Barack Obama

Taking a Closer Look

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Pontiac Daily Leader

Livingston and Iroquois counties were granted a federal disaster declaration Friday because of the January floods.

At 2:30 p.m. Friday, Pontiac Mayor Scott McCoy said, he received a phone call from Illinois Emergency Management Agency Director Andrew Velasquez III, who informed the mayor that the two counties were granted the federal disaster declaration.

The mayor made the announcement at the ribbon-cutting of the new "Route 66 -- A Photo Journey" exhibition at the Old City Hall museum, the announcement drawing a loud cheer and applause from those attending the event.

"This is wonderful news," McCoy said. "I'm so excited that we'll now be able to assist those residents who had their lives turned upside down by this flood. I can't tell you how happy I am right now."

Almost immediately, he said, he spoke with representatives from U.S. Rep. Tim Johnson's office, Sen. Dick Durbin's office, and Sen. Barack Obama's office. "We are all elated with this news," the mayor said.

He said the declaration included everything requested -- individual assistance and mitigation.

IEMA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are now working with local officials on the next steps for relief, McCoy said.

McCoy traveled to Washington D.C. on Wednesday of this week in a continuing effort to support the need for the federal declaration. He represented both Pontiac and Watseka (Livingston and Iroquois counties) during his trip.

"A lot of people put in a lot of time and effort to make this happen," the mayor said. "I can't say enough about how hard everyone worked on getting this accomplished. This is exactly what we needed for our communities."

A statement issued Friday from the White House by the office of the press secretary said that "The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Illinois and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storms and flooding beginning on January 7, 2008, and continuing.

"The President's action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals in Iroquois and Livingston Counties.

"Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster," the statement continued. "Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide."

R. David Paulison, administrator of FEMA, Department of Homeland Security, named Lawrence Sommers as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area, the White House said.

FEMA said additional designations may be made at a later date "if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments."

FEMA said that residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated counties can begin applying for assistance Saturday by registering online at www.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (local time) seven days a week.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich said in a statement Friday he was "glad President Bush and FEMA now recognize the severe impact this flooding had on these communities and that people need help to recover. This federal assistance will help many people repair their houses so they can return home and begin rebuilding their lives."

Blagojevich had sent a letter to the president on Jan. 18, requesting a federal disaster declaration for the two counties. On Feb. 6, FEMA notified the state that the request had been denied. An appeal to the president, with documentation of additional damages determined since the first post-flood assessment, was submitted to the president on Feb. 21.

In that reassessment, 520 more homes were found to have been impacted by flooding, including almost 120 homes that sustained major damage. That included 98 additional homes in Iroquois County that sustained major damage and 21 additional homes in Livingston County with major damage, the governor noted. Combined with 64 homes in Iroquois County and 54 homes in Livingston County found to have major damage during the initial assessment, the state's appeal documents 237 homes in the two-county area that suffered major damage, and one home in Iroquois County that was destroyed, Blagojevich said.

In addition, it is anticipated that nearly 50 businesses in the area will apply for Small Business Administration (SBA) loans as a result of damage from the floods, the governor said.

"This federal declaration is great news for people in these two counties who were devastated by one of the worst floods to hit this area in several decades," IEMA's Velasquez said. "We will begin working immediately with FEMA to get the application process started so that flood victims can get needed assistance as quickly as possible."

The federal disaster declaration will make assistance available, including assistance for individuals and households, which can include cash grants to help with temporary housing, home repairs and replacement and other disaster-related costs, according to the governor's statement. The president also approved the state's request for low-interest loans through the SBA, as well as hazard mitigation assistance, which can help fund projects to prevent similar flooding in the future, the governor said.

Rep. Johnson noted that state and local officials had brought FEMA back for a reassessment of damage, and said that was critical in overturning the original denial of federal aid.

"This is terrific news," Johnson said in a statement issued Friday. "While long overdue, it is a credit to the people of Pontiac and Watseka and the surrounding rural areas so hard hit that they persisted in bringing their case to the federal government. It's been two months since the floods and things are far from normal in these areas.

"As I said in letters to FEMA and to the White House, this is not a disaster on the scale of (Hurricane) Katrina, but it is every bit as devastating to the already fragile lives of the elderly, the parents and the children who have been rendered homeless and more destitute because of a natural disaster they in no way could have prepared for or defended against," Johnson said.

State Sen. Dan Rutherford said he was pleased by the news that Livingston and Iroquois counties won their appeal to be declared federal disaster areas.

"I am greatly appreciative of President Bush and FEMA's consideration of the situation in Livingston and Iroquois Counties," the Pontiac-based senator said in a statement Friday. "The federal declaration will enable our citizens to recover sooner. I want to extend my sincere thanks to the local, state and federal officials that have worked tirelessly for the residents of Livingston and Iroquois counties."

Rutherford said he had been in contact with the Bush White House to encourage the acceptance of the appeal.