Durbin, Kirk Applaud Decision to Make Public Assistance Available to Fifteen Additional Illinois Counties
[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) today applauded the decision by President Obama to make Public Assistance funding available to fifteen additional Illinois counties – Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Greene, Hancock, Lawrence, McDonough, Monroe, Morgan, Peoria, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Tazewell and Will – that were affected by flash and river flooding that occurred in April.
Public Assistance eligibility allows the State of Illinois, local governments, and certain non-profit organizations to apply for grants through the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help with debris removal, emergency protective measures, and the repair, replacement, or restoration of disaster-damaged, publicly owned facilities.
“Though the storms have passed and the floodwaters are long gone, there is still much work to be done rebuilding the areas hit hard by extreme weather in April,” said the Illinois Senators. “This federal funding will help make cities and local governments whole again while allowing them to better prepare for future storms. We encourage all those who were affected to apply for financial assistance as soon as possible.”
Last week, President Obama declared 24 Illinois counties – Adams, Bureau, Clark, Crawford, DuPage, Fulton, Grundy, Henderson, Kendall, Knox, Lake, LaSalle, Livingston, Marshall, Mason, McHenry, Mercer, Ogle, Pike, Putnam, Rock Island, Stark, Warren and Woodford – eligible for Public Assistance bringing the total number of counties eligible for Public Assistance to 37.
Of the counties declared eligible for Public Assistance today, 6 counties - Calhoun, McDonough, Peoria, Schuyler, Tazewell, and Will – have already been designated eligible to apply for Individual Assistance funding which provides assistance to individuals and businesses to help with temporary housing, home repairs or replacement and other disaster-related expenses. To date, 33 counties in Illinois have been designated eligible for Individual Assistance including: Brown, Bureau, Clark, Cook, Crawford, DeKalb, Douglas, DuPage, Fulton, Grundy, Henderson, Henry, Kane, Kendall, Knox, Lake, LaSalle, Livingston, Marshall, Mason, McHenry, Pike, Rock Island, Stark, Whiteside, Winnebago and Woodford.
Additionally, all Illinois counties have been designated for Hazard Mitigation Assistance areas which include funding for measures designed to reduce future losses to public and private property.