Lifelong Aurora resident Joanna Weiland found herself in a difficult situation. She stood in her basement early Friday morning, water rising past her ankles. By Tuesday, she had amassed a pile of damaged drywall, family antiques, and Christmas decorations on her lawn. She felt at a loss, unsure if her insurance would cover the damage.
Weiland’s experience was widespread across Aurora. Residents, particularly in the 4th and 6th Wards, dealt with flooded basements, tree damage, and power outages on Friday and Saturday morning. Alderman Jonathan Nunez, representing the 4th Ward, noted a range of damage reports. Some basements even flooded twice, including his own. Residents fought to keep the water at bay.
“It’s disheartening when you spend several hours trying to save whatever you have,” Nunez remarked. “A lot of us had to dispose of many items that you can’t recover.”
Over 48 hours, the Aurora area saw eight inches of rain due to multiple storms, stated Jon Zaghloul, Aurora’s communications director. Cleanup efforts continued on Tuesday.
Some homes experienced power outages lasting up to three days. Fallen trees not only blocked roads, such as Roberts Street, but also damaged several homes, according to Alderman Mike Saville of the 6th Ward. “It left quite a mess. It surprised everyone,” he said.
Alderman Carl Franco from the 5th Ward received calls from residents concerned about the flooding. Recalling major flooding in 1996, he reassured residents that flood mitigation measures had since been put in place. Meanwhile, the Fox Valley Park District reported that trails and facilities also faced closures. Gilman Trail remained closed between Terry and Edgelawn avenues as of Tuesday, noted Tim Wagner, a spokesperson for the district.
An employee from A1 Landscaping and Maintenance worked on clearing a fallen tree on Jericho Road, among other storm cleanup tasks. Weiland expressed particular worry about insurance coverage for her flood-damaged home and belongings, including damaged drywall and a water heater failure. Unsure about the replacement costs, she documented everything. “There are holes in my walls from water and insulation damage,” she explained.
Efforts to assess uninsured flood damage continue. Aurora and Kane County urged residents to complete damage self-assessment surveys. The Kane County survey, available online, aims to evaluate storm damage for potential state or federal aid. Theodore Van De Sampel, Aurora’s Emergency Management Coordinator, has already gathered responses, although some reported public property issues. He advised residents to report public damage via the myAurora 311 app while private property damage should go through the EMA survey.
Nunez plans to propose reopening the Ward 4 Residential and Businesses Storm Damage Grant Program to aid residents with uninsured damages. This program had previously supported residents after an August 2025 storm.
Adding to the issues, power outages challenged residents like those in Saville’s ward from Thursday to Sunday. Businesses such as Society 57 in downtown Aurora provided shelter and comfort to affected residents. “Local businesses stepping up was comforting,” Saville commented. Meanwhile, officials hope to reopen Gilman Trail by week’s end, despite expecting more rain. Wagner noted that water levels had decreased but were still ankle-high.
Mayor John Laesch acknowledged efforts by the Fox Valley Park District in assisting with cleanup, especially on Aurora’s West Side.