Located just 17 miles northwest of the Loop with a population of about 59,000. The city of Des Plaines, also known as the “City of Destiny,” is a suburban transportation hub. Planes, trains, buses, and highways makes Des Plaines a very busy city. This city has dealt with flooding as a constant threat since the mid 1800’s as it is located right on the Des Plaines River.The city of Des Plaines has been the site of several major floods throughout the years. As its downtown lies almost right on the Des Plaines River, it usually gets hit first when the waters start rising, and it has – at times – been closed off and almost inaccessible when things get really dire.The two worst floods were in September 2008 and in October 1987 when the Des Plaines River flooded several main arteries such as Algonquin or Des Plaines River Rd, and several residents had to be evacuated. In August of 2007 the river got to almost 9 feet, and a year later in September 2008 it crested at over 10 feet which was more than 5 feet over the flood stage.
