Two days remain to apply for flood benefits

Residents in seven Illinois counties including Cook and DuPage who suffered property damage during floods this summer have about two days left to apply for federal assistance that may cover costs insurance doesn't.

Officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency said they are still getting 200 to 300 applications a day from residents who flooded in the wake of storms that struck the region between July 19 and Aug. 7.

“We're finding pockets of people that have just not heard about it or didn't think they qualified,” said Richard Gifford, a FEMA spokesman.

So far, more than $312 million in emergency grants has been awarded to residents in the seven counties, the majority of which went to Cook County residents. FEMA officials said properties in the west central part of the county were hit the hardest by the summer flooding. In DuPage, the hardest hit areas were in Elmhurst, Carol Stream and Bloomingdale.

More than 135,000 of the 141,401 applications for assistance have come from Cook County, records show. DuPage checked in with 3,025 applications. In addition to Cook and DuPage, residents in Carroll, Jo Daviess, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago counties may be eligible for emergency funds.

FEMA has been taking applications since President Obama declared the counties federal disaster areas Aug. 19. Residents have until 11:59 p.m. Wednesday to apply at disasterassistance.gov or call (800) 621-3362.

Some residents may also be eligible for low-interest federal loans through the Small Business Administration. Homeowners may receive up to $200,000 to cover real estate losses and repairs. Renters and homeowners may also receive loans of up to $40,000 to recover or repair personal contents lost in the flood, said Alana Chavez, an SBA spokeswoman.

Chavez said most of the loans come with an interest rate of 2.5 percent, but some loans are as much as 5 percent. She said the loans are offered through the SBA any time a federal emergency is declared. Almost 2,400 loans worth $52.1 million have been approved for residents who flooded, she said.

Gifford said payouts for this disaster amount to the largest individual assistance program in the state's history.