Illinois Federal Disaster Assistance Tops $17.8 Million 

More Than 7,100 Households Helped

Release Date: October 24, 2008
Release Number: 1800-019

» More Information on Illinois Severe Storms and Flooding

CHICAGO, Ill. -- State and federal officials announced today that federal assistance to help people in northeastern Illinois get back on their feet following last month's devastating flooding has reached $17,826,794. More than 21,000 people have registered for assistance and, as of close of business Thursday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had approved assistance to 7,167 households.

"Over the past week, FEMA has continued to work hard to respond to the needs of people who had uninsured losses as a result of the storms and flooding last month," said FEMA's Deputy Federal Coordinating Officer Ken Tingman. "The dollar amount of assistance as well as the number of households helped has doubled since this time last week. We continue to work toward fulfilling our mission of bringing assistance to every eligible household in the seven counties designated for federal help."

FEMA and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) announced the grants. More than $16.3 million of the total is for housing assistance to help people rebuild or restore their damaged homes and pay rent while their homes are unfit to live in or for renters displaced by the disaster. More than $1.4 million is for serious disaster-related needs other than housing, such as medical expenses, transportation or replacing lost personal property.

At close of business Thursday, FEMA had received registrations from 21,252 residents of Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, LaSalle and Will counties. The lion's share of the registrants-19,223-are in Cook County. That county has also received the most aid-$14,991,128.

FEMA has inspected 11,730 properties to document storm and flooding damage. There are 189 inspectors in the field.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved $92,600 in disaster loans and stated that most applicants have not yet returned their applications. SBA's low-interest disaster loans are the primary form of federal assistance for long term recovery for renters, homeowners and businesses of all sizes.

Individuals can register for assistance by calling the FEMA HELPLINE at 800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 800-462-7585 or online at fema.gov. The telephone lines are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice.

The following is a county-by-county breakdown as of close of business Thursday.

County Households Approved Amount Approved

Cook

6,336

$14,991,128

DeKalb

71

$219,951

DuPage

371

$1,090,952

Grundy

27

$111,233

Kane

139

$431,916

La Salle

99

$632,445

Will

124

$256,569

Totals

7,167

$17,734,194

FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.

Last Modified: Monday, 27-Oct-2008 15:55:12