Water Damage Restoration in Charleston, IL

In June 2008, the Embarras River did something residents said only the 1950s and 2002 floods had done — and then went further. Intense storms from Wednesday through Sunday pushed the river to an estimated 20-plus feet of water, an EIU geology professor calling it a roughly once-in-a-century flood. Cabins on River Road were inundated until the neighborhood was almost entirely submerged, several houses floated off their foundations, and the Lincoln Highway bridge closed from Sunday afternoon into early Monday — water arriving from intense rain in northern Illinois draining down southbound rivers.

It's only one of Charleston's water stories. In February 2014, an ice jam on the Embarras broke free at the East Harrison Bridge and the fire department rescued 16 people stranded overnight — ice chunks piled at the bridge "looked like Antarctica," in Fire Chief Pat Goodwin's words. Town Branch Creek runs right through the middle of town, flash-flooding parks and streets on its way to Cassell Creek and the Wabash. And Eastern Illinois University's campus floods from within: in April 2006, about four inches of rain sent water into EIU residence-hall and building basements mid-semester — McKinney Hall's basement flooded, the Housing & Dining office was under water by 10:30 a.m., Greek Court areas were blocked off, and students used buckets. Rapid Water Damage Restoration Illinois answers 24/7 across Charleston at (773) 200-3228.

Common causes of water damage in Charleston

• The Embarras River. East of town, the river's 100-mile midsection is a designated Biologically Significant Stream — but in flood it is simply powerful. June 2008's once-in-a-century event (20+ feet, houses floated off foundations) and comparable 1950s and 2002 floods define the high-water mark; Lake Charleston, built in 1947, is the river's only major impoundment and no flood-control structure for the town.
• Ice jams. The February 2014 jam at the East Harrison Bridge stranded 13 people in a house and three more on an "island" of land overnight — a winter water risk distinct from spring river rises.
• Town Branch Creek. This urban creek runs through the middle of Charleston, including park areas, on its way to Cassell Creek and the Wabash River — a recurring flash-flood path whenever storms stall over town.
• Mostly combined sewers. A historical IEPA study found roughly 60% of the town served by combined sewers with eight overflow points, and NPDES permit records show ongoing CSO-related work. Charleston Public Works inspects flood-prone inlets and culverts and checks pump stations ahead of storms — a sign the system needs babysitting.
• EIU's dense rental district. Rental houses and apartment buildings line 4th, 6th, 9th, and 12th Streets, Arthur Avenue, and Taft Avenue — complexes like Royal Heights, Campus Pointe, Panther Heights, The Metro, The Pines, and University Village, plus pre-war homes converted to duplexes and multi-unit student rentals. Basement-level apartments and older converted houses with aging plumbing take water during mid-semester cloudbursts, not just winter.
• The 1917 tornado precedent. On May 26, 1917, a tornado destroyed about 220 homes and badly damaged 265 more in Charleston, killing 38. Period accounts called Charleston's damage less severe than Mattoon's, crediting better construction — but every big wind event since has turned torn roofs into interior-water claims.

Areas we serve in Charleston

We cover all of Charleston in ZIP 61920: the EIU campus including Old Main, the McKinney Hall and Greek Court areas, the student rental corridors along 4th, 6th, 9th, and 12th Streets, Arthur Avenue, and Taft Avenue, downtown's square, the River Road and Lincoln Highway bridge area, the Town Branch Creek park areas, and out toward Lake Charleston, Fox Ridge State Park, and the Douglas-Hart Nature Center. Call (773) 200-3228 anytime.

Frequently asked questions