Illinois Snow Emergency Disaster Information
Release Date: January 12, 1999
Release Number: 3134-01a
» More Information on Illinois Winter Snow Storm
CHICAGO, Ill. -- In response to community interest, FEMA Region V officials have provided additional information on the Snow Emergency Declaration issued by the President on Jan. 8. Thirty-four counties in central and northern Illinois have been designated for federal funding to help reimburse costs for snow removal and emergency protective services. The following details will help local officials and Illinois residents understand the federal emergency declaration process:
- FEMA was in contact with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) when the snow began to accumulate Saturday, Jan. 2.
- On Friday morning, Jan. 8, Gov. Jim Edgar asked for emergency federal assistance for the severe winter storm, which posed a threat to public health and safety in 34 counties of Illinois.
- President Clinton approved an Emergency Declaration that same day after reviewing FEMA's analysis of the request. FEMA coordinates the federal response when a disaster is declared and provides federal funds released by the President's declaration to the affected state.
- Director Witt designated 34 counties eligible for federal funding to pay 75 percent of the eligible cost of emergency protective measures. These counties in central and northern Illinois had met the assistance criteria by recording "record" or "near record" levels of snowfall.
- The emergency declaration is to supplement state and local recovery efforts which have been ongoing -- that is to provide reimbursement to state agencies, counties, cities, towns or authorized public entities, and certain private nonprofit organizations, who performed specific emergency snow removal activities.
- Under the emergency declaration, federal disaster assistance is not available to individuals or business owners.
- FEMA will provide reimbursement through IEMA to governmental units, communities, and certain nonprofit organizations for 75 percent of the total eligible costs of snow removal equipment operations, contract personnel and equipment, and overtime for permanent personnel. The State and/or local governments will assume the remaining non-federal share of costs.
- Related emergency protective measures such as sanding and salting, search and rescue, shelter operations, and police and fire departments' response may also be eligible for reimbursement.
- FEMA will provide emergency funding for a 48-hour period. Applicants will designate the 48-hour period to be used for their respective snow removal assistance.
- If severe winter storm conditions required emergency assistance beyond 48 hours, IEMA may request a waiver to this provision. FEMA will evaluate these requests on a case-by-case basis, and if deemed appropriate, increase the time period.
- IEMA may also request the addition of a county(ies) if the county had a "record" or "near record" snowfall. IEMA would submit the request to FEMA for evaluation.
- Potential eligible applicants will be contacted in the next several days to establish an Applicants' Briefing schedule. These information briefings are designed to walk applicants through the assistance process. State and federal representatives will explain what costs are eligible; how to report equipment/personnel information; payment procedures; and answer any questions that applicant's may have.
- IEMA and FEMA stress the importance of communities' record keeping in this type of declaration where federal funds will reimburse specific costs. Having accurate, well-documented equipment and personnel time records will speed up the reimbursement process.
- Following the Applicants' Briefing, an individual point of contact will be identified for each applicant.
- Officials who have immediate questions should contact their local emergency management director who will coordinate their request with IEMA and FEMA.
- Director Witt named Lawrence L. Bailey, of FEMA's regional office in Chicago, to coordinate federal recovery operations in the state.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 02-Dec-2003 10:39:32