Aurora Faces Aftermath of Severe Storms

An ancient resident of Aurora, Joanna Weiland, expressed her shock as she stood in her basement with water rising above her ankles early Friday morning. By Tuesday, her lawn was lined with bags filled with damaged drywall, family heirlooms, and Christmas decorations. Weiland faced uncertainty about how to dispose of the debris and worried her insurance wouldn’t cover the flood damage.

The situation was widespread across Aurora, especially in the 4th and 6th Wards. Many residents experienced basement flooding, tree damage, and power outages through Friday and Saturday morning, as noted by Alderman Jonathan Nunez of the 4th Ward. Nunez highlighted that some basements flooded twice, including his own, leaving residents desperate to manage the water.

“It’s disheartening when you spend several hours trying to save what remains,” Nunez said. “The loss includes many items that are just irreplaceable.”

The Aurora area saw eight inches of rain over 48 hours during consecutive storms on Thursday and Friday, according to Jon Zaghloul, Aurora’s Director of Communications. Cleanup efforts continued as of Tuesday. Residents faced power outages lasting up to three days, while downed trees blocked roads and damaged homes, as Alderman Mike Saville of the 6th Ward recounted.

“My ward was quite a mess,” Saville remarked. “The storm caught everyone off guard.”

Alderman Carl Franco of the 5th Ward acknowledged receiving calls from residents concerned about flooding and noted the installation of flood mitigation measures since significant flooding in 1996. The Fox Valley Park District closed several trails and facilities due to flooding. As of Tuesday afternoon, Gilman Trail remained closed between Terry and Edgelawn avenues, reported Tim Wagner, public relations strategist for the district.

On Tuesday, workers from A1 Landscaping and Maintenance were busy chopping up fallen trees on yards along Jericho Road in Aurora. Weiland and neighbors expressed their grave concern about insurance coverage for their damaged properties.

Weiland addressed issues like damaged drywall removed from her basement, a broken water heater, and piles of ruined possessions, including exercise equipment and old furniture. She was uncertain about the replacement cost.

“Items are gone, and I’m documenting everything,” Weiland said. “There are holes in my walls where there was water behind them.”

Residents were encouraged to report uninsured damage through storm damage self-assessment surveys provided by the city of Aurora and Kane County. These surveys, available at relevant official websites, aid in assessing storm impact and help in seeking state or federal disaster aid.

Theodore Van De Sampel, Aurora’s Emergency Management Coordinator, noted some survey responses reported public property damage. He encouraged residents to use the myAurora 311 app for public property damages and the EMA survey for private property issues. The app is available on the App Store, Google Play, or www.myaurora311.com.

Nunez also intends to propose reopening the Ward 4 Residential and Business Storm Damage Grant Program to assist with uninsured storm damage costs. This program previously supported residents with expenses following an August 2025 storm.

Besides storm damage, residents without power struggled over several days. Alderman Saville noted local businesses, like Society 57 in downtown Aurora, provided a haven for affected residents.

“Local businesses showed leadership and support, offering safety and comfort,” Saville said.

Many residents stayed with family or relied on air-conditioned cars during prolonged power outages. Wagner stated that Fox Valley Park District aims to reopen Gilman Trail by week’s end. However, he mentioned expected rain may delay efforts.

Aurora Mayor John Laesch commended the district for aiding with tree removal and clean-up on Aurora’s West Side.