County To Assess Damage For Communities Affected By August Storms, Floods

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL — McHenry County officials will be making their rounds next week as they check on the damage caused by storms and flooding in recent weeks.

The officials will be checking on damage caused during the storms that happened on Aug. 16 through 19 as part of a preliminary damage assessment. Teams will be going door-to-door in affected McHenry County areas on Wednesday, Sept. 3.

These teams will include representatives from the McHenry County Emergency Management
Agency, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Emergency Management
Agency, and the US Small Business Administration, according to a news release from the county.

The teams will survey damage to homes, businesses and possessions so that IEMA can
pursue all potential avenues of assistance, McHenry County Emergency Management Agency
Director David Christensen said.

”Emergency responders will be putting boots on the ground to ensure that McHenry County and
local municipalities can qualify for any potential federal aid to individuals or businesses,”
Christensen said. “A visit from a PDA team is not a substitute for reporting damage to your
insurance carrier – if your property sustained damage, you need to file a claim.”

Members of these PDA teams will carry photo identification, and will not enter your home – they
also will have bilingual staff on hand. Don’t worry if you don’t get a visit if your property was
damaged – the data collection is for local municipalities to qualify for assistance.

Officials are also warning property owners to be wary of scam artists who prey on storm
survivors.

“These PDA teams will be carrying photo ID to verify their legitimacy – and more importantly,
these teams do not use contractors or ask for payment,” County Board Chairman Mike Buehler,
R-Crystal Lake, said. “Legitimate assessment teams from FEMA, IEMA and the Small Business Administration will never charge for assessments or disaster assistance.”

To learn more about potential disaster scams, you can visit here and here.

The McHenry County Emergency Management Agency is asking residents and business
owners who sustained damage to report it through an online survey if they have not already
done so. To fill out a survey, please visit this Online IEMA_OHS Self-Assessment Survey.

The
deadline for McHenry County residents to submit their reports has been extended to the end of
the day Tuesday, Sept. 2.