West Side residents say response to July's flooding has been slow, inadequate

CHICAGO - Concerned residents on Chicago's West Side are saying the response to July's flooding has been slow and inadequate.

Now, they are demanding answers. 

Residents say FEMA is penalizing flood victims who followed its recommendations. And, for the people whose applications were approved, the money doesn't come close to getting their homes back into a livable condition. 

The residents have made Freedom of Information Act requests to the city of Chicago asking for drainage system maintenance and repair records, and whether Chicago's deep tunnel system was used. 

Another concern is that winter is just around the corner.

"There's a problem. Wintertime is coming and what's going to end up happening, we're going to have seniors that might end up homeless, sitting in the cold. And let me mention this, and I will get off of here after this, the Department of Aging got merged with DCFS, the Department of [Children and] Family Services, so basically it doesn't exist anymore. So that's why you have these seniors out here to fend for themselves," one resident said.

The city of Chicago's deadline for answering those record requests is Wednesday.