Tariq and Naheed Khan had two sump pumps running during the torrential rain that hit the area the weekend of Sept. 13, but it wasn’t enough to keep the basement of their home from taking in a foot-and-a-half of water.

The Khans, who live on Route 53 in an unincorporated area near Glen Ellyn, were among a handful of DuPage County residents who waited in line in the cafeteria of the DuPage County administration building in Wheaton on Tuesday to find out what kind of help they might be able to receive from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA has set up a disaster recovery center at the county headquarters to assist residents affected by the flooding.

The flood waters ruined the Khans’ carpet, couches, a stereo system, TV and their washing machine and dryer. They said the total cost of the damage is about $40,000.

While the water cleared out after a few hours, it left behind a smell that forced the family of six to move out of their house for three days.

“I knew I was going to have some wet carpet or something, but nothing like that,” Tariq Khan said.

The mid-September storms dropped nearly 9 inches of rain on DuPage County, causing widespread flooding and leading County Board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom, Gov. Rod Blagojevich and President George Bush to declare the county a disaster area. The governor and president’s declarations also applied to Cook, DeKalb, Grundy, Kane, LaSalle and Will counties.

Applicants registering for aid should be prepared to provide basic information about themselves (name, permanent address and phone number), insurance coverage and any other information to help substantiate losses, FEMA officials said.

Assistance for affected individuals and families who qualify can include rental payments for temporary housing, grants for home repairs, grants to replace personal property and help meet medical needs, and low-interest loans to cover residential losses.

FEMA spokesman Len DeCarlo said the agency’s goal is to make sure people are able to live in homes that were damaged by the flooding. He encourages even those with flood insurance to register, because federal grants may help pay for expenses, such as relocation costs, that insurance doesn’t typically cover.

“It’s important to note that this help is not going to return that house to its pre-disaster condition,” DeCarlo said, “but it is going to make it livable.”

Businesses may be also be eligible for loans of as much as $2 million through the Small Business Administration if they have suffered cash-flow problems as a result of the flooding and need funds for working capital.

Nicholas Avello, who lives on Verrill Avenue in an unincorporated area near Addison, was also waiting in line to find out what kind of help he might be able to receive from FEMA. He said his basement was flooded by about 4 feet of water during the storm, causing about $50,000 worth of damage.

Avello said he believes the county and the village of Addison are responsible for the flooding because they allowed subdivisions to be built in flood-prone areas.

“It’s worse than the ‘87 event, which was 3 inches more (rainfall),” Avello said.