Henry County added to disaster proclamation

Henry County is among seven counties that will receive assistance after severe storms July 13 – 16.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker issued a disaster proclamation after severe weather and flooding affected Cook County, Henry County, Fulton County, St. Clair County, Washington County, Winnebago County and Will County on July 13 – 16. The proclamation comes after the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS) and local governments conducted extensive field work to assess the damage and destruction.

According to reports received by the IEMA-OHS, local resources and capabilities have been exhausted. State and federal resources are needed to respond to and recover from the effects of the storms.

“Many areas across the state suffered extensive damages due to last month’s torrential rain, high winds and flooding,” said Governor 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.”

Severe storms passed through Illinois July 13 – 16, causing heavy rainfall, high winds, flash flooding, tornadoes and 6.5 inches of precipitation. The storm system caused substantial flooding and resulted in significant property damage, widespread power outages and blocked roadways that affected homeowners, businesses, utilities and local governments. This storm also caused transportation disruptions due to flash flooding, widespread debris limited access to roadways and power outages.

State officials have been working with impacted communities to provide resources. The new proclamation allows local entities to access additional state resources and emergency personnel who can assist in their response and recovery efforts. Gov. Pritzker has requested a federal Major Disaster Declaration from President Biden through FEMA. This declaration, if approved, would give impacted communities access to assistance from FEMA and disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The Disaster Proclamation goes into effect immediately.

Click here for more on the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS).

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