(WTTW News)

Residents of Cook County whose homes and property were damaged by severe flash flooding in September will soon have fewer places to receive help with applying for disaster assistance programs through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

FEMA disaster recovery centers located in south suburban South Holland and Harvey will be closing permanently on Dec. 29 at 5 p.m., and another center in the South Shore community will be closing Jan. 6 at 5 p.m.

Below are the available disaster recovery centers:

1. Calumet City: Calumet City Public Library, 660 Manistee Ave., Calumet City, IL 60409
2. South Holland: South Holland Public Works, 155 W. 162nd St., South Holland, IL 60473. Closing permanently Dec. 29 at 5 p.m.
3. South Shore: Chicago Public Library South Shore Branch, 2505 E. 73rd St., Chicago, IL 60649. Closing permanently Saturday, Jan. 6 at 5 p.m.
4. Dolton: Former Melanie Fitness Center, 14900 Greenwood Rd., Dolton, IL 60419.
5. Harvey: Thornton Township High School District 205, Building T-107, 249 E. 151st St., Harvey, IL 60426. Closing Friday, Dec. 29 at 5 p.m.

All FEMA disaster recovery centers are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Centers will be closed Dec. 30 through Jan. 1 for the holidays.

Assistance through FEMA can include grants for home repairs and temporary housing, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and businesses owners recover from the effects of the storms.

Cook County residents can apply in one of these ways:

• Online at DisasterAssistance.gov
• Use the FEMA mobile app
• Call 800-621-3362
• Visit a disaster recovery center

At disaster recovery centers, Cook County residents can speak with FEMA representatives and get their questions answered about the disaster application process.

A federal disaster declaration was issued last month in Cook County for severe storms and flooding on Sept. 17 and 18, which significantly impacted the south suburbs of Chicago.

Rainfall totals of 4 to 5 inches were measured in many areas of southern Cook County, and higher rainfall totals of more than 6 inches fell in the Calumet City, Dolton and Burnham areas, according to the National Weather Service.

The deadline to apply for FEMA assistance is on Jan. 19, 2024.

Contact Eunice Alpasan: @eunicealpasan | 773-509-5362 | [email protected]