People in parts of Boardman and Poland are holding their breath, hoping they can get some state or federal aid after Friday's flash flooding.

Their chances of getting that help may be slim, but officials are trying anyway.

While it may have been a flood that caused the water damage in those neighborhoods, it doesn't mean that flood insurance or homeowner's insurance will cover it.

As Jerry Stare looks out from his front porch on Water Street in Poland, decades of memories sit on the curb, washed away by last Friday's flash flood.

"My daughter's getting married next month and they were working on projects and had them sitting in the basement, and a lot of the wedding stuff is gone," says Stare.

Homeowner's insurance doesn't cover storm and sanitary drain backups, but Stare was prepared.

"We actually had a rider on our insurance company," he said.

That supplemental coverage through the federal government is something local insurance agents say is worth having.

"One coverage you can buy is called water backup of sewers and drains," says Jack Kline with Governor Insurance. "It covers for when the sewers can't keep up and water starts coming up into your drains and into your home."

But while that policy usually gives you between $5,000 and $10,000 of coverage, it has its limitations.

"If you have to have a cleanup crew come in like ServPro...you're looking at $5,000 or $6,000 dollars right there," says Kline.

Many other flood victims are placing their hopes in Columbus or Washington.

Mahoning County EMA Director Dennis O'Hara says while the damage is serious, it may not be bad enough.

"Basement flooding often times is determined to be minor damage unless there is a central living space in the basement," O'Hara says.

The threshold for state or federal aid is at least 25 homes or businesses that have suffered uninsured damage of at least 40 percent of the value of the building.

So while Jerry Stare hopes for more help, there's gratitude in the midst of so much frustration.

"Get the rider insurance because until Mahoning County fixes this problem, it's going to keep happening," says Stare.

O'Hara says the plan is to have at least one if not several damage assessment teams convene Wednesday to go out and meet with residents that are reporting the damage Tuesday.

Residents are still being asked to call 211 to report their damage so that officials can collect as much data as possible with the hopes of qualifying for some type of aid.