President Joe Biden on Tuesday issued a disaster declaration for areas in Illinois affected by heavy rains and flooding earlier this summer, freeing federal funds to assist in recovery efforts.
The federal money will supplement state and local efforts to help Cook County residents and businesses who suffered losses due to severe storms that hit the area from June 29 to July 2, according to the White House.
Additional counties could be added to the disaster area and made eligible for assistance as damage assessments are completed.
Storms during the period cited by the White House dumped as much as 9 inches of rain over some parts of the Chicago area, flooding basements, making roads impassable and overwhelming the Deep Tunnel flood control system. Among the hardest hit areas were the Austin community on Chicago’s West Side and the suburbs of Cicero, Berwyn and Stickney.
Federal assistance “can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster,” according to a release from the White House.
Residents and business owners who suffered damage from the storm can apply for help through www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), or by using the FEMA app.
