Governor Quinn Announces Federal Aid Approved for Local Governments in 15 Remaining Counties

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today announced the Obama Administration has approved the state's request for federal aid to help local governments in 15 additional counties recover from April's historic flooding. Today's announcement marks the Quinn Administration's strong success in obtaining federal assistance for local governments in nearly all - 39 of 40 - counties impacted by the flooding. Since the historic flooding that began in mid-April, Governor Quinn has led an aggressive response and recovery effort for the people of Illinois who were impacted by severe flooding.

"I have taken every step necessary to ensure that families, businesses and governments across the state have every tool they need to recover," Governor Quinn said. "My Administration's hard work and the determination of people across Illinois have resulted in rapid approval of federal aid for local governments in nearly every county impacted by these floods. This critical support will help them recoup most of their expenses for protecting their citizens and repairing damage to roads, bridges and public buildings in their communities. I also want to thank Senator Durbin and Senator Kirk for their support throughout this process."

This federal declaration allows local governments in Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Greene, Hancock, Lawrence, McDonough, Monroe, Morgan, Peoria, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Tazewell and Will counties to seek reimbursement for 75 percent of their eligible flood-related expenses. Governor Quinn submitted the request for these counties on May 31, citing nearly $20 million in costs to local governments for their flood fight, public safety and recovery efforts. The approved counties each met the federal threshold of $3.45 per capita.

"We will work closely with federal government to help expedite reimbursement to these local governments," said Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) Director Jonathon Monken.

Beginning on April 18, Governor Quinn activated the State Emergency Operations Center and called a State of Emergency to alert the federal government and deploy state resources. Governor Quinn visited impacted communities across the state and worked to get federal aid as quickly as possible for every resident, business and local government in need.

The Quinn Administration's flood response included nearly 1 million sandbags for communities across Illinois, as well as 2,400 tons of sand, hundreds of state personnel, thousands of inmates, and dozens of state vehicles and other equipment.

Federal aid, through Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Individual Assistance Program, was also secured for families and businesses in 33 counties across Illinois. To date, this effort has produced more than $92 million in assistance for nearly 34,800 individuals and households. In addition, $11.9 million in low-interest loans have been approved by the U.S. Small Business Administration to support the recovery.

The 24 Illinois counties previously approved for federal aid to local governments are Adams, Bureau, Clark, Crawford, DuPage, Fulton, Grundy, Henderson, Kendall, Knox, Lake, LaSalle, Livingston, Marshall, Mason, McHenry, Mercer, Ogle, Pike, Putnam, Rock Island, Stark, Warren and Woodford counties. Total flood-related expenses for state and local governments topped $70 million.

IEMA and FEMA today began conducting briefings for local government officials in previously approved counties to explain the process for seeking federal reimbursement. Briefings will be scheduled in the near future for counties approved today. Applications for reimbursement are submitted to FEMA and, once approved, are forwarded to IEMA for final processing for payment.