Pritzker signs disaster declaration days after surveying Lansing storm damage
Local governments can now seek up to $250,000 in Community Development Block Grant dollars through the state to aid recovery efforts.
Governor JB Pritzker signed a disaster proclamation Tuesday, unlocking state aid and clearing another path to officially request federal aid following a record-breaking storm season.
Local governments can now seek up to $250,000 in Community Development Block Grant dollars through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to aid recovery efforts.
The state’s procurement process will be expedited for equipment necessary for cleanup and recovery and allows the Illinois Emergency Management Agency–Office of Homeland Security to deploy additional personnel, if requested by local governments.
“I know these storms have impacted countless Illinois families and requires we band together to help them recover,” Pritzker said in a statement.
The proclamation, effective immediately for 30 days, came just days after Pritzker visited Lansing, surveying damage, the Lansing Journal reported. The governor’s proclamation includes Cook, Will, DuPage, Champaign, and Lake Counties, along with several regions downstate.
Illinois has recorded over 200 tornadoes this year, the most of any state, according to the National Weather Service. “Illinois has faced a history-making series of severe weather events this year, and IEMA-OHS has been on the ground since day one to support counties and municipalities with response efforts and damage assessments,” said IEMA-OHS Director Theodore Berger.
This also followed a presser where Southland leadership made the push for federal assistance and rejected partisan politics that has underscored the Trump administration’s response to climate disasters.
“At a time when the cost of gas, groceries and other everyday items are at an all-time high, thousands of Illinoisans are trying to figure out how they are going to cover the unexpected expense of property damage, spoiled food, lost wages and cleanup,” 2nd Congressional District Democratic nominee Donna Miller’s campaign said in a statement.
Miller added: “Every Illinoisan is a taxpayer and deserves equal consideration and compassion from our federal government.”
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