Chicago Area Devastated by Flooding

Chicago - Flood warnings were still in effect in for a few suburbs along the Des Plaines, Fox and DuPage Rivers Monday morning after devastating flooding hit the area over the weekend.

Sunny weather in the forecast Monday was expected to help in the clean-up.

West suburban Westchester was one of the hardest hit areas, where residents were waiting to hear if the community would be declared a disaster area.

David Ramos, of the Cook County Office of Emergency Management, said as of Monday morning, he was still assessing the damage from floods. Officials from 11 towns and villages had declared their areas disaster areas, including Stone Park, Melrose Park, Maywood, Hillside, Bellwood, Berwyn, Cicero, Westchester, Broadview, Forest Park and Maine Township.

Ramos said a county must declare itself a disaster area, then the request goes to the state. If the state makes the declaration, only then can the federal government make a declaration in order to release FEMA funds.

If that fails, counties could ask the Illinois Treasurer's Office to give out small interest loans to businesses and residents.

Along streets in the suburbs, household items that were destroyed by the floodwaters were stacked on curbs.

Dozens of residents in Westchester, Addison and Hillside spent the weekend at a Red Cross Shelter in Franklin Park.

There was plenty of damage to basements in Chicago, too. Hundreds of ComEd customers were still without power Monday, mainly in the northern suburbs.

The River City condo building in Chicago will remain closed for several days. It closed when water flooded lower levels containing the building's generator and a parking garage.

As the clean-up begins, there were also warnings of scam artists. In the days after a flood, they frequently try to rip off victims who are desperate to get their houses cleaned up.

The Better Business Bureau recommends asking for proof of licensing and bonding, get more than one quote, get a written contract and pay by credit card or check, not cash.