Elgin property and business owners affected by the September flooding must first register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) before eligibility for federal aid can be determined.
Kane County was declared a disaster area this past weekend and FEMA is working with the Kane County Office of Emergency Management to develop assistance guidelines.
Homeowners, renters and business owners sustaining flood damage can register by going online at www.fema.gov. This is FEMA’s preferred method of communication and vastly reduces an applicant’s registration time. The following information must be provided:
• Social Security Number
• Daytime telephone number where they can call the resident
• Current mailing address where they are staying
• Address and zip code of the damaged property
• Directions to the damaged home or property
• Private insurance information, if available
FEMA can also be reached by phone at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). Speech or hearing impaired residents may call- TTY: 1-800-462-7585.
If property owners must call, FEMA officials recommend calling from a land-line and not a cell phone, since they may be on hold for a lengthy period of time. This number is used for all federal disasters and there is a very large volume of calls. FEMA officials recommend calling between midnight and 4 a.m. Once a call is received by FEMA, the registration process takes about 20 minutes.
For more information, contact Elgin’s Office of Emergency Management at (847) 289-2531.