Chicago-area counties in addition to Cook were declared disaster areas Monday. Gov. Rod Blagojevich made the declaration in an effort to help seniors and other residents in DuPage, DeKalb, Kane, Grundy, LaSalle and Will counties qualify for assistance with the costs of clean-up, repair and renovation.
Seniors and others who sustained property damage from last weekend’s record rainfall and subsequent flooding should note that any assistance from state or federal sources may be a long time coming. Officials said the process can take up to a year to complete. The first step is to notify your city, village, or township officials of the damage.
Keep all receipts for expenses associated with flood damage. While financial aid may be available in the future, right now the priority should be on removing wet furniture, carpeting, drywall, and insulation, and taking steps to dry out the home as soon as possible, before mold takes hold.
More detailed information about recovering from a flood in your home can be found at www.redcross.org/static/file_cont333_lang0_150.pdf.
