>>> WITH AN 8000 -- BASEMENT FLOODING THE SUMMER, FEDERAL RELIEF IS ON THE WAY.

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN ISSUED A -- IT COMES MORE THAN A MONTH AFTER NEARLY NINE INCHES OF RAIN FLOODED PARTS OF THE CITY WITH THE WEST SIDE AND PARTICULARLY HIT HARD.

DANNY DAVIS IS JOINING US NOW, A DEMOCRAT FROM THE AUSTIN -- AND G2 BROWN .

WELCOME BOTH OF YOU TO CHICAGO TONIGHT.

CONGRESSMAN DAVIS, THE FOLKS THAT WERE IMPACTED , WHAT DOES THIS DECLARATION GOING TO MEET FOR THEM?

>> IT MEANS THAT THEIR GOVERNMENT IS RESPONDING AS THEY WOULD EXPECT IT TO DO AND IT'S REINFORCING THE FACT THAT IF YOU GO THROUGH THE STEPS, THE PROCESSES, MAKE YOUR CASE , YOU GET RESULTS.

>> AND BROWN, WOULD YOU FACE IN YOUR HOME ?

WHAT ARE YOU HOPING TO GET OUT OF THIS RELIEF?

>> YOU KNOW, FIRST I WANT TO THANK CONGRESSMAN DAVIS, MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON, THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER TYRA STAMPS AND OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO WERE DILIGENT IN MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET FEMA ASSISTANCE.

THAT WAS IMPORTANT.

I WOULD SAY THAT I HAD ABOUT FOUR FEET OF WATER IN OUR HOME.

WE WERE BLESSED TO HAVE SOME FORM OF INSURANCE SO WHILE IT WAS TRAUMATIC AND WE LOST A LOT , WE WERE IN BETTER SHAPE THAN A LOT OF MY SISTERS AND BROTHERS IN THE AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD.

A LOT OF FOLKS THAT WE MET, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T -- THEY ARE NOT A HOMEOWNER.

THEY ARE A TENANT OR THEY ARE UNDERINSURED.

THEY HAVE A POLICY THAT DIDN'T COVERED WHAT WAS HAPPENING IT WAS A BIG EFFORT ON THE GROUND TO SORT OF -- WE HAVE LEADERSHIP -- SO I REALLY WANT TO THANK 1000 STRONG BLOCK CLUB , WEST SIDE HEALTH AUTHORITY, -- CAME FROM THE SOUTH SIDE.

HELPED DISTRIBUTE CLEANING SUPPLIES AND MORE TO THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY COUNCIL.

>> SO IT'S A GROUP EFFORT.

THE FOLKS THAT DON'T HAVE INSURANCE OR UNDERINSURED, WILL THEY BE ABLE TO TAP INTO FUNDS HERE?

>> THEY WILL.

WE SUGGEST THAT IF YOU HAVE INSURANCE, MAKE USE OF IT.

TRY AND SEE WHAT YOU GET.

BUT IF YOU DON'T OR IT DOESN'T COVER ALL OF IT, THEN CALL FEMA.

MAKE A CLAIM.

FILL OUT A CLAIM , GIVE ALL THE INFORMATION THAT NEEDS TO BE GIVEN AND THE SOONER YOU DO IT , THE SOONER YOU WILL SEE THE RESULTS SO JUST DO IT RIGHT NOW AND ALL OF THOSE ENTITIES CAME TOGETHER.

THAT IS THE MOST REWARD .

ALL LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT, EVERYONE, THE MAYOR, THE GOVERNOR, THE COUNTY BOARD, THE ALDERMAN STATE -- ALL THE PEOPLE.

THE ORGANIZATIONS, THE GROUPS, THEY DID OUTSTANDING WORK AND IT WAS VERY EXCITING.

>> GOOD ADVICE.

SO BROWN, ANYTHING YOU CAN ADD TO THAT FOR FOLKS WHO ARE WATCHING RIGHT NOW THAT ARE WONDERING, DO I QUALIFY FOR THIS?

HOW CAN I SIGN UP?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

I AGREE WITH THE CONGRESSMAN.

WHAT'S CRITICAL IS THAT THIS IS NOT THE FIRST FLOOD THAT WE HAVE ENDURED.

SO SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE IN REGARDS TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE WORKING WITH LOWER INCOME COMMUNITIES .

