Overview
- Gov. J.B. Pritzker submitted a formal request for a presidential major disaster declaration covering Champaign, Cook, Ford, Fulton, McLean, Tazewell, Vermilion and Will counties on Sept. 15.
- The governor also extended a state disaster proclamation for 30 days to free state funds, speed procurement and keep state recovery programs in place while federal officials consider the request.
- Fourteen damage-assessment teams from FEMA and Illinois agencies visited affected neighborhoods, including Homewood, and documented tornado, high-wind and flood damage from the storms that struck Aug. 11–16.
- If FEMA approves the request, residents could apply for individual assistance for temporary housing and home repairs and for low-cost loans to cover uninsured losses, and local governments could use public-assistance reimbursements for debris removal and infrastructure repairs.
- Approval is uncertain because FEMA has denied recent Illinois requests and a recent analysis shows lower and slower approval rates for requests from Democratic-led states, a dynamic that could affect timing as communities still cope with more than 200 tornadoes this year.