Durbin, Duckworth, Illinois Delegation Urge President Biden To Grant FEMA Individual Assistance To Metro East Following Flash Floods
With more than 700 homes reporting damage from the flooding, adequate recovery for the region is beyond the capability of state and local resources
SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with the entire Illinois Congressional delegation, sent a letter to President Biden requesting that Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provide federal assistance to the State of Illinois to help St. Clair County respond to significant damage from the flash floods on July 26.
“We write in support of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s request for federal assistance for the State of Illinois to help St. Clair County to recover from severe flooding that occurred last month. Governor Pritzker has indicated that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response and recovery is beyond the combined capability of the state and local governments. As such, he requests Individual Assistance for St. Clair County to help the residents clean up and rebuild amid this large-scale flood damage,” the lawmakers wrote.
In their letter, the lawmakers laid out the severity of the storm, which forced more than 20 Metro East families to evacuate.
“On July 26, a historic storm in the area resulted in eight to 12 inches of rain in a mere 12 hours, causing the evacuation of more than 20 families, road closures, and widespread flood damage. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) worked with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and the County to assess more than 700 homes reporting damage,” they continued.
“We respectfully request that you approve Governor Pritzker’s request for Individual Assistance for St. Clair County,” the lawmakers concluded.
Full text of the letter is available here and below:
August 30, 2022
Dear Mr. President:
We write in support of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s request for federal assistance for the State of Illinois to help St. Clair County to recover from severe flooding that occurred last month.
Governor Pritzker has indicated that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response and recovery is beyond the combined capability of the state and local governments. As such, he requests Individual Assistance for St. Clair County to help the residents clean up and rebuild amid this large-scale flood damage.
On July 26, a historic storm in the area resulted in eight to 12 inches of rain in a mere 12 hours, causing the evacuation of more than 20 families, road closures, and widespread flood damage. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) worked with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and the County to assess more than 700 homes reporting damage.
It is worth noting that these were the same storms that caused damage across the river in Missouri, following which you swiftly approved Missouri Governor Mike Parson’s request for a Federal Disaster Declaration. We believe Illinois residents deserve equal consideration amid the same weather events to receive federal assistance toward recovery as well.
We respectfully request that you approve Governor Pritzker’s request for Individual Assistance for St. Clair County. Thank you for your timely consideration of this important request. We stand ready to assist in any way appropriate.
Sincerely,
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