Flood relief efforts are underway in St. Clair County after heavy rainfall passed through several towns.
County officials are now assessing the damage and calling for the state or federal government to sign a disaster declaration.
St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern and EMA Director Herb Simmons signed a flood disaster declaration after up to 8 inches of rain hit the county, with the heaviest rainfall hitting the Shiloh area.
First responders rescued several dozen people from the water all the way up until 11 p.m. Tuesday night.
Kern and Simmons were out assessing the damage a day later. They say many homes were damaged, and there are government buildings that will require extensive repairs.
That includes the St. Clair County Animal Services, which flooded as all the animals inside were rescued by Gateway Pet Guardians and the Belleville Area Humane Society.
Also, over at the Belle-Clair Fairgrounds in Belleville, up to 18 inches of water poured inside and three feet of water stood outside the doors.
"We have extensive damage. Water, mud, we had all our electricity off, so we have to dry all the electric out before we put that back on. Our HVAC needs attention to make sure that that properly functions when we turn it on. It'll be at least a week to ten days of clean up," said fairgrounds director Jann Severit.
If the state declares a disaster, then residents who are impacted could receive flood buyouts.
Officials said Gov. J.B. Pritzker called them Tuesday to make sure the county had the resources it needed.
As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, 900 people already reached out for help and filled out assistance forms. County officials expect that number to continue to grow in the next few days.
Kern and Simmons are hopeful the state will declare the county a disaster so those impacted could potentially receive flood buyouts.
"Their homes are assessed to see the damage. They are appraised, and then people are made offers to see if they would take the offer to get out of the floodplain and buy a home elsewhere," Kern said.
"I think it was a disaster that we will overcome. People are going to need financial help, especially if somebody has three to four feet of water in their basements or in their house," Simmons said.
If you're a St. Clair County resident with flood damage, you can complete this form to have your property included in the county's damage assessment.
The Belle-Clair Fairgrounds hosts a flea market once a month, which draws in thousands of people. Unfortunately, this weekend's events on July 20 and 21 have been canceled due to the flood damage.