Forest View Residents Vent Frustration Over Flooding

FOREST VIEW, Ill. (CBS) -- So many people jammed the Forest View Village Board meeting tonight (Tuesday) that it had to be moved to the village fire station. WBBM's Bob Roberts reports that all business was set aside except for one issue -- the flood

The crowd cheered when Village President Richard Grenvich and Fire Department Shift Commander John Kiser said no one in Forest View died. No one was seriously hurt and 258 people were rescued, some minutes from drowning. Power and water never shut down.

But the crowd turned angry when Kiser tried to explain the decision not to sound air raid sirens to warn that flooding was imminent.

Kaiser said it would have sent the wrong message to go inside to the basement if people inside heard it at all.

"People who are sleeping are not going to hear it in their homes," said Kiser.

Kiser said he collected 1,700 photos of storm damage in one day and said that his problem is that crews have been too efficient in carting away sewage-drenched belongings, destroying the evidence FEMA needs to judge its funding priorities.

In:
• Flood