Residents are still reeling from record-setting rain and storms that swept through the Chicago area and downstate more than a month ago.
In response, Illinois congressional members have urged President Joe Biden to unlock funding to help people recover from flooding and damage incurred from storms across the state between June 29 and July 2.
All 19 of the state’s congressional members sent a letter to the president Monday on behalf of Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who issued his own disaster proclamation last month for Cook County and seven downstate counties.
Lawmakers in their letter agreed with Pritzker that a federal disaster proclamation is still needed because “this incident is of such severity and magnitude that an effective response is beyond the capabilities of the state and local governments.”
The July 2 storm dumped 9 inches of rain in a matter of hours, flooding thousands of homes on Chicago’s West Side, suburban Cicero, Stickney and Berwyn. Standing water shut down parts of the Eisenhower Expressway for hours that day.
That afternoon, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago said it had begun reversing the river toward the lake to ease flooding.
Hundreds of Chicago residents submitted complaints of water in their basement to 311, the city’s non-emergency help line, according to the city’s website. Most of the complaints were from the West and Southwest sides of the city.
A June 29 line of severe windstorms and thunderstorms known as a derecho in central Illinois generated at least five tornadoes — the largest of which was 800 yards wide and tore through a 9-mile swath of Chatham in Sangamon County, according to the National Weather Service.
Another series of storms July 12 brought around a dozen tornadoes to the Chicago area.
“During this period, severe storms passed through Illinois producing heavy rainfall, flash flooding, hail, tornadoes, and straight-line winds,” the lawmakers wrote. “Subsequent damage has impacted homeowners, businesses and local governments.”
The FEMA relief requested would provide direct services to those eligible through the FEMA Individual Assistance program. It would also activate hazard mitigation programs to help with storm repairs.
In addition to FEMA funding, the congressional members asked for Small Business Administration assistance to include low-interest loans to be issued to affected businesses in Cook and the collar counties.
FEMA officials late last month conducted the first step toward a federal disaster proclamation when they toured Chicago’s West Side, conducting a preliminary assessment of the storm damage.
Illinois so far this year has experienced the most tornadoes in the country, with 125 twisters confirmed, according to the National Weather Service. Alabama has the second most tornadoes with 93.
