Gov. Pritzker Announces Federal Assistance Now Available to Help Local Governments Recover from Historic Floods

Statement

Governor JB Pritzker announced today that the federal government approved his request for federal assistance so that local governments can access grants or loans to help with flood-related losses or costs incurred from battling this year's historic flooding. Twenty-seven counties along the Illinois and Mississippi rivers are now eligible to apply for federal disaster assistance.

Public Assistance will be available in the following counties: Adams, Alexander, Bureau, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Fulton, Greene, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Jackson, Jersey, Knox, Madison, Mercer, Monroe, Morgan, Pike, Randolph, Rock Island, Schuyler, Scott, St. Clair, Stephenson, Union and Whiteside.

"My administration stands with every resident and business impacted by this year's flooding, and we will help our communities rebuild stronger and more resilient," said Governor JB Pritzker. "I want to thank our Congressional delegation for their advocacy, as well as our state and federal partners, for their help securing the additional resources I requested."

"We will begin working immediately with FEMA and our county emergency managers to expedite this process as local governments will have 30 days to submit the proper documentation for funding," said Acting Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA). "While this declaration is specifically for local and state governments, we have been told that the governor's request for Individual Assistance, which helps homeowners and business owners, remains under review."

Under the Public Assistance program, FEMA awards grants to assist state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations with the response to and recovery from disasters. Under the guidelines of the PA program, local jurisdictions can be reimbursed for up to 75 percent of eligible costs. The program can provide funding for debris removal, implementation of emergency protective measures and permanent restoration of infrastructure. The program also encourages protection from future damage by providing assistance for hazard mitigation measures during the recovery process. The state of Illinois will work with FEMA to manage the program and administer the funding.

The governor has also directed the Illinois Emergency Management Agency to work with affected areas not covered by this federal disaster declaration to explore all available options to help them in the wake of this disaster. This could include further damage evaluations, appealing the federal denial or identifying other funding sources.

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