More than 9,000 DuPage County homes and businesses received extensive damage to their properties from the April flood. In an effort to help relieve some of the financial burden, the federal government is providing grants and low-interest loans to help cover some of the uninsured costs endured by families.
Throughout the past month, DuPage County’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management have worked with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to collect flood damage reports from residents and businesses. The information was then provided to the federal government, resulting in the presidential declaration. The declaration provides financial assistance to flood victims through grants to help with temporary housing, home repairs or replacement and other flood-related expenses. Low interest loans are also available to residents and businesses.
Residents can visit www.disasterassistance.gov or call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) to apply for assistance. The toll-free telephone number will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily until further notice.
For those who wish to apply for financial assistance in person, residents can visit the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) located at the Lisle Police Department, 5040 Lincoln Ave. The facility will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily until further notice. Even though the Lisle Police Department is housing the DRC, all questions pertaining to federal disaster assistance or the DRC should be directed to FEMA at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). Please note that the assistance offered via the DRC location is identical to assistance available to residents who register via the phone number or website listed above. As such, it may be much easier for residents with telephone or Internet access to apply directly via phone or Internet, as opposed to waiting for a DRC location to open, traveling to the DRC, waiting in line at the facility, etc.
In most cases, a FEMA inspector will contact applicants within a few days of registering to arrange a visit to their damaged home or apartment. A FEMA inspector will always have an official badge visible during the inspection. Residents should request to see identification before allowing the inspector to enter their homes.
Applicants who qualify for FEMA assistance will receive a federal government check or the funds will be directly deposited into their designated bank account. A separate letter also will be sent to eligible recipients, explaining how they may use the funds.
For additional information regarding Individual Assistance and Public Assistance, including the location of the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center (once it is selected by FEMA), residents may also monitor www.ProtectDuPage.org and/or www.Facebook.com/ProtectDuPage.