Salvation Army offering clean-up kits for flooded Aurorans

At least one Aurora organization is looking ahead to helping residents with flood recovery.

The Salvation Army is offering free cleanup kits to those in need who call (630) 897-7265, and about 300 kits should be available within the next two days, said Capt. Antonio Romero, Corps Officer of the Salvation Army in Aurora.

“Once the flood waters start to recede, that’s a massive task for each household that had flooding,” Romero said.

He said the kits include a disinfectant, scrubbing agents, scrub brushes, a bucket, gloves, a mask and a broom, and they will be available to help people in Aurora, Montgomery and Oswego clean their flooded houses or basements.

Aurora’s customer service center was staffed with extra personnel Thursday, handling calls from residents with flooded basements or those who encounter impassable streets, city spokesman Dan Ferrelli said. The city also offered a limited number of free sand bags for pickup at 1110 Aurora Ave.

Alderman Rick Mervine said city crews were able to respond within about 15 minutes to several concerns he called in from his far east side ward.

The city advised drivers not to pass through flooded sections of roads, which included pockets of residential neighborhoods and at least 12 other locations throughout the day. Drivers Thursday afternoon were experiencing closures on thoroughfares including Montgomery Road, Farnsworth Avenue, southbound Broadway Avenue, Orchard Road, South Eola Road, 75th Street and Route 59.

The Aurora Public Library canceled the author visit from novelist Julie Ann Walker that had been scheduled for Thursday night at the Eola Road Branch, and right along the Fox River, The River’s Edge Cafe was closed.