DuPage, Cook among counties declared disaster areas

Areas of DuPage and Cook counties ravaged by flooding in late July are now federal disaster areas along with five other Illinois counties.

President Barack Obama made the declaration Thursday, which releases federal funds to help property owners in the flood-ravaged areas recover from the damage. The other counties are Carroll, Jo Daviess, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago.

Property owners who sustained losses can begin applying for assistance today by visiting disasterassistance.gov or calling FEMA at (800) 621-3362.

Sen. Dick Durbin said every member of the Illinois congressional delegation urged the president to make the declaration.

"Although the floodwaters have receded and the storms are long gone, residents and business owners are still facing a mountain of challenges," Durbin said. "I am hopeful that the federal restoration efforts will begin dealing with the most seriously affected residents first."

The state had declared the areas disaster areas shortly after the flooding occurred, but that only expedited cleanup and offered no financial assistance to property owners.

Much of the damage was done following storms that rolled through the area July 24 and dumped eight inches of rain on some areas in less than seven hours. Several days of intermittent showers aggravated the situation.

Flooding was prevalent in large portions of Carol Stream, Glendale Heights, Lombard and Elmhurst in DuPage County.