Weeks later, families still wait on government flood help

When the swollen Fox River reached Pamela and George Schwartz's top stoop last month, they knew it was time to evacuate. The couple locked up the house and hurried out the door, grabbing only her purse and his wallet. They waded into thigh-high water and climbed onto the back of a neighbor's truck. The neighborhood Samaritan drove them to safety at a higher elevation. But the Schwartzes' problems were far from over. They had no clothes, no toiletries and no plan. They checked into the Elgin Days Inn and hoped their four cats would be spared. They were, as it turned out, but the toll on the Schwartzes' daily lives, which included weeks without electricity or safe water, continues even now. The Aug. 23 storms wreaked havoc on the couple's lives in ways seen repeatedly throughout the suburbs last month. Now, like most people uprooted by the heavy rains, they're waiting to see how the state and federal governments will help. "Hopes are not high," Pam Schwartz says. "But we're still hoping."Gov. Rod Blagojevich Friday sought to declare as federal disaster areas much of northern Illinois still reeling from the bruising rains and floods. In doing so, he proclaimed the combined local, county and state resources insufficient and beyond recovery capabilities. Blagojevich already had declared parts of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties state disaster areas.If approved, the federal distinction could offer grants for homeowners, low-interest loans for businesses, and financial help for towns water-logged by storms across Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Lake, LaSalle, McHenry and Will counties. It also could bankroll projects that prevent such future damages. A review of Illinois' request for assistance is under way by Federal Emergency Management Agency officials in Washington, D.C.Yet how and when federal officials will rule on the request remained unclear Monday. "Obviously, we know a quick response to the state is important to the individuals affected by the disaster," agency spokeswoman Cat Langel said. In August, the Federal Emergency Management Agency designated as a federal disaster Stephenson and Winnebago counties walloped by an Aug. 7 flash flood. But a year earlier, a similar request after a similar storm for the same area was denied."The fact the same area was hit twice could have made a difference to them. I don't know," said Patti Thompson, spokeswoman for the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. "Obviously, we think this is needed since we put in the application."The move to seek the federal government's help came days after officials with the IEMA, FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration wrapped up a two-week survey of the hardest hit suburbs. Their findings estimated damages and analyzed state and local response. They also detailed the availability of assistance from other federal agencies, charities, volunteers and private interest groups. Fierce storms destroyed nearly six dozen homes across the swath of nine counties. More than 160 others -- including the Schwartzes' and 24 others in Kane County -- sustained major damage. About 5,000 homes more suffered lesser damage.Towns also were dealt a blow. To date, the municipal price tags total $22.8 million in the affected areas, officials said. Des Plaines alone accrued $2.2 million in damages.While the bureaucratic wheels turn, the once water-logged residents wait. The Schwartzes, who live in the Richardson subdivision near East Dundee, have spent weeks cleaning up their home. River mud had coated their floors and belongings, leaving a fine, gray powder that gets tracked everywhere. The Red Cross dropped off cleaning supplies such as Pine-Sol and mops. They also gave the couple a debit card to help pay for food and other incidentals. "They were here quickly and offering help," Pam Schwartz said. "It's the only help we've received."The Schwartzes believe most of their expenses will be covered by their insurance policy, though they already know they will not be reimbursed for their hotel stay. The couple lived in the Days Inn for nearly two weeks while their home was uninhabitable. Their unincorporated neighborhood had no electricity, no running water and no sanitation system for several days.The tiny subdivision, a bucolic area with 25 homes, also was under a boil order for nearly a fortnight. The strong currents during the flooding tore out the water lines under the home and made even a simple task like flushing the toilet impossible. During their two-week hotel stay, the couple say they racked up at least $2,200 in food and lodging expenses. Unless the federal government offers them a grant, they'll swallow the cost themselves. "That will have to come from our own pocket," Pam Schwartz says. "But we had no other choice." The couple could request a low-interest loan through state Treasurer's Alexi Giannoulias' office, but they have decided against it. About 250 area residents and business owners already have requested loan applications, a spokesman said. Few requests exceed $25,000.For their part, the Schwartzes say they'll survive, regardless of whether the federal government intervenes. But they worry about their neighbors, particularly those who live on fixed incomes and couldn't afford flood insurance. Their next-door neighbor's home, for example, was destroyed by the rising waters. The carpeting, appliances and drywall all have been ripped out and thrown in a driveway Dumpster. The man's neighbors and church friends have spent the past three weeks helping restore the home, which was not covered by flood insurance. But he'll need more than their kindness to make the house inhabitable again. "We're hoping other people in this neighborhood will get the help they need," Pam Schwartz says. "They need the federal government to help them out."In the meantime, the Schwartzes will continue to shower at a relative's home until the drain line to their tub can be repaired. It'll be an interesting race to see which comes through first: the plumber or federal assistance. "The wheels of bureaucracy turn slowly," George Schwartz says. "You know what I expect from the government? Nothing. A big goose egg." 512306Pam & George Schwartz of Dundee Township are still grappling with the impact of the August storm.Brian Hill | Staff Photographer