President Joseph Biden signed a Disaster Declaration, allowing the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) to offer Individual Assistance for residents in Cook County, Illinois who were impacted by severe weather in July. FEMA's Individual Assistance could include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and businesses owners recover from the effects of the storms.
The deadline to apply for flood assistance from FEMA is Monday, October 16, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. CT. You must register with FEMA to receive assistance.
How to Apply:
If you have insurance coverage, first file a claim. If you have uninsured or underinsured losses, contact FEMA by going online to disasterassistance.gov, downloading the FEMA app or calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. If you use video relay service, captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service. When calling the FEMA Helpline, multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish and 3 for other languages).
Federal assistance may include temporary lodging, basic home repairs and other disaster-related expenses.
Have the following information ready when you register with FEMA:
A current phone number where you can be contacted
Your address at the time of the disaster and the address where you are now staying
Your social security number (or the social security number of a minor child in your household, if you’re applying on their behalf).
A general list of damage and losses
Banking information if you choose direct deposit
If insured, the policy number or the agent and/or the company name
When registering, one member of a household needs to comply with citizenship criteria. That means a minor child who is a citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified non-citizen can have a parent or guardian who is not eligible apply for assistance on the child’s behalf.
What to Expect After You Apply:

A FEMA inspector may call you to set up a time and date to perform the inspection at the damaged address. If you have filed for assistance and receive a call from an out of state number, pick it up. Be sure to have your application number available.
During the inspection inspectors will:
Observe social distancing guidelines
Show their credentials
Ask to see a photo ID
Ask to see documents to verify the home ownership or occupancy if FEMA has been unable to verify
Walk around the interior and exterior of your home if feasible
Document damage
Inspectors WON'T decide if you will receive assistance, ask for money, bank account information or credit card information. Residents can call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 to verify a FEMA visit is legitimate.
Within 10 days after the inspectors visit, you will:
Receive a letter of electronic correspondence explaining FEMA's decision
If you are determined eligible for assistance, you may receive a U.S. Treasury check or direct deposit