IT IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUE, RIGHT?

BECAUSE WHEN FLOODS HAPPEN ON JULY 2nd, YOU GOT TWO FEET.

THEN IT WENT DOWN.

THEN IT CAME BACK UP.

SO THE IDEA WAS THAT OUR SEWERS WERE OPENED UP SO THAT OTHER AREAS WOULD NOT FLOOD.

I THINK THAT JUST LIKE , UNFORTUNATELY, WHITE JACKSON HAS CLEAN WATER, BLACK JACKSON HAS 30 WATER.

>> -- THEY OPENED UP WERE ON THE WEST SIDE.

>> ABSOLUTELY POINT >> I WAS DRIVING THROUGH THE WEST SIDE THAT DAY, TOO.

YOU COULD NOT GO UNDER -- >> THE CARDS WERE FLOATING.

I THINK THAT SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE WITH FEMA WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AROUND THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.

I KNOW I LIVE IN AUSTIN SINCE 2008.

AT LEAST OUR FOURTH FLOOD.

>> CONGRESSMAN, HERE'S THE PERSON YOU GOT ASK ABOUT THIS.

IS THERE SOMETHING BIGGER HERE TO DO WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE?

>> I THINK THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF ATTENTION GIVEN.

THERE ARE GROUPS FORMING WITH TASK FORCES TO KEEP LOOKING AT WHAT CAN HAPPEN OR WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.

WERE GOING TO HAVE SOME LOCAL -- EXPERTS , PEOPLE WHO HAVE INDICATED THAT A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THE HOUSING IN CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS ARE SUBJECT TO FLOODS WITH A HEAVY DOWNPOUR OF RAIN.

SO WE WILL BE LOOKING INTO IT WITH THE PEOPLE AND I THINK WE WILL COME UP WITH SOME SOLUTIONS.

>> WELL YOU HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF ABOUT THIS.

WHAT DID YOU TELL HIM AND HOW DID THAT CONVERSATION GO?

>> I SAID WE NEED MONEY IN ILLINOIS.

>> NOW HE HAS TO GO DOWN TO HAWAII.

SO -- >> ILLINOIS , OF COURSE WE KNOW ILLINOIS -- LIKE I SAID, WE NEED FEMA MONEY.

AND -- >> HOW MUCH DOES THIS UNLOCK?

>> I TELL YOU.

I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT DEAL BECAUSE THERE ARE SEVERAL THOUSAND INDIVIDUALS WHO WILL BE FILING CLAIMS AND THOSE CLAIMS WILL ADD UP.

I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW MUCH IS GOING TO BE BUT I DO KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE VERY PLEASED AND VERY EXCITED TO KNOW THAT THEIR GOVERNMENT IS RESPONDING.

>> WHAT ARE THE BIG ISSUES THAT YOUR FELLOW NEIGHBORS ARE FACING IN AUSTIN RIGHT NOW , STILL WEEKS LATER?

>> ONE OF THE THINGS WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, FOLKS -- SOME FOLKS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THE MOLD CUT OUT OF THE BASEMENT SO PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY MANAGING THE MOLD BY BLEACHING IT.

SO WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING SINCE THE START , WEEKLY GIVEAWAYS OF CLEANING SUPPLIES.

TO TRY TO HELP FOLKS BE ABLE TO CLEAN THEIR HOMES THE BEST THEY COULD.

BUT ALSO, ELDERS WHO CAN'T LIFT THE COUCH AND SO THERE ALSO TEAMS THAT ARE GOING TO THE BASEMENT AND HELPING TO CLEAN OUT A LOT OF THE MATERIAL.

SO I KNOW ON MY BLOCK, THERE ARE SEVERAL SENIORS AND HE HAD TO GET TEAMS TO GO IN THEIR BASEMENT AND HELP REMOVE .

SO IMAGINE, TWO WEEKS AFTER THE FLOOD, THE COUCHES STILL THERE .

OF COURSE, DISABLED WATER TANKS, DISABLED WATER BOILERS.

ALL THE FURNITURE.

SENTIMENTAL MEMORABILIA.

WHETHER IT'S PICTURES, FAMILY HEIRLOOMS, THINGS LIKE THAT.

WE LOST A LOT.

>> THERE WAS A LOT OF DAMAGE.