Who will pay for the storm damage?

During Thursday's storm, the Berg family checked their basement to make sure it hadn't flooded. Seconds later, a surge of water came flying through the basement door of the Arlington Heights home with such force that it knocked the door off its frame.

The power never went out, the sump pump was always working and the house had never had flooding problems before.

But in no time, their furnished basement filled with water all the way up the basement stairs, just one step from perilously reaching their kitchen.

"It's devastating," Roz Berg said.

Facing several thousands of dollars in damage, the Bergs, like many other families, are left asking: How much will it cost to get things back to normal? And who will pay?

Insurance claims will certainly cover some of the costs, for those lucky enough to have it .

On Friday and Saturday alone, State Farm Insurance Co. received more than 7,144 home claims and more than 1,027 vehicle claims from Chicago area policy-holders whose property was damaged by the storm last week, State Farm spokeswoman Missy Lundberg said Sunday.

Whether or not the government will help individuals and business owners remains to be seen.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Friday declared six counties -- Cook, Lake, DuPage, McHenry, DeKalb and Kane -- state disaster areas due to flooding and severe storms last week. The designation makes state resources available to those communities affected by the storms.

Those resources go to local governmental bodies to help them pay for storm cleanup, among other things. But the state declaration won't add up to money in the average homeowner's or business owner's pocket, officials said.

But, there is hope. Declaring the state a disaster area is the first step for these counties to be declared federal disaster areas, which could bring monetary relief to homeowners, Illinois Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman Patty Thompson told the Daily Herald.

State officials want to seek federal disaster status, but before that happens, state officials need to play the waiting game.

"Before a federal request is made, we need to provide them with numbers like the homes that were affected and the costs," Thompson said.

Until the water goes down and the area clears, it's hard to tell if a home is completely destroyed or if it just has minor damage, Thompson said.

At this point, officials are not sure if the state is even eligible to apply for federal disaster aid. That won't be clear until the water recedes and officials can get hard numbers on what the damages really consist of.

If the affected counties from this storm were named federal disaster areas, the aid would vary depending on the kind of federal disaster declaration the area receives. The government could offer public assistance, which would give aid to the local governments, or it could offer individual assistance, which would go to area homeowners and business owners, she said.

No matter what, there will be red tape.

Three weeks ago, the Rockford-area got pounded with more than 5 inches of rain, and Gov. Blagojevich declared Winnebago County a state disaster area days later. Those residents are still waiting for a federal disaster declaration, Thompson said.

In that case, IEMA and FEMA went to the area and went street by street figuring out the extent of the damages, which took about five or six business days, Thompson said.

Rockford's request for a federal disaster declaration was sent in early last week, and officials are currently waiting for a response.

For residents with piles of waterlogged furniture and boxes of keepsakes and files at the ends of their driveways, the wait might seem long.

Several items in front of Bob and Kathi Stewart's Arlington Heights house told the story of their weekend.

The Stewarts spent Thursday night bailing water out of their basement. After more than five hours they had to stop because of sheer exhaustion.

Among the destroyed items were two couches, a recliner, carpeting, all the food in a refrigerator and freezer and a computer.

"I couldn't tell you how much everything cost. The food alone was at least $400," Kathi Stewart said.

"You can't replace the stuff," Bob Stewart said, pointing to a caricature of his son that they got at Sea World years ago.

The waterlogged drawing is propped against the inside wall of the garage, clearly one item that the Stewarts hesitate to put out by the curb with the wet recliner.

While waiting for word on claims and aid, residents can apply for low-interest loans under the state's Opportunity Illinois Disaster Loan program.

People who are waiting for insurance settlements or other aid programs to take effect are eligible, according to Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, but residents must file an Opportunity Illinois loan application within 90 days of the disaster declaration.

More information on those loans is available by calling (312) 814-1244 or by e-mailing opportunityillinois@treasurer.state.il.us.

The Red Cross is also offering assistance for residents. So far, they have served more than 1,000 snacks and meals to residents, relief workers and "anyone who needs a bottle of water or a little bit of comfort," Red Cross spokeswoman Martha Dittmar said. If your house is flooded and you need a safe place to stay, call the Red Cross at (312)729-6100.

In the meantime, residents will have to wait and hope for the best.

"With the beautiful sky today, you wouldn't think anything was ever wrong," Berg said. "Hopefully, I pray, the insurance will help us. If not, I'm in big trouble."