SPRINGFIELD – Governor JB Pritzker issued a Disaster Proclamation following the severe weather and flooding that affected several counties in the state July 13 through 16, 2024, including St. Clair County.
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Cook County, Henry County, Fulton County, Washington County, Winnebago County, and Will County were other counties included in the governor's declaration.
This proclamation comes after the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS), in collaboration with local governments, concluded extensive fieldwork to assess the damage and destruction caused by the storms in communities across Illinois. Based on reports received by the IEMA-OHS, local resources and capabilities have been exhausted, and state and federal resources are needed to respond to and recover from the effects of these severe storms.
The St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency commended Pritizker's Disaster Proclamation regarding the July 16, 2024, flooding in the county.
"This is the next step towards a FEMA Disaster Declaration which could bring financial assistance to the residents and businesses of St. Clair County," the St. Clair County agency said in a statement. "The request for a Federal Disaster Declaration has been filed and is currently under review with the President.
"Furthermore, we have been notified Illinois did not qualify for a Public Assistance Declaration, therefore, there will be no financial assistance made available to municipalities, counties, townships, etc. However, this does not restrict the possibility of assistance directly to the residents and businesses such as was received in 2022.
We will continue to provide updates on the progress as they are made available to us."
"Many areas across the state suffered extensive damages due to last month’s torrential rain, high winds, and flooding," said Governor J.B. Pritzker. "To support those impacted across the state, I have signed a disaster proclamation to mobilize every available resource, accelerating the recovery process and providing relief for our residents. I want to thank IEMA-OHS for their ongoing coordination."
"After our Joint Preliminary Damage Assessment with local, county, and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) partners in multiple municipalities across the state, we have found significant damages,” said Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS) Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau. “Our Recovery Division continues to work closely with each of the affected communities helping them to recover from this severe weather."
On July 13 through 16, 2024, severe storms passed throughout the state producing heavy rainfall, high winds, flash flooding, tornadoes, and 6.5 inches of precipitation.
This severe storm system caused substantial flooding resulting in significant property damage with widespread power outages and blocked roadways affecting homeowners, businesses, utilities, and local governments.
The storm also caused disruptions to transportation due to flash flooding, widespread debris limited access to roadways, and power outages impeded work efforts.
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