By Maureen O'Donnell

They bought bleach, searched for sump pumps, and waded into basements Monday to clean up damage from weekend flooding.

Residents of Chicago's Albany Park neighborhood and flooded suburbs had the same question: Will I be able to get money to pay for this?

"Please help us,'' Aaron Gadiel asked U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), who visited Albany Park. Gadiel had to wade down the 5000 block of North Monticello in fishing boots to retrieve clothing for his kids from his home.

"This has been devastating,'' said Durbin. "A lot of these folks don't have insurance to cover this."

Exhausted residents clustered around Durbin, Ald. Margaret Laurino (39th) and a representative for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama. They received assurances the government will try to help, but when -- and how much -- is unknown.

"One hundred billion gallons of water dumped on any community . . . is something you can't prepare for," Durbin said. "I think when we need FEMA, they will be here."

"I hope they declare this a federal disaster area," said Rosanna Diaz. "I have a full finished basement. All the electronics, all of my son's games, brand new leather couches, washer and dryer, brand new bicycles" are underwater.

"The refrigerator is floating,'' said Dennis Sullivan, of the 5000 block of North Drake.

"We probably had six feet in an hour" in the basement, said Marilyn Dollar, who lost items for a scrapbooking business. "The water came up the gangways and went down the basements."

Until now, Albany Park residents liked being close to the North Branch of the Chicago River, with sightings of cranes, deer, fox, herons and turtles.

But they seemed to be sleepwalking Monday. Many trudged around in pajamas, lugging coolers to try to save food from their refrigerators. The neighborhood had a fishy smell and silt and sand on the pavement.

City crews went door-to door with sump pumps, checking to see if residents had electricity and gas and if they needed help with clean-up.

In Des Plaines and Park Ridge, many suburban residents have become accustomed to chronic flooding from the Des Plaines River. But the weekend deluge was the tipping point.

Flood-weary residents planned to voice their anger at city council meetings expected to last into the night.

Earlier, Gov. Blagojevich visited an American Red Cross shelter for flood victims in Des Plaines, where he declared seven Chicago-area counties state disaster areas.

"What happened over the weekend was in many ways historic," he said. "Mother Nature yet again reminded us she is in charge."

In other flood news:

•   •   The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District planned to close the 3.7-billion gallon Thornton Transitional Reservoir from 10 p.m. to midnight Monday, warning that the measure could slow clean-up efforts. The reservoir, which protects southern suburbs including Blue Island and Calumet City, was nearly full by 6 p.m.

•   •   A few hundred people took shelter at the Hammond Civic Center, where the Red Cross and volunteers provided food and bedding.

•   •   Drivers had to seek alternate routes through northwestern Indiana as floodwater spilled onto one of the nation's busiest highways. Officials kept Interstate 80/94 closed for a second day as contractors tried to pump water off the highway. Northbound Interstate 65 was also