Funding Exceeds $55 Million in Illinois Disaster Assistance
Release Date: November 28, 2008
Release Number: 1800-042
» More Information on Illinois Severe Storms and Flooding
CHICAGO, Ill. -- More than $55 million in federal and state disaster assistance has been approved to help residents and businesses of Illinois recover from September's floods according to officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
To help individuals, families and businesses recover from the disaster, 26,720 people in nine Illinois counties have been approved to receive $55,347,512 in federal funding.
"I commend the work of the state of Illinois, our federal partners and voluntary agencies as we are working side-by-side to help people recover from this disaster," said Federal Coordinating Officer Libby Turner. "We encourage anyone affected by the flooding to register with FEMA by Dec. 16. Also, people should be sure they do not lose out on federal funds they may be eligible to receive. Anyone who received an SBA packet should complete and return their application before the Dec.16 deadline."
Many applicants for federal assistance receive an SBA loan packet. Completing the information and returning it does not require an applicant to take out a low-interest SBA loan. But, by not completing and returning the SBA loan packet, an applicant may not receive additional federal funding for which they may be able to receive. For more information about SBA's low-interest disaster assistance loans call 800-659-2955 or go online to www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance.
To check on an application, make changes to their status such as a new address, or to register with FEMA, homeowners, renters and businesses in Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, LaSalle, Peoria, Will and Woodford counties should call 800-621-FEMA (3362), TTY 800-462-7585 or go online at www.fema.gov.
The following is a summary of recovery efforts as of the close of business, Thursday, Nov. 27:
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$41,539,462 has been approved for disaster housing assistance to help with temporary housing and home repairs while people rebuild or restore their damaged homes or to help renters whose rental units were damaged. $5,003,050 has been approved for other serious disaster-related needs, such as medical expenses, transportation or replacing lost personal property.
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$8,805,000 has been approved by the SBA in disaster loans to homeowners, renters and businesses, composed of 271 loans to homeowners and renters and 13 loans to businesses. SBA's low-interest disaster loans are the primary form of federal assistance for the long-term recovery of renters, homeowners and businesses of all sizes.
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42,412 individuals and households have registered with FEMA for federal disaster assistance.
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32,267 individuals and businesses have been issued SBA disaster assistance loan applications.
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38,938 properties have been visited by FEMA-contracted inspectors to document storm and flood damage.
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26,436 individuals and households have been approved for housing assistance and other needs assistance.
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7,479 residents, 1,005 faith-based organizations, 2,854 businesses, 216 community organizations and 811 voluntary agencies have been visited by FEMA Community Relations (CR) Specialists. CR continues to meet with local government administrators, elected officials and emergency managers.
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3,890 people have visited Disaster Recovery Centers to talk face-to-face with recovery specialists, get help with their SBA disaster loan application, check on the status of their applications and learn about other programs for which they may be eligible.
- 13 counties are eligible for Public Assistance that may cover emergency services, repair or replacement of facilities and infrastructure. Counties include: Bureau, Cass, Cook, DuPage, Greene, Grundy, Kendall, LaSalle, Macoupin, Montgomery, Scott, Will and Woodford. 228 state agencies, local governments and private nonprofits have submitted Requests for Public Assistance.
The following is a county-by-county breakdown of assistance approved for FEMA's Individuals and Households Program (excluding SBA disaster loan data) as of close of business Thursday, Nov. 27:
| County | Households Approved | Amount Approved |
|---|---|---|
| Cook | 20,545 | $40,710,553 |
| DeKalb | 141 | $448,042 |
| DuPage | 689 | $2,017,359 |
| Grundy | 60 | $213,452 |
| Kane | 298 | $838,099 |
| La Salle | 152 | $840,571 |
| Peoria | 134 | $319,798 |
| Will | 503 | $947,166 |
| Woodford | 80 | $207,472 |
| Totals | 22,602 | $46,542,512 |
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, 01-Dec-2008 12:39:46