Dupage Policy Journal

U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Dist. 5) and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) discussed their bicameral Urban Flooding Awareness Act legislation on Thursday at Chicago's Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) and met with local residents whose homes or businesses have been affected by urban flooding.

The legislation aims to address problems associated with flooding in urban communities and craft solutions to help affected residents recover.

“It is clear from the stories Senator Durbin and I heard today that urban flooding is impacting homeowners and businesses across the Chicago region,” Quigley said. “As we experience more severe storms, this problem will only continue to grow. We need real information to understand the pervasiveness of urban flooding so we can find solutions not just in Chicago, but across the country. I appreciate all of the work being done...to help address urban flooding. Moving forward, I will continue to work with Senator Durbin and my colleagues in D.C. to bring greater attention to this issue and do all we can to move the Urban Flooding Awareness Act forward in Congress."

"The truth of the matter is that we don’t have very much data on frequency, severity or how we might better prepare for the kind of weather that turns into flooded streets, businesses and homes," Durbin said. "The legislation Representative Quigley and I introduced earlier this year will remedy that by helping experts understand the scope of the problem and develop solutions. With the frequency and severity of storms growing year by year, we need to gain a better understanding of flooding in our cities."