The Kankakee County Emergency Management Agency is stepping up to organize a resource center to assist flood victims.

Several organizations will take part Thursday. It's sort of a one-stop shop. The resource center will be available from 8 am 'til 6 pm at the Kankakee Valley Park District RecCenter (the former Armory) on N. Indiana Avenue in Kankakee.

The American Red Cross, the Volunteer Organizations After Disasters group, the Kankakee County Farm Bureau, insurance agencies.... will all be among 20 organizations offering help. Some volunteer groups will be also be available for debris removal and other clean-up.

EMA director Chad Gessner said any photos of damaged structures would be helpful for assessments. Many farmers are yet to complete damage assessments of flooded fields.

Residents have reported up to 5 inches of water in their basements, and roads throughout the county have been closed. The Kankakee and Iroquois rivers are being monitored.

The areas most affected by flooding include Aroma Park, Momence, Limestone and rural Pembroke.

Emergency responders are warning people to obey barricades on closed roads. The Kankakee River is also closed to recreational activity until further notice. Gessner said Conservation Police have already ticketed intruders who had to be rescued from the fast-flowing river. A person nearly drowned last weekend while kayaking near Momence.

94.1 WGFA