Desmon Yancy

You Can Actually Control

Some of Your Flood Damage

Unquestionably, last week’s downpours took us by surprise. The weather forecast prepared us for about one-half inch of rain, but according to the National Weather Service, the first round of storms dumped almost three inches on the South Side.

Luckily, our Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) has constructed two major reservoirs that collect nearly five billion gallons of stormwater and prevent widespread disaster. But there are steps we also can take to maximize the reservoirs' effectiveness and minimize flooding in and around our homes.

How to Reduce Flooding

The MWRD urges you to conserve water during storms to free up capacity in sewers and local infrastructure to handle an influx of rain.
Disconnect your downspouts from the sewer. The easiest thing you can do to keep water out of the sewer system is to disconnect downspouts. Direct the water away from your (and your neighbor’s) home so it can soak into the ground.
Sign up for Overflow Action text alerts to know when to start conserving.
Visit this MWRD webpage for more information on how to help reduce flooding and protect water quality.

The 5th Ward Office Can Also Help

Call our office at (773) 924-5555, and we will alert the Department of Streets and Sanitation to flooding conditions and downed trees near you. One note: We can only submit a 311 request if an entire street is underwater. Anything less than that is a puddle, no matter how large it is. It's normal for puddles to form after a rainstorm, so it is not considered an emergency.

In service,

Alderman, 5th Ward

The Fifth Ward Drives the DMV to You

We Can Help You Prepare for the

New School Year

Leads for Your Job Search

The City of Chicago Is Also Hiring

Cook County Health Is Offering

Free Health Screenings

Interested in Immigrant Issues?

Tomorrow...

Speak up and share your vision for Chicago's public spaces during the Friends of the Parks' citywide Community Dialogues series. They will serve light refreshments and honest conversation about what it will take to keep our parks free and accessible for all.

Click here to RSVP.

Teen Activities

Teens Gather on Fridays at the

Lost Boyz Tech Space

New Tech Center Prepares Teens for the Future

The new Best Buy Teen Tech Center at Gary Comer Youth Center is now open at 7200 S. Ingleside Ave., offering young people an opportunity to explore tech careers ranging from coding and designing video games to mixing music in a studio lab.

The tech center comprises different exploration zones. One area is dedicated to photography and video, where young people can work with professional cameras. The computer science area is fitted with high-speed gaming computers. Coding, game design, animation, and character creation are taught in this space. Adding to the appeal, participants can produce podcasts, record and create music, make beats, and play instruments.

Demonstrating the career possibilities, two program coordinators and the senior manager of the Teen Tech Center are alumni of the tech program at Gary Comer.

Also at Gary Comer: Teens' Fresh Produce Addresses Our Budget and Health Concerns

This youth-led Farmers Market at the Comer Crops Youth Farm is open during the growing season: July 8 through October 31. They accept SNAP, EBT, cash, and credit. Link match available.

The market is located on the west side of the farm, across the street from the Center on S. South Chicago Avenue.

Support these youth throughout the growing season

Enjoy a wide selection of youth-raised farm-fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs at a sliding-scale price model. Shop youth-made goods, handmade crafts, and artisan products. Enjoy a tour of their one-of-a-kind farm, partake in a gardening workshop, and learn about how you can contribute to food sovereignty in our community. Indulge in delicious seasonal treats made fresh and from scratch by a youth-driven culinary team.

Youth-raised & harvested

In addition to farm and garden workshops and tours, they also feature a number of youth-crafted products like Comer Crops Raw Honey, raised and harvested by certificate-earning beekeepers.

Learn more about this award-winning Urban Agriculture Program.

Lift Your Voice

Run from Prostate Cancer on August 30

Entertainment for Families

FREE Museum Days This Summer

Adler Planetarium, 1300 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Free for Illinois residents on Aug. 26 and Sept. 8-10 and 14-15; adlerplanetarium.org.

Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Ave. Free for Illinois residents on Thursdays (July 30 and Aug. 6, 13, 20, 27) from 5 to 8 p.m.; artic.edu.

Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark St. Free for Illinois residents on Aug. 13 and 27 and Sept. 7 and 24; chicagohistory.org.

Field Museum, 1400 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Free for Illinois residents every Wednesday (July 29 and Aug. 5, 12, 19, 26); fieldmuseum.org.

Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Free for Illinois residents on Aug. 24-27 and 31 and Sept.1-2, 8-10, 15-16, 20-23, and 27-30; griffinmsi.org.

Heritage Museum of Asian Art, 3500 S. Morgan St. Free admission on the third Friday of each month (July 31 and Aug. 7, 14, 21, 28); heritageasianart.org.

Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave. Free for Illinois residents on Tuesdays (July 28 and Aug. 4, 11, 18 and 25) from 5 to 9 p.m.; Every Tuesday through Aug. 25, the MCA hosts a free contemporary jazz concert. mcachicago.org.

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, 2430 N. Cannon Drive. Free for Illinois residents on Aug. 24-26, and Sept. 8-11, 14-18, 21-25 and 28-30; naturemuseum.org.

Shedd Aquarium, 1200 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Free for Illinois residents from 5 to 9 p.m. on July 28 and Aug. 4, 11, 18 and 26; sheddaquarium.org

This Annual Basketball Tournament Supports Children and Families

The 7th Annual Back-to-School Youth Basketball Tournament & Community Event brings together youth, families, community organizations, and local leaders for a day focused on education, health, wellness, mentorship, and community engagement. The Foundation's goal is to ensure that children and families have access to the resources they need to start the school year prepared and supported.