Weary flood victims hook up with FEMA center
It didn't take Penny Kuchenbecker more than a few minutes to determine that her recently purchased home near Addison was a disaster area.
The 13-foot-deep mix of stormwater runoff and sewage backup that completely submerged her basement was a dead giveaway.
When the federal government finally concurred a few days ago, and agreed to set up a disaster recovery center at the DuPage County Government Center in Wheaton, Kuchenbecker was cautiously optimistic.
"I was getting nowhere with everybody," she said. "It took 20 days for anyone to come and pick up the garbage."
So at noon Monday when the center opened, Kuchenbecker waited patiently in line for her turn to talk with a FEMA representative, sharing tales of woe with just a couple of others in a similar predicament and getting a pile of paperwork in order.
About a half dozen FEMA representatives, along with some county staffers and Small Business Administration officials, are staffing the center that is housed in the second-floor cafeteria of the administration building at 421 N. County Farm Road in Wheaton. It is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week, and while walk-ins are welcome, flood victims are urged to call or register online for an inspection.
"Folks can come in and ask us any type of question," said Len DeCarlo, a FEMA representative. "But we need the inspection before we can really do anything."
Flood victims can call (800) 621-3362 or register online at fema.gov. Inspections could take up to five days to occur, depending on the caseload, DeCarlo said.
Residential property owners who experienced flooding may be eligible for grants or low-interest loans. Business owners can speak with Small Business Administration representatives about similar offerings. Rental assistance programs are also available through the disaster center, DeCarlo said.
Many of Monday's clients at the center said they needed the federal assistance because they didn't have flood insurance.
"We don't live in a flood plain, so I don't have flood insurance," said Mary Portillo of Bartlett. "It was a sewer backup primarily that caused the flooding at my home."
She was told it could cost as much as $25,000 to $30,000 to repair her ground-floor condominium. She said she's been waiting for FEMA and living elsewhere since the mid-September floods.
"I've gotten zero help from Bartlett or anyplace else," she said. "The village was supposed to notify all of us when FEMA set up, but they never did. I read about it in the newspaper."
DuPage County Board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom said the county was prepared to house the makeshift center for as long as it took for all the flood victims from Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Lake, Kane, LaSalle and Will counties to receive help. More than 700 people had registered for assistance after the center's opening was announced last weekend. DuPage officials estimate the flooding cost the county roughly $10.5 million in personnel costs and infrastructure damage.