Overview
- The appeal follows July 25–28 and Aug. 16–19 storms that brought widespread flooding, power outages and major service disruptions across affected communities.
- City and state agencies are asking residents and businesses to submit photos, repair records, housing and health needs, and appliance losses through an online portal to strengthen the filing.
- Teams are canvassing damaged neighborhoods and using QR codes to collect new or previously unreported information that shows ongoing impacts.
- Preliminary assessments cite damage in Chicago and Aurora and across Cook, Will, Kane, Boone, McHenry, Jersey and Calhoun counties.
- The White House says denials ensure federal dollars cover only the most catastrophic events, as Trump approved aid for Alaska, Nebraska, North Dakota and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe while turning down requests from Illinois and other states.