Overview
- Federal officials denied the state's request on Oct. 8, saying assistance was "not warranted" in a letter from the FEMA administrator.
- Governor JB Pritzker formally requested a major disaster declaration in September for eight counties and extended a gubernatorial disaster proclamation to keep state response efforts in place.
- Republican Rep. Darin LaHood has appealed directly to President Trump to approve a declaration so residents and local governments can access additional federal aid.
- The storms that began on Aug. 11 produced tornadoes, damaging winds and flooding across northern and central Illinois, leaving homes, roads and utilities impaired and many families still recovering.
- The denial continues a pattern of recent FEMA rejections for Illinois and follows administration proposals to raise the disaster threshold, a shift that could increase state costs and slow repairs for uninsured residents.