FEMA officials visit Kane County to assess damage
A team of seven disaster response officials from local, state and federal agencies toured flood-damaged areas in the Tri-Cities Tuesday and will visit devastated areas upriver today to determine whether it qualifies as a federal disaster area.
Led by Don Bryant, director of Kane County's Office of Emergency Management, the team was one of six visiting the state's storm-ravaged areas this week. The teams include disaster assessment officials from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Federal Emergency Management Agency.
"We are here to see the worst-damaged properties, first of all," said Small Business Administration construction analyst Justin Johnson.
On a tour of the Mill Race Inn, Johnson asked owner Charles Roumeliotis to estimate the extent of the water damage to his Geneva restaurant.
"This was destroyed," Roumeliotis said, pointing out one area in the building's basement. He estimates rising water from the nearby Fox River damaged $35,000 worth of food and liquor.
Kane is one of six Illinois counties to be declared state disaster areas by Gov. Rod Blagojevich, which means they can take advantage of state trucks and inmate work crews for cleanup. A federal declaration would result in even more aid for affected areas.
After Geneva, Bryant drove officials to the Valley View area of St. Charles Township. Much of Grove Avenue was underwater for days after the violent thunderstorms of nearly two weeks ago. Tuesday it was dry, but sandbags, mattresses, couches and rolled-up carpet lining the curbs served as a reminder of the devastation.
Team members interviewed Bob Przewlocki and John Fomusa, two of the many residents of this neighborhood who were forced to evacuate.
"Keep your receipts," FEMA representative Vincent Bucci told Fomusa.
Flood victims might be entitled to federal reimbursement for their expenses.
Today the team is scheduled to visit the Richardson subdivision in Dundee Township, an Elgin mobile home community and a neighborhood in Algonquin.