Storms damage your property? Kane County wants to hear from you

If last week’s storms damaged your property, Kane County officials want to know about it.

The Kane County Office of Emergency Management is asking residents and businesses to fill out an online survey. The link to the survey is also available through “Kane County Connects” on the county’s website.

It will help OEM determine the overall impact of the July 2-4 storms and whether the region qualifies for state or federal disaster assistance.

But don’t wait to give your information.

“This week is the time to do it (the survey),” Scott Buziecki, OEM’s director, said. He expects the Illinois Emergency Management Agency to request Kane County’s data within a week. IEMA will then use that data to determine whether to ask for help from the federal government.

The county wants to know mostly about flood damage not covered by insurance.

If enough properties sustained major uninsured damage, county residents and businesses might be eligible for low-interest loans from the federal government, Buziecki said.

Buziecki noted that with flooded basements, people’s furnaces, water heaters and appliances could have sustained costly damage.

During the four rounds of storms, more than 8 inches of rain fell in Sugar Grove, “which is a lot in a two-day period,” Buziecki said. Batavia received more than 5 inches. Buziecki said the Elgin area was also hit hard.

He said there was flash flooding and basement flooding due to sewers becoming full.

Buziecki said there didn’t appear to be flooding from the Fox River, which was listed as reaching a minor flood stage at the Montgomery gauge around 6:45 p.m. Saturday. The South Elgin gauge showed it came close to flooding that day.

Geography contributed to a road washout on Scott Road in Kaneville and Big Rock. “It (the rain) fell in the right place to draw water to that place,” Buziecki said.

The road remains closed for repairs.

The rain caused downed trees and downed power lines throughout the county.

Several trails in Kane County forest preserves were closed due to broken trees and high water.