(WBBM NEWSRADIO) – FEMA officials made their presence known in Chicago and Cook County on Thursday, days after President Biden’s disaster declaration for local areas slammed by storms and flooding between June 29 and July 2.
Tens of thousands of residents and business owners who suffered losses can apply for grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“I want to emphasize: FEMA assistance is not intended to get you back to where you were before the disaster,” Mike Chesney, Region 5 administrator for FEMA, told residents. “However, it is meant to help you return your home to a safe, sanitary and functional residence and get you started on your road to recovery.”
Mayor Brandon Johnson was in Austin on Chicago’s West Side to recap the city’s response to this summer’s disasters. He said 3-1-1 operators fielded more than 12,000 calls for flooding-related assistance during the peak of the storms.
“I didn’t realize so many folks on the West Side had my cell phone number,” Johnson said during a news conference.
Local agencies collected more than 5.5 million pounds of storm-related debris and property, he noted.
Mary Murphy said both her home and business were affected. She offers child care in her basement. “I’m still cleaning up the damage,” she said, “and I have not had access to my basement since the storm.”
Applications for federal assistance are being accepted through the FEMA app and disasterassistance.gov. There is also a FEMA hotline for help by phone.
Deadline to apply for help is Oct. 16. Approved claims could reach bank accounts in a matter of days.
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